Eversheds bags two year, £multi-million Tyco contract
06 November 2009

Finally, after a bleak year, some genuinely good news for Eversheds. The firm has confounded the market by renewing its exclusive retainer with Tyco for another two years.

Tyco hit the headlines back in 2006 when it abandoned its 250-strong legal panel in favour of an exclusive deal with Eversheds. Competitors were quick to mock, and none more so than arch-rivals DLA Piper. An article interviewing Nigel Knowles in the Indepent on Sunday last February claimed that the deal which was "described at the time as revolutionary - has since been alleged to have been fraught and best, and looks likely to come to an end soon". In fact it will now run until 2011, and while Eversheds refused to comment on the figures it's understood to be worth tens of millions.

Bryan Hughes, Eversheds' Chief Executive, said "we are delighted with the new contract and are committed to contually improve and innovate our services for all our clients. Ha ha ha ha ha, take that Knowlesy.*"

Bryan being committed to continual improvement and innovative services for all clients yesterday

Meanwhile insiders at DLA Piper claim that the firm has struck back by launching a stationery amnesty in a bid to save costs.  A spokeswoman for the firm denied this, but said that "as part of our commitment to sustainability we encourage staff to return unwanted items so that they can be recycled". Any readers with a branded pen lurking on their desk should do the decent thing and return it.

*that last bit of quote made up.