The legal services to government panel arrangements determine the way that departments and statutory bodies that elect to join the arrangements, can obtain legal services. The Panel has been operating since July 2002 and has been refreshed commencing 1 July 2009. The panel arrangements is covered by a State Purchase Contract (Deed of Standing Offer) therefore its use is mandatory for Departments and is open for Statutory Bodies to opt into the arrangements.
Twenty (20) law firms have been appointed to the Legal Services Panel entitling them to provide legal services to departments and participating statutory bodies.
The engagement of legal services under the panel arrangements must be made through the Legal Panel Gateway (LPG). Access to the LPG is organised by the Agency Contract Manager within your agency.
Under the panel arrangements the arrangements the Panel law firms or the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office must be used for the provision of legal services except for:
certain core government legal services that the Victorian Government Solicitor is required to provide on an exclusive basis;
any legal services that have been exempted; in advance, by the Secretary, Department of Justice from the panel arrangements.
The briefing of barristers must be captured in the LPG for reporting to government purposes.
Legal Services are grouped under 9 Panel Types, a General Panel, Commercial Projects Panel and 7 Specialist Panels. Each Panel Type covers areas of law and expertise for which the Panel firms have been appointed to provide legal services on the basis of demonstrated legal expertise, capacity to deliver the services and value for money.
Legal Panel Structure Diagram (21 KB PDF)
To obtain the Panel firms and the VGSO hourly fee rate, you will need to contact your Agency Contract Manager. The fee rates and the legal expertise and experience of the key personnel within each of the Panel firms are available on the LPG. To gain access to the LPG you will need to contact the ACM within your department of participating Statutory Body.
Agency Contract Managers Contract List (44 KB PDF.PDF)
If you are from a Statutory Body that has not opt into the panel arrangements, you will need to contact the Legal Panel Administration within the Department of Justice to organise access to the panel arrangement.
All Panel firms and the VGSO are committed to the furtherance of equal opportunity in their workplace including the allocation of work and in briefing barristers. They must also comply with the model litigants guidelines and principles when acting on behalf of departments or statutory bodies participating in the panel arrangements. Each Panel firm has committed to provide pro bono services between 5% and 15% of the value of the legal fees they derive under the panel arrangements.
The current panel arrangements commenced on 1 July 2009 and have an initial 4 years term ending 30 June 2013. There is an option to extend the arrangements for a further 2 years to 30 June 2015.
Contract summary
 Supplier Contractor | Multiple |
Number of Contracts | 20 |
Reference | 073/08 |
Open or Closed | Open |
Start date | 1 July 2009 |
End date | 30 June 2013 |
Lead Entity | Department of Justice |
Category Manager | Peter Galeotti Legal Panel Administration Civil Law Policy Department of Justice Ph: (+613) 8684 0887 Fax: (+613) 8684 7500 Email: legalpaneladministration@justice.vic.gov.au |
