Experience

I give legal and strategic advice to charities, social enterprises 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 EdTechs 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 Longacre School on its merger with Bridewell Royal Hospital.
  • Advising two separate multi-academy trusts on the establishment of an independent special school, in order to meet the growing demand for specialist educational provision.
  • 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.
  • Advising HMC - The Heads’ Conference on a governance and constitutional review.
  • Assisting Professor Alexis Jay CBE on her report on the Future of Church Safeguarding in the Church of England. Her report made recommendations regarding how the CoE’s safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, and the scrutiny of this service, should be made fully independent of the Church. We provided legal advice on how best to implement her safeguarding recommendations. Bates Wells’ legal report was published alongside Professor Jay’s recommendations report in 2024.
  • 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 and the subsequent reorganisation of the independent schools group.
  • 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.
  • 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.