The education practice at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP assists higher education and further education clients, schools, academies and private institutions in a wide range of issues, such as employment, student matters, charity law, litigation and dispute management or real estate, corporate and commercial, intellectual property, and health and safety issues, as well as constitutional and regulatory matters. The group is headed by Nicola Bennison and chaired by Diane Gilhooley. Glynne Stanfield has vast experience in corporate and commercial law and is the key contact for international education and corporate governance. Steven O’Reilly is well-versed in charity law. Chris Mordue provides employment advice to universities and industrial relations issues. Ben Woods provides education clients with governance and employment advice, while Alison Oldfield specialises in litigation and dispute management. Other key members of the education employment team are Robert Gray and Matthew Kelly. The group is well-supported by principal associate Alice Townley Smith and senior associate Laura Marsh.

Mills & Reeve LLP is well known for working on complex and significant education-related matters, such as mergers and collaborations. The department also assists with regulatory, freedom of information, data protection, litigation and liability issues. Martin Priestley leads the nationwide team with vast experience in assisting with major projects such as the University of Sussex outsourcing, taking over the shared lead with Gary Attle, who now focuses on the ongoing changes to education law and policy affecting the sector. Richard Sykes is adept at handling a wide range of education work, in particular governance and student disputes. While Poppy Short is skilled in the full range of commercial and corporate issues, and Sarah Seed specialises in lending to universities, Neil Burton assists universities and charities. Key employment education specialists are Nicola Brown and Alex Russell. Richard Noble, Christian Bull and Jennifer Lewis  who supports clients with property needs, while Alexandra Pike leads the construction team. Helen Tringham assists with data protection compliance, student claims and cyber-attack responses; Jonathan Greenwood handles transactions; Jens Henniker Heaton is adept in student accommodation projects and Mark Pearce specialises in IP.

With a depth of experience in assisting higher education providers and universities in education-related matters, including regulatory, campus development projects, technology procurements and data projects, and in disputes, Pinsent Masons LLP also advises on student-related matters, such as student mental health and accommodation, as well as with education financing. Based in Leeds, Victoria Goddard heads the universities and higher education group and has vast experience in student accommodation projects and student mental health. Gayle Ditchburn in Birmingham advises the higher education sector on regulatory, constitutional, structuring and governance issues and commercial litigator Julian Sladdin in Leeds is the key contact for education disputes, involving industrial action, covid-19 restrictions and following student complaints and claims. Helen Corden and Rebecca Stephen handle employment work for the sector. In Edinburgh, Chris Owens leads the student accommodation team and senior associate Rebecca McCall is also noted.

Shakespeare Martineau LLP is reputed for the depth of expertise in the education sector, advising university and college clients on estates matters, governance and regulatory matters, employment, compliance, and in disputes. Smita Jamdar, who shares her time between Birmingham and London, leads the department. She is an expert in governance, regulatory, as well as student facing and constitutional matters. The Birmingham-based team comprises David Browne and Tom Long, covering employment; Clive Read and Ruth Phillips advise on real estate and construction matters; Catherine Rustomji whose emphasis is on charity matters and litigators Andrew Adams, Ben Humphreys and Catherine Savage. Joanna Forbes assists with regulatory and constitutional matters, while Geraldine Swanton‘s practice covers student complaints, data protection and education-related compliance matters. Anieka Sheppard specialises in consumer protection advice relating to students. The recent additions to the team, Mark Taylor, Helen Dyke and Selina Hinchliffe extended the firm’s reach.

Blake Morgan LLP‘s education offering spans transactional work, litigation and specialist education tribunal work, also covering a wide range of student matters, such as EU student tuition fees, implications of Brexit, exclusions or disciplinary matters, as well as in sensitive cases, such as sexual misconduct and discrimination cases and advice on regulatory issues. Matthew Smith leads the department from Cardiff and handles both contentious and non-contentious employment advice. Penri Desscan handles procurement and broad commercial matters, while Eve Piffaretti ‘s broad practice covers public, regulatory and governance law, as well as mental health and capacity law. Paula Kathrens handles employment-related litigation and Joanna Rees is the key contact for contentious and non-contentious construction matters. Alison Patten-Hall assists with commercial agreements including IP licensing and procurement. Other key members of the team are Trish D’Souza, Rachel Sales, Natalie Lawley and Laura Sherratt.

Advising further education and higher education institutions in a range of matters, Browne Jacobson LLP‘s higher and further education team is co-led by Bettina Rigg in Exeter and Dominic Swift in Birmingham. While Rigg emphasises employment law, student matters, equality, diversity and inclusion and discrimination claims, Swift is an expert in property development and regeneration. Nick Smee is the key contact for intellectual property and Scott Mounfield is the department’s construction specialist, in contentious and non-contentious matters. Nathalie Jacoby-Danesh joined the department from Mills & Reeve in April 2023, bolstering the firm’s regulatory and charities offerings. Selina Hinchliffe departed to Shakespeare Martineau LLP in June 2023.

Clyde & Co’s global education department is adept at handling the gamut of work for educational entities ranging from corporate/commercial to IP and real estate. The practice is headed by David Hansom who is well-versed in assisting education clients with procurement and commercial matters. James Major assists clients of various sectors, including education, with employment law and is experienced in handling Tribunal and High Court claims. Simon Gamblin covers corporate finance and advises in mergers and acquisitions. Mark Williamson and Tom Tippett are the groups’ contacts for technology, outsourcing and data-related issues, particularly in the higher education sector. Elliot Pound and Richard Wilkins  handle education-related claims, while Graeme Watson specialises in education and healthcare regulatory work, as well as clinical negligence.

The education practice at Farrer & Co advises universities and higher education sector bodies with the full-service offering, such as investment fund management, charity law, data protection, joint ventures, property and construction, employment and student disputes, as well as safeguarding and reputation management. The team is led by David Copping who handles IP and commercial work for universities. Kathleen Heycock is adept at employment and student matters, including student safeguarding and deals with Tribunal claims and higher education investigations. Sam Macdonald has vast experience in tax and charity law, supporting the establishment of charities and engagement with charitable sectors. Jeremy Isaacson assists universities and schools with IP, information law and consumer regulatory issues, while William Charrington covers contentious matters for the team’s higher education clients. Senior associate Alice Kendle is also noted.

VWV‘s higher and further education group assists clients in a wide array of matters, such as technology procurement, regulatory issues, and real estate matters. Additionally, the department acts for clients in legacy protection matters and internal disciplinary investigations. In Birmingham, Jane Byford heads the team and is adept in contentious and non-contentious employment and HR work, while Kris Robbetts is the key contact for student matters, and Morag Roddick handles not for profit joint ventures and collaboration projects. In London, Bob Fahy and Michael Halsey cover a range of employment work for the firm’s university clients. The head of the charities team, Paul Voller , advises charities and institutions on various corporate, commercial, governance and regulatory issues. Also covering charity law, as well as regulation and governance is Rachel Tonkin.

Noted for its capabilities in assisting large universities, including members of the Russell Group, Weightmans LLP’s education offering includes procurement, student complaints, pensions and inquests. Martin Vincent, the head of the education department is based in Manchester and is an expert for procurement in the university sector. Litigator Josh Conroy is adept at handling a range of claims brought against universities, including student complaints, while Richard Vaughan covers construction work, assisting universities in significant projects and (procurement of) construction contracts. Nicola Gonnella advises on a range of issues, including IP, media and technology, as well as outsourcing, procurement and data protection. Cat Ellis has experience in a range of pension aspects, such as pension arrangements for universities. Vincent King assists clients with outsourcing, long-term contracts for the supply of services and funding agreements.

Experienced in advising further and higher education providers, education sector bodies and student unions, Bates Wells‘ education practice draws on the firm’s strength in charity, employment, property and public law to assist clients in a range of matters. Jean Tsang, who was promoted to partner in April 2024, heads the education team and is adept at governance, charity and commercial law as well as safeguarding. Lucy Mclynn is the firm’s key employment contact, while Simon Steeden assists educational charities on corporate, commercial and financing issues and is well-supported by senior associate Mark Abbott. Public and regulatory law specialist Matthew Smith joined from BDB Pitmans in April 2023. Claire Whittle departed to DLA Piper in October 2023.

Acting for a number of UK universities, providers of apprenticeships and work-based training, research and development organisations, as well as governing institutions, Bristol-based Burges Salmon LLP‘s education offering includes advice on university spin-offs, new campus developments and employment disputes. Additionally, the department assists the DfE regarding financially distressed education institutions. Matthew Ramus leads the department and is known for his expertise in PPP, PFI and outsourcing projects for education clients. Luke Bowery covers the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law-related matters. Procurement expert John Houlden acts on contentious and non-contentious matters, often in connection with bid strategies for education-related contracts. Other key members of the team are corporate finance director Tim Roberts and senior associate Huw Cooke.

The education team at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is well-regarded for advising a broad range of higher and further education clients. The department is co-led by Daff Richardson in Oxford and Hilary Aldred in Cambridge. Richardson’s practice covers employment issues, governance and student matters, while Aldred’s specialist employment practice emphasises contentious and non-contentious work. Pat Saini  heads the firm’s immigration team, advising on student visas, business restructuring and risk management. Anna Frankum leads the IP, IT and commercial team and assists on compliance with consumer and data protection and on contracts between institutions. Other key team members are managing associates Sophie Whitbread, who is adept in a range of employment matters, and Sam Rose who frequently assists charities and higher education institutions.

Bevan Brittan LLP‘s education department assists higher education clients with employment, student-related matters, property and corporate and commercial work, as well as with academic partnerships and sexual misconduct investigations. Virginia Cooper and Ashley Norman jointly head the group. Amy Tschobotko (disputes) and Rachel Soundy (corporate/M&A) are both key team members. The team was strengthened with the arrival of Amrita Hurst, who specialises in safeguarding and is particularly experienced in appeals in the First-tier Tribunal, legal director Helen Feinson in Leeds, who handles procurement and subsidy control, legal director Tijen Ahmet in Birmingham, who covers UK business immigration and support, as well as Kelly Simpson in Leeds, who joined from the in-house legal team at Leeds University.

With experience in handling major university projects and student accommodation transactions, JG Poole & Co. LLP’s specialist higher education boutique practice offers full service to its clients, including litigation, commercial, procurement, data protection, construction and property. The department is led by Jason Poole in Ely who assists a range of clients such as universities and major players in the higher education student accommodation sector. Banking and finance specialist Helen Bolton leads the project financing work in this space, assisting with a range of projects in the education space. The team is well-supported by Lucy Poole.

With particular strength in charity law, Withers LLP‘s education team advises a range of higher and further education institutions on issues such as US-UK dual qualified charitable structures, data protection, regulatory, employment, immigration, and governance. Practice head Philip Reed‘s broad charity law practice includes a range of matters, including governance and strategic advice. Chris Priestley leads the wider charities and philanthropy team at the firm and is adept in national and international commercial projects. Consultant Alison Paines   specialises in assisting education charities; and Hugh More advises on contentious and non-contentious employment matters, while Jo Sanders  is contact for all aspects of reputation and privacy law.

Acting for a range of clients such as universities, further education colleges, student unions, or education support bodies, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP‘s higher and further education department is led by Emma Moody in Newcastle and provides specialist advice for charitable education institutions, on procurement and projects, HR and pensions, data protection as well as on governance advice. Practice strengths include construction and property work, handled by experienced Iain Greenshields , Ian Atkinson , Neil Walker and Craig Moore . Sam Dixon in Leeds assists in relation to distressed educational issues and Christina Tolvas-Vincent in Southampton is adept in the full range of employment issues.