Experience

I give legal and strategic advice to charities, social businesses and educational institutions on a variety of commercial, charity law, governance, education law and safeguarding issues. I am Head of Education at Bates Wells.

I regularly deliver training on charity, safeguarding and education law and have been interviewed by The Times and BBC London News to give legal commentary. I also regularly participate in both internal and external events. Recent speaking slots include the BETT/London & Partners event focused on the London EdTech ecosystem, and an event during London EdTech week on what EdTech’s entering the UK market should consider.

I am also an experienced charity trustee and school governor – my passion lies in causes concerning children and young people and the Arts. I am currently a trustee of The Unicorn Theatre and Opera Holland Park, and a governor of a maintained primary school in central London.

Highlights
  • Advising HMC - The Heads’ Conference on a governance and constitutional review.
  • Advising on numerous academy transfers and FE college mergers - I advise on all commercial aspects, including process and governance, legal structuring, consultations, legal due diligence and negotiating the transfer agreement.
  • Acting for a large Spanish education group on the acquisition of UK independent schools.
  • Advising a university on the sale of one of its faculties.
  • Advising on the merger of two large learning disability charities, including obtaining regulatory consents from the CQC, Charity Commission and the Department for Education.
  • Advising a large educational charity on securing release of £20m of permanent endowment to enable it to fund the substantial redevelopment project of one of its beneficiary schools, and on becoming an academy sponsor.
  • Advising various national and international charities on improving their safeguarding governance in line with Charity Commission guidance on safeguarding and serious incident reporting, and managing safeguarding investigations.
  • Acting for a national children’s food poverty charity to undertake a review of its various corporate partnerships (for compliance with charity and fundraising law and regulation), and preparing template agreements for use with its corporate partners and member schools.
  • Establishing a charitable foundation for a high net worth couple to support educational projects in schools.
  • Advising an international NGO in relation to a Charity Commission safeguarding investigation and on its move to the Netherlands as a result of Brexit.