The group of councils under the banner of the London Boroughs’ Legal Alliance (LBLA) include Camden, Harrow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hillingdon and Hounslow LBCs and Kensington & Chelsea RBC.

They hope to generate savings by setting up a panel of preferred lawyers, sharing advice, cutting the number of locums and joint procurement of other legal resources, such as online knowledge and case management systems.

Jeff Pearson, Chief Executive at Geldards said “We are absolutely delighted that our experience has seen us beat off stiff competition from London based and National firms. This supports our strategy of providing the best advice from a regional base, making us the most sensible choice in the current climate.”

Harrow director of legal & governance services, Hugh Peart, said: “Local authorities face hundreds of different legal issues every year, ranging from appeals over parking tickets to highly complex land deals.

“We need the best advice available in often specialised fields, but equally we have a duty to get the best value we can for council tax payers.

“I am confident the London Boroughs’ Legal Alliance will do just that, and I think it will prove an innovation that other town halls across the country will want to copy.”

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