Blackpool Council has dropped Eversheds as its external legal partner and appointed Trowers & Hamlins and Weightmans.
Blackpool’s partner firms share knowledge and training with the authority, as well as offering external advice to the in-house team.
Trowers and Weightmans will provide support on standards, commercial contracts, litigation, regeneration, PPP projects and planning advice.
Blackpool spends more than £1m on private sector firms. The council does not have a panel and it hands out large mandates on a case-by-case basis.
Blackpool head of legal and democratic services Mark Lewis said the authority would continue to work with Eversheds, despite the partnership coming to an end.
He added: “Trowers and Weightmans offered the best range of expertise to assist us in delivering legal services to the people of Blackpool.”
Blackpool’s 21 in-house solicitors will have the opportunity to attend training events at the two law firms, as well as assisting them on local government issues.
Trowers partner Karen Andrews, who leads the relationship on behalf of the firm, said: “The appointment reflects the desire among local authorities and law firms to enter into long-term partnership arrangements in order to deliver regeneration and achieve savings.”
Weightmans head of local government Graeme Creer led the tender process. He said: “Blackpool Council said it was our breadth of expertise and reputation for local authority work that clinched the appointment. A great amount of research, planning and preparation went into this process so credit must go to the whole team.”
