First Law

Local govt alliance appoints 63 chambers to Bar panel

Legal week - Thursday 13th December 2007

Author: Michelle Madsen

Sixty-three barristers’ chambers have won places on the long-awaited West London Alliance (WLA) Bar panel.

The WLA, which consists of the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow and Hounslow, has set up 14 rosters of barristers to cover all aspects of advocacy-related local government work, including planning, property, education, housing, employment and child protection.

Ninety-six chambers tendered for the panel, which was launched in June, with sets selected on the basis of their experience, expertise, commerciality and equality policies.

Chambers were asked to give hourly fee estimates as well as fixed fee estimates for a variety of types of work, including hearings and case management conferences. It is understood that hourly rates quoted by barristers ranged from less than £100 to more than £500.

Brent council predicted that it would spend £1.4m on barristers’ fees over the course of the four-year mandate, with each of the other boroughs expected to contribute up to £2m in fees over the panel’s term.

London boroughs Camden, Islington and Barnet also look set to draw on advisers from the roster after expressing interest in the alliance.

Anthony Armitage, director of independent consulting group First Law, which ran the review, said the boroughs’ in-house solicitors would now have access to a range of fee options to draw upon.

“I believe that this will lead to similar exercises in the future. Three other councils want to join, so you can see that there is a real appetite for this,” he said.

The WLA is the first group of London boroughs to come together to appoint a formalised panel of barristers.