Bovis Homes has decided to outsource its legal work to one firm – a decision that will see 25 in-house lawyers move out of the housebuilder’s Gloucester offices.

Regional firm Davies & Partners has won the mandate from the FTSE 250 company after being asked to take part in a tender for the work.

The firm, which has offices in Bristol, Birmingham, Gloucester and London, already carried out existing work for Bovis Homes and has an office in close proximity to Bovis’ South England base.

Bovis Homes is known to have used other legal advisers in the past, including Gateley.

Linklaters also won a mandate earlier this year when it was called in to defend Bovis on a potential takeover offer by Galliford Try. Freshfields had been listed as its main corporate adviser but the relationship is understood to have transferred to its magic circle rival in the past year.

As a result of the bid win, Davies and Partners’ Birmingham and Gloucester offices will absorb 25 members of Bovis’ in-house legal team.

They will support the firm on handling Bovis’ legal requirements, which mainly comprise property, planning and environmental issues.

Prior to the agreement, Bovis Homes carried out the majority of its legal work in-house, with the outsourcing arrangement expected to cut the company’s over-heads.

In the company’s half-year results this month, Bovis announced it was reviewing the efficiency and effectiveness of its in-house functions, in particular the legal team.

“We have transitioned to an outsourced or partially outsourced approach in these areas, as this variable cost model will provide stronger development specific visibility and accountability of costs at a site level,” the statement said.

A range of senior and junior lawyers have already made the move to Davies and Partners, although some in-house lawyers have also departed. Divisional legal director Kevin Joynes joined Higgs & Sons as a partner this month.