Our Education Team has a wealth of specific experience in the sector with a number of our solicitors sitting as governors at local schools. The ability to draw on expertise from across the firm, the team is able to provide comprehensive advice in the following areas:
- Drafting contracts of employment and various other policies
- Dealing with disciplinaries and grievance situations
- Restructuring
- Academy conversions
- Defending discrimination claims (relating to both physical and mental impairments)
- Advising on challenges to suspensions, exclusions and admissions decisions
- Advice on documentation and procedures (admissions policies, appeals policies etc.) that can help to ward off claims
- Debt collection – we have extensive experience of recovering fees for schools
- Joint ventures and consortiums
- Mergers
- Property matters and construction projects
- Charity and trust issues
- Health and safety
- Commercial contracts
- Intellectual Property protection – and spin out vehicles
- Multi Academy Trusts
- Governance.
Legal 500
Leathes Prior provides an excellent, prompt and professional service; it is incredibly difficult to find any fault.
Legal 500
Approachable and responds readily to clients’ requests with clear advice. A boon to education clients.
Legal 500
Leathes Prior’s Polly Langford advises many independent schools in Norfolk. She represented a school in admissions policy and Equality Act matters.
Legal 500
Mike Barlow’s team at Leathes Prior provides exemplary service and extremely quick responses.
Legal 500
Mike Barlow's team at Leathes Prior includes rising star solicitor Polly Langford, who represents Town Close House and other independent schools. Mediator Martin Plowman and litigator Darren Bowen are highly acclaimed.
Legal 500
The responsive Mike Barlow, outstanding mediator Martin Plowman and rising star Polly Langford are central to Leathes Prior’s schools team.
Legal 500
Expert employment lawyer Dan Chapman, Martin Plowman and the exceptionally personable Polly Langford stand out.
Legal 500
Leathes Prior’s education team is led by litigation partner Mike Barlow and draws on the strengths of an experienced, multidisciplinary team to advise many of the largest schools and universities in the region. Widely respected associate Polly Langford specialises in both commercial litigation and education law. Other key figures include employment specialist Gareth Stevens, property partner Darren Bowen and regulatory specialist and part-time immigration judge Tim Cary.
