Cable & Wireless set to cut legal panel

Cable & Wireless is looking to slash the number of law firms it uses as part of a company-wide reorganisation and profit drive.

Group general counsel Nick Cooper has told The Lawyer he intends to get a grip on legal expenditure.

“We will have a more cost-conscious business and this means everything including greater control of the legal spend,” said Cooper.

He added: “I want to consolidate and focus the work into a small number of firms and develop a meaningful and lasting relationship with those firms.”

The company’s key advisers are DLA Piper, Allen & Overy and Slaughter and May for large-scale corporate work, but Cable & Wireless works also works with 15 other law firms including Charles Russell, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw and Halliwells.

The firms which make it through can expect a larger cut of Cable & Wireless’ legal spend, which last year hit £10m.

* See The Lawyer’s In-house Interview on Monday, 4 September 2006