Group Legal Services Framework

Tender description

The terms “Group” and “Translink” should be read as referring to the same corporate entities. Both shall be taken to comprise the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCO) in addition to its main operating subsidiaries Citybus Ltd, Northern Ireland Railways Company Ltd and Ulsterbus Ltd. The Group delivers scheduled bus and train services mostly within Northern Ireland. It also operates services and tours in GB and mainland Europe. Translink is the trading name for the group. Turnover is approximately 186 Million GBP with approximately 80 Million passenger journeys undertaken per year. The Group is seeking to appoint a Group Legal Framework Panel of individual law firms (not consortia) to advise on three distinct Streams: (1) Contentious & Repeat Business Services, (2) Operational & Routine Business, and (3) Strategic Partnering Services. Stream 1 is the only one of the three Streams to be subdivided into two mini panels, to remove any potential hurdles for firms applying for Stream 1 (which reflects the different markets with little or no crossover between service providers for prosecutions work on the one hand, service providers of claims and liability actions on the other). Streams 2 and 3 are not subdivided into mini panels, as successful tenderers for either of these Streams 2 or 3 will be expected to perform all (or the vast majority of all) the service needs within each of these individual streams. A non-exhaustive breakdown of the three Streams within the Group Legal Framework Panel, and the specialist managed legal services required is set out in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.