Legal advisors have been appointed to guide the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) through a $315 million upgrade.

The project will be achieved through a public-private partnership (PPP). The private partner, which has yet to be announced, will pay around $260 million, with the rest footed by the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB).

In a press release yesterday, the BHB revealed that legal advisors Davis LLP have been appointed to oversee the PPP, "following a competitive procurement process".

The statement said: "Seven legal advisory firms from the UK and North America, all with extensive PPP experience and significant health care PPP experience, were invited to respond to BHB's invitation to submit qualifications.

Davis LLP is a leading Canadian law firm that specialises in major infrastructure projects and public private partnerships."

BHB Chief Executive Officer David Hill said Davis LLP will also identify a local legal firm to work with "to provide BHB with the PPP expertise and the knowledge of local legal requirements that this flagship project must have".

The rebuilding work is the first phase of a wider 25-year plan to bring KEMH up to modern standards.