Wragge & Co LLP's public sector IT specialists have advised the Local Government Association (LGA) Group on a strategic partnering agreement worth £82.75 million.

The ten-year deal with Liberata for the provision of back office support services, including finance, human resources, information management, facilities management and print and design services, is the first major IT instruction completed for the LGA.

Partner Sarah Sasse led a cross-firm team including solicitor Ragi Singh and public procurement expert Andrew Maxwell. Claire Hughes provided employment advice and Jennifer Naylor and Rebecca Wood advised on pensions issues. The team worked closely with John Ransford, deputy chief executive, Julia Russell, Jane Hoskins and Mark Hucker from the LGA.

Sarah Sasse said: "The team advised on some complex issues, including transfer of pensions arrangements from three separate local government pension schemes. Our expertise in the restricted procedure procurement process and experience working with the LGA and Liberata enabled us to steer the agreement towards the best foundation for partnership. This deal builds on Wragge & Co's growing experience of advising public authorities on strategic partnering arrangements."

John Ransford, deputy chief executive at LGA, said: "Wragge & Co combined high quality advice with a pragmatic approach to meet this project's extremely ambitious deadlines. The team's first class knowledge of the Restricted Procedure process helped to produce a contract template that we are planning to make available to other authorities embarking on a similar process."

The LGA promotes the interests of over 500 local authorities. It works with and for them to realise a shared vision of local government that will enable people to shape a distinctive and better future for their locality and its communities. Wragge & Co was one of four law firms appointed to the LGA legal services panel in 2006.

Liberata is a provider of outsourced business processes in the UK. With 3,500 employees and over 25 locations, Liberata improves, streamlines and simplifies complex operational processes, with a strong commitment to delivering 'value for money' to its clients. Wragge & Co previously worked with Liberata on its involvement in a £300 million strategic partnership arrangement with BT and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in 2007. Liberata's in-house legal counsel Tim Collins advised on the deal.

Wragge & Co's highly-rated 25-strong Information Technology team combines top-quality legal skills with pragmatic and commercial insight. This team's activity has been at the heart of outsourcing as a business model for over a decade. Typical deals include acting for Malaysia Airlines on the outsourcing of its passenger service systems and advising Solihull Metropolitan Council on its £6.4 million ICT contract as part of the Government's £2.2 billion 'Building Schools for the Future' programme.

Public sector work is a growth area for Wragge & Co. In July 2007, the firm won a place on OGCbuying.solutions' Catalist Legal Services Framework Agreement of law firms pre-approved to advise public sector bodies on a range of matters. Clients include the London Borough of Croydon Council, Hackney Homes, Bristol City Council and the Isle of Wight.

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For further information about this press release, contact Kathryn Hobbs on +44 (0)121 685 2785, Rebecca Davies on +44 (0)121 685 3819, Gayle Redding on +44 (0)121 685 2708 or Rebecca Lum on +44 (0)121 260 9973

This press release may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.