Five national law firms have been selected to provide legal advice to 48 local authorities in the East Midlands under the EM LawShare consortium umbrella.

Anthony Collins, Browne Jacobson, DLA Piper, Freeth Cartwright and Weightmans will offer legal advice on 13 areas of law including contract, employment and corporate governance work.

Browne Jacobson, Weightmans and Freeth Cartwright originally obtained a four-year contract with the consortium in 2006 and they will now be joined by Anthony Collins and DLA Piper for a further four years.

The consortium is the biggest of its kind in the UK. It was created in 2005 when 14 East Midlands councils joined forces to procure legal services in the first partnership agreement of its kind.

Jayne Francis-Ward, service director of legal and democratic services at Nottinghamshire County Council and leader of the EM LawShare consortium, said: ‘Other local authorities have established legal panels but the uniqueness of EM LawShare is firstly its size, with 50 councils as members and most importantly its partnership working ethos.’

‘This isn’t simply a call-off contract but a hugely successful example of a real public private partnership,’ she said.