Legal services

Tender description

Onward Group Ltd is seeking to re-procure its panel of Legal Services providers through a number of specialisms and invites suitably qualified legal firms experienced in social housing matters to express an interest. This is a restricted procedure (in two stages): legal firms should provide a response in accordance with the requirements laid out in the Invitation to Tender document, which in the first instance will consist of a selection questionnaire. The panel will take the form of a framework agreement and will last for a four-year period commencing on 1 April 2021. The contract will first be advertised through the despatch of a notice to OJEU. Procurement documents will be published on our e-tendering portal accordingly. Provision of property conveyancing services including: purchases/disposals of real estate (general), acquisitions and disposals (residential and commercial), auction acquisitions and disposals. Provision of property compliance and enforcement legal services including: disrepair claims, access sanctions (servicing and maintenance injunctions), terminating licence agreements and obtaining possession, dilapidations, Asset Management advice, contract claims, statutory notices, party wall, boundary disputes. Provision of property-related legal services including: property rationalisation including purchases, disposals, stock swaps, Demolition and consultation, Title investigations, Agreements for lease/ licences, Granting and taking leases, Management agreements, Managing Agent issues including those arising from Tripartite Agreements, Leaseholder and Managing Agent, Lease management e.g. licences to assign, licences for alterations, deeds of variation, lease extensions, rent review, Advice relating to existing leases and management agreements, Commercial lease renewals and surrenders, Enforcement and forfeiture, First Tier Tribunal representation, Establishing property PFI ventures, Plot sales (commercial), Consent issues relating to restrictions on title, Ground rent issues, Property litigation, Market rent. Provision of development conveyancing legal services including: New build plot sale – leasehold and freehold, Auction sale and purchase, individual property and land sales and acquisitions, Right to Buy, Right to Acquire, Shared ownership, Social Homebuy, Statutory Agreements e.g. s.38, 278, 104, Planning Agreements e.g. s.106 and s.111, Post sale – staircasing, assign, alterations. Provision of development-related legal services including: Site development and assembly, Options to purchase, Acquisitions/ disposals of land/ buildings and tenanted stock, Stock swaps, Development Agreements, Development Funding (including HCA Help to Buy agreements), Management Agreements, Establishing development-related management companies, Construction Agreements (including collateral warranties), Contentious Construction, Novation agreements, Wayleaves and other utility agreements, Building licences, Grant agreements, Health and safety, Overage, Planning advice, Property taxation advice, Procurement and contractual matters, Development disputes (including litigation), Environmental issues, Dilapidations, Adverse possession including traveller issues, Disposals of ground rents. Provision of finance-related legal services including: Mergers & acquisitions, Acquisitions and disposals, New business opportunities, Joint ventures, Corporate finance, Financial services regulation, Corporate insolvency law, Constitutional issues, Compliance, Rent setting, Service charges. Provision of funding and charging legal services including: Banking and finance including the raising of bank funding, capital markets issuance and hedging arrangements, Charging and security work, Treasury (debt finance, listed securities, bonds, funds), Development draw down funding. Provision of corporate governance related legal services including: Mergers & acquisitions, Acquisitions and disposals, Joint ventures, New business opportunities, Amalgamations and restructuring, Stock transfers, Charity law, Industrial and provident society law, Constitutional reviews, Board member powers and responsibilities, Company secretarial, Corporate Policies and Procedures, Companies Act Law. Provision of housing management related legal services including: policy advice, advice & representation including tenancy rights & obligations; rent; possession; injunction; general litigation; ASB solutions; debt; gas servicing; allocations; boundary disputes etc. Provision of general commercial legal services including: Competition law, Contract advice or drafting, eCommerce, Intellectual Property Rights & Trademarks, Public Procurement (including telecoms & IT, contracts and licenses), Procurement law, IT and information law including system maintenance & support agreements, defamation and the internet, and intellectual property, Regulatory law, Sale and acquisition of goods and services, Data protection and freedom of information. Provision of employment-related legal services including: Employment law (contracts and policies), Equal opportunities, Equality & discrimination, Employee relations, Equal pay, TUPE, Tribunals, Grievances and disputes, Pensions, Health & safety (employees), Organisational change/ change management, Outsourcing/ contracting out.