Key Points
- Shakespeare Martineau has been appointed as a supplier to the Government Commercial Agency’s Legal Panel for Public Sector.
- The appointment gives the law firm a route to support public sector organisations across the UK.
- The Government Commercial Agency (GCA) is the UK’s central commercial and procurement organisation.
- The new Legal Panel for Public Sector runs until July 2029, with a possible two-year extension.
- The framework is available to organisations across central and local government, education, health, infrastructure, emergency services and charities.
- Shakespeare Martineau has secured places on three lots: Lot 2 for focused legal support, Lot 3 for litigation and disputes, and Lot 6 for costs lawyer services.
- Stephen Scott, real estate disputes partner at Shakespeare Martineau and lead partner overseeing the firm’s GCA panel work, said the appointment reflected the strength and breadth of its specialist teams.
- The GCA framework provides public sector bodies with a compliant route to obtain legal services covering a broad range of specialisms.
- The framework, formally identified as RM6374, commenced on 30 July 2026 and replaces previous public sector legal services arrangements.
- The development places Shakespeare Martineau among law firms able to compete for public sector legal instructions through the new framework.
- The appointment is significant for the firm because it can help it maintain existing public sector relationships while providing access to potential new clients.
What has happened to Shakespeare Martineau?
Shakespeare Martineau has been selected as a supplier to the Government Commercial Agency’s Legal Panel for Public Sector, creating a new route for the law firm to provide legal services to public sector organisations across the UK.
As reported by Marketing Derby on 7 September 2026, Shakespeare Martineau has been named on the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) panel, which serves as a procurement route for public sector organisations seeking legal services. Marketing Derby did not identify an individual journalist as the author of the report.
The appointment covers three areas of the new framework. Shakespeare Martineau has been appointed to Lot 2 – Focused Legal Support, Lot 3 – Litigation and Disputes, and Lot 6 – Costs Lawyer Services.
The appointment does not represent an award of a specific legal contract to Shakespeare Martineau. Rather, it places the firm within a government procurement framework through which eligible public sector bodies can access approved legal suppliers for individual requirements.
The development therefore gives Shakespeare Martineau a formal route to compete for and undertake relevant public sector legal work during the framework period.
What is the Government Commercial Agency legal panel?
The Government Commercial Agency is the UK’s central commercial and procurement organisation. Its Legal Panel for Public Sector, identified as RM6374, is designed to provide public sector organisations with a compliant route to purchase legal services.
According to the GCA’s official framework information, RM6374 began on 30 July 2026 and is scheduled to run until 29 July 2029. The framework is described as a closed framework and is available to a broad range of public sector organisations, including central government, charities, education providers, health organisations, local authorities, blue-light services, devolved administrations and other public sector bodies.
The GCA says the framework covers a wide range of legal specialisms. These include commercial and contracts law, property, real estate and construction law, litigation and dispute resolution, public-private partnerships, projects, employment law, public procurement law, social housing, infrastructure, transport and rail, health and social care, and costs lawyer services.
The framework was procured under the Procurement Act 2023’s Light Touch Contract arrangements and provides several mechanisms through which public sector buyers can appoint suppliers.
The official GCA information says buyers can use an award-with-competition process, a quote process for requirements below the relevant light-touch threshold, or a rapid award route where appropriate.
Which lots has Shakespeare Martineau secured?
Marketing Derby reported that Shakespeare Martineau has secured three lots on the framework.
The first is Lot 2 – Focused Legal Support, which is intended for targeted specialist legal requirements rather than comprehensive full-service legal provision.
The second is Lot 3 – Litigation and Disputes, covering legal requirements associated with disputes and litigation.
The third is Lot 6 – Costs Lawyer Services, providing access to specialist services relating to legal costs.
The GCA describes Lot 2 as a route for buyers requiring specialist legal services in particular areas or a limited number of legal specialisms, rather than broad full-service legal support.
The three appointments therefore align with areas in which Shakespeare Martineau can potentially support public sector organisations requiring specialist advice, dispute-related legal assistance and costs expertise.
How long will the public sector legal framework run?
The framework is scheduled to run for three years, from 30 July 2026 until 29 July 2029.
Marketing Derby reported that the arrangement runs until July 2029 and has a possible two-year extension.
The GCA’s official framework page confirms the initial end date as 29 July 2029.
The framework is also part of a wider restructuring of government legal procurement. The GCA states that RM6374 replaces the previous RM6240 Public Sector Legal Services framework and RM6284 Costs Lawyer Services 2 framework. The previous RM6240 agreement expired on 5 September 2026, with RM6374 becoming the replacement arrangement for future requirements.
This means the Shakespeare Martineau appointment comes at the beginning of a new framework period rather than simply representing an extension of the firm’s position under the previous arrangement.
Which public sector organisations can use the framework?
The new panel is intended for a broad cross-section of the UK public sector.
Marketing Derby reported that the framework is available to central and local government, education, health, infrastructure, emergency services and charities.
The GCA provides a similarly broad description, listing central government, charities, education, health, local authorities, blue-light services, devolved administrations, non-profits and other public sector organisations among those able to use the agreement.
The official procurement notice also describes the framework as being for the public sector, including local and regional government, health, education, infrastructure, emergency services, central government and third-sector organisations.
For eligible organisations, the framework is intended to make it easier to identify suitable legal suppliers while providing a structured procurement mechanism for obtaining legal advice.
The GCA says its digital filtering tool can help buyers identify suppliers capable of meeting particular requirements. Depending on the requirement and procurement route, buyers can invite suppliers to compete or use other permitted award mechanisms.
What did Stephen Scott say about the appointment?
As reported by Marketing Derby, Stephen Scott, a real estate disputes partner at Shakespeare Martineau and the lead partner overseeing the firm’s work for the GCA’s Legal Panel for Public Sector, welcomed the appointment.
Scott said the firm’s selection reflected the strength and breadth of its specialist teams. He also pointed to Shakespeare Martineau’s existing record of supporting public sector organisations.
He said the framework provides the firm with a route to continue those relationships while reaching new clients.
In a separate statement published by Shakespeare Martineau and authored by Stephen Scott on 1 September 2026, Scott similarly described the appointment as opening opportunities for the firm to support public sector organisations across the UK. He said the three-year framework, with a possible two-year extension, provides public sector organisations with a compliant and efficient route to legal services across a range of specialisms.
The two statements place emphasis on both sides of the appointment: maintaining relationships with existing public sector clients and creating opportunities to work with new organisations.
Why is the new framework important for government legal procurement?
RM6374 is significant because it consolidates legal services previously available through separate government procurement arrangements.
The official procurement notice states that the framework was designed to cover legal services for the public sector and bring together specialisms previously available under RM6240 Public Sector Legal Services and RM6284 Costs Lawyer Services 2.
The framework therefore provides a single procurement structure covering a substantial range of legal requirements.
The GCA lists areas ranging from commercial and contracts law to property, construction, litigation, public procurement, infrastructure, transport, health and social care, and costs law.
The framework also permits call-off contracts of any value or length, subject to the relevant procurement requirements. This gives public sector organisations flexibility when sourcing legal services for different types of work.
For law firms, meanwhile, inclusion on the framework provides eligibility to participate in procurement opportunities within the lots for which they have been appointed. It does not guarantee a particular volume or value of work.
How does Shakespeare Martineau’s appointment compare with other firms?
Shakespeare Martineau is not the only law firm to have secured a place on the new framework.
The GCA’s supplier information lists numerous law firms appointed to RM6374, including Addleshaw Goddard, A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland, Anderson Strathern, Arthur Cox Northern Ireland, Ashfords, Ashurst, Bevan Brittan, Bird & Bird, Birketts, Blake Morgan, Brabners, Browne Jacobson, Burges Salmon and others.
Other firms have also publicly announced their appointments. For example, Pinsent Masons announced in August that it had been appointed to five lots, including full legal service provision, focused legal support, litigation and disputes, projects and complex advice including PPP, and transport and rail.
DWF separately announced that it had been appointed across all lots of the RM6374 framework, allowing it to continue supporting public sector organisations through the successor to RM6240.
Browne Jacobson announced an appointment across seven lots, covering areas including litigation, public-private partnerships, infrastructure, property, public procurement, costs, commercial, contracts and employment.
These appointments show that RM6374 is a broad framework involving numerous legal providers rather than an exclusive arrangement with a single law firm.
What does the appointment mean for Shakespeare Martineau?
For Shakespeare Martineau, the appointment provides a recognised procurement route into public sector legal opportunities across the UK.
The firm’s three lots are focused rather than covering every legal service available under the framework. This means its appointment is particularly relevant to targeted legal support, litigation and disputes, and costs lawyer services.
The framework’s availability across government, education, health, infrastructure, emergency services and charitable organisations potentially gives the firm access to a diverse group of public sector buyers.
However, being appointed to a framework should not be interpreted as a guarantee that the firm will receive instructions from those organisations. Individual requirements remain subject to the applicable purchasing and award procedures.
For organisations and professionals working with public procurement, understanding how frameworks operate, how suppliers are appointed and how individual call-off opportunities are awarded remains important. This makes Legal, Contracts and Procurement particularly relevant to professionals dealing with government purchasing, legal services frameworks, supplier selection and contractual processes.
What happens next for the new legal panel?
The RM6374 framework is now live, with its initial term running through July 2029.
The GCA has said that public sector buyers should use the framework’s buyer guidance and digital filtering tools when determining the appropriate route for their legal requirements. Buyers can select suppliers according to the relevant lot and procurement procedure.
The GCA has also announced an introductory session for buyers on 22 September 2026, intended to explain the new framework, its changes, benefits and purchasing processes.
For Shakespeare Martineau, the immediate significance is its inclusion among approved suppliers on three parts of the new framework. Stephen Scott has indicated that the firm sees the appointment as an opportunity both to continue existing public sector relationships and to reach potential new clients.
The appointment consequently marks a new phase in Shakespeare Martineau’s engagement with public sector legal work, while the wider RM6374 framework establishes a new procurement route for organisations across the UK seeking specialist legal support.