Cripps beats off City competition to win place on HM Prison Service's legal panel

Cripps Harries Hall has beaten at least one City firm to join a small panel providing commercial property legal advice to HM Prison Service.

The Kent firm will deal with property legal work relating to the Prison Service estate in England and Wales.

This includes 140 penal establishments, extensive agricultural estates, commercial and industrial premises and development sites.

The prison service chose its panel on the basis of three main criteria: value for money, price and quality of service.

Cripps says it was able to provide partner level attention for clients at costs much lower than City firms, though it would not name any of its beaten competitors.

It is not the first time that the firm has won government service tenders for property work. Among those that it is legally allowed to discuss are HM Customs and Excise and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Partner and head of commercial property at Cripps Michael Stevens says: "We are delighted to have achieved the appointment to HM Prison Service which demonstrates our capability of servicing major clients from our base in Tunbridge Wells."

the lawyer 8 may 2000