Virgin Group hopes to repeat London panel success in the US and Australia

The Virgin Group is planning to launch legal panels in the US and Australia following the success of its London legal panel.

Commenting on the forthcoming panel review, Virgin Group legal director Helena Samaha told The Lawyer: "The long-term plan is to bring some structure to how we buy legal services across the world."

She added that the US and Australian panels will not be as comprehensive as the UK's and that Virgin Group was looking for firms to advise principally on corporate work.

However, Samaha said the creation of such panels is still some way off and that as yet a formal review has not begun.

Currently, Virgin Group has relationships with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in the US, while in Australia the company uses Coudert Brothers, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Clayton Utz.

Virgin Group plans to establish a legal panel in the US because it is hoping to do more business in the country.

The group is planning to launch a low-cost airline based on the model of Virgin Blue, its low-cost Australian airline.

Last month, Virgin Group ditched Bond Pearce and Finers Stephens Innocent from its UK legal panel following an annual review of its roster of external lawyers.

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