BT kickstarts first ever international legal panel

Having completed a review of its legal advisers in England and Wales, British Telecom (BT) is now set to launch its first ever international panel.
After appointing Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird, Linklaters and Wragge & Co to its England and Wales panel, BT general counsel Anne Fletcher told The Lawyer: "The next stage is to look at the wider international piece."
BT uses Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and Shearman & Sterling in the US and Baker & McKenzie in Asia. The company instructs Bernard Amory, a partner at Jones Day's Brussels office, on competition and regulatory affairs, and has appointed its chief corporate adviser for the UK, Linklaters, on some of its international mergers and acquisitions.
"When you're looking at external lawyers you always want great legal support in a cost-effective way. We're looking for innovation and creativity on the cost front," said Fletcher.