Notts colleges unite for joint legal panel

At present the two universities are predominantly advised by Eversheds, Freeth Cartwright, Pinsent Masons, Martineau Johnson and Mills & Reeve.

As part of this unusual collaborative move between two rival institutions, ­interested firms are being asked to provide innovative billing options.

They will tender for ­constitutional and regulatory, estate management and development, HR, ­student-related, IP and commercial exploitation, commercial law and collaborative ­activities.

It is likely that there will be more than one firm advising per sector.

The ­universities are understood not to have a fixed number of appointees in mind for the final roster.

Contracts will be awarded by the beginning of August for a maximum four-year term, although this may be split as a two-year term, with options to extend annually.