Vodafone brings in DLA Piper, Olswang for new-look panel

DLA Piper and Olswang have won new appointments to Vodafone’s revamped panel of legal advisors, with Linklaters retaining its role as the telecoms giant’s main corporate counsel.

The panel comprises a range of law firms to advise Vodafone’s corporate centre and UK operating company.

As well as Linklaters, Slaughter and May, Herbert Smith, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose, Field Fisher Waterhouse, Wragge & Co and Beachcroft have retained positions on the main panel.

Olswang’s mandate is to manage Vodafone’s trademark portfolio in addition to providing general legal advice.

Axiom, which provides lawyers on secondment to companies, has also kept its position on the Vodafone panel.

Osborne Clarke, Doyle Clayton and Shakespeares will continue to provide services to Vodafone UK.

General counsel Rosemary Martin said in a statement: “We have been impressed with the quality of the proposals made by all the law firms which responded to our tender; those that made it onto our panel stood out.”

Martin added: “The panel is intended to ensure that Vodafone’s legal function partners with the providers of some of the market’s best service providers.  While Vodafone will continue to benefit from the deep sector knowledge it retains in-house, the panel will supply additional expertise as well as access to innovative suppliers, such as Axiom, to manage surges in demand for legal support on a cost-effective basis. 

“We’ll also gain from dedicated service arrangements with niche firms in cost-effective jurisdictions to deliver key projects that involve bulk transactional work.”

The panel was selected by Vodafone in-house counsel Nick Woodrow, Dan Tozer, Steven Jebb and Katharine Ward along with Vodafone’s procurement team.

Vodafone last reviewed its UK panel in 2005, while its corporate panel was reviewed in 2009. A spokesperson for the company said there was no set date for another review.