IThe sole budget holder and signatory for legal costs incurred by the University is the Company Secretary, Carole Mainstone. Following a Value For Money study by the University's internal auditors, it was decided that all procurement of legal services should be undertaken through this single route in order that adequate control and monitoring of expenditure across the University could take place.

 

Other University budgets may not be used for engaging legal representatives without prior agreement with the Company Secretary, who is responsible to the Court of Governors for legal services procurement.

The procedures set out below must be strictly adhered to:-

1) Before committing to expenditure on legal services, the Company Secretary must be informed of the name of the proposed legal supplier, the reason for the proposed expenditure, the nominal code to be charged and the estimated cost. This can be done by telephone or email. Normally, one of the University's three approved legal services suppliers (Nabarro Nathanson, Eversheds, Denton Wilde Sapte) should be used.

2) An internal reference number will be issued by the Company Secretary (or her designate) which must be communicated to the legal services supplier for inclusion in all correspondence and invoices to the University. This will enable her to ensure that the ensuing invoices are correctly correlated with the original commitment.

3) All invoices must be addressed by the solicitor for the attention of the Company Secretary who will maintain a register of legal commitments and costs and authorise ALL invoices. All statements must be addressed to the Director of Finance.

4) Invoices which by agreement with the Company Secretary are not being met from the annual Court approved legal budget will be recharged via journal or Internal Charge Note to the nominal code submitted in 1) above. This will normally apply only in the cases of Halls of Residence legal matters, legal expenditure within capital projects, and legal work connected with active subsidiary companies such as PSI or UoW Trading.

5) Budget holders who dispute a charge made by the legal services supplier must liaise directly with the firm of solicitors for a credit note to be issued which will follow the same authorisation path as 3) above.

Any budget holder who does not follow these instructions may become personally liable for any unauthorised commitment incurred on behalf of the University of Westminster.