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15. BLACK LEGAL SERVICE

PROVIDERS

As members of the legal fraternity, Group firms have an inherent responsibility
to support the development of black legal service providers (black individuals
such as advocates, sheriffs, tracing agents, black law firms etc.) and in this
manner also support BEE development in the legal industry.
Members have adopted this goal as part of the Group Standards to emphasise
the importance of developing these service providers in the legal industry, with
Group firms having referred nearly R9,6 million in work to black legal service
providers during 2015. The Group has also undertaken an investigation
into establishing regional panels for preferred black legal service providers Group firms have
to receive support from Group firms and further advance this element of
transformation in the legal sector. referred nearly

R9,6 million in work
16. PROCUREMENT
to black legal

service providers
Procurement from black suppliers is a vital element of each member
firm’s scorecard and crucial to obtaining a good BEE recognition level. during 2015
Accordingly, firms have over time invested in their procurement from black
suppliers and have evidenced nearly R40 million in procurement from black
suppliers through formal BEE verification, which includes the R9,6 million
spent on black legal service providers. Given the importance of procurement
on various categories of black and EME service providers, the Group is
investigating how to develop central Group procurement strategies to better
use economies of scale to support and develop black suppliers by the Group
and enhance procurement benefit for Group firms.

a new breed of law firm 23