Clarke Willmott handed HM Customs mandate

Bristol’s Clarke Willmott has scooped the role as sole legal adviser to HM Customs & Excise on debt recovery cases for England and Wales.

The firm, led by partner Stephen Allison, triumphed in a competitive tender over a host of firms, including previous legal advisers DLA, Lees Lloyd Whitley and London outfit Moon Beever.

The win marks the first time Customs has awarded the role to a single law firm.

The contract, which runs for four years with an option for a fifth, could spell fees of around £1m per annum for Clarke Willmott.

The firm plans to run the work out of its Taunton office, which is staffed largely by a team of legal executives and paralegals.