Legal Services Panel

⁠⁠⁠The City of Stonnington (Council) is seeking to appoint a Legal Services Panel (Panel) for the ongoing delivery of external legal services across all departments Council-wide.

In particular, Council is seeking to appoint a Panel of diverse specialised legal firms which may include a range of large, medium and small boutique firms and services depending on the legal services required. The legal services required are widespread and diverse, and the work is varied and dependent on a range of factors as outlined in this Specification.

Currently Council engages a wide range of legal services including, but not limited to, Planning & Environment (including at Panel Hearings), Property, Building & Construction, Commercial, Intellectual Property (IP) & Information Technology (IT), Employment, Industrial Relations and Equal Opportunity, Litigation, Local Laws & Enforcement, Public Law, Administrative and Local Government advisory, and Community, Health & Wellbeing.

Services required for the Panel will include, but are not limited to, the provision of expert verbal and written legal advice, preparation of a variety of legal documents, representing Council in a variety of forums including formal and informal meetings, Victorian Courts, Commissions, Arbitrations and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal, presentation of legal training sessions on a variety of topics, providing regular e-alerts, updates, seminars and focus groups to understand priority issues and sector-wide policy, legislative updates and trends, complimentary legal research capabilities, potential secondment opportunities, and other complimentary offerings.

Council seeks to ensure that all externally sourced legal support provided to Council remains high quality, offers best value for money in a competitive legal services market, is bespoke to the various services and business requirements of Council, and ensures that Council’s limited resources are used efficiently and effectively.

The Legal Service Provider’s appointment to the Panel does not guarantee it will receive a minimum number of instructions to provide Services, or exclusivity to any matter. Council will use all reasonable endeavours to share requests for legal support across the legal firms appointed to the Panel and reserves its rights to instruct which Panel legal firm it prefers for any matter at its discretion. Further, Council reserves its right to engage any third party to provide legal services during the Panel contract term.

NOTE: The Vendor Panel online forum closes five business days prior to the abovementioned tender closing date. Council reserves the right not to accept the lowest or any Tender, or part thereof. Tenders received after the closing time will not be considered.