SGH Martineau's education team boasts some of the most accomplished legal experts in the sector. Receiving the highest rating in this year's Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners directories and with a history of acting for universities for over 100 years, we have over 90 university and college clients and we care passionately about the sector.
What does this mean for our clients?
• We are legal experts who are used to working within the sector, so understand the environment and context.
• Our experience means our advice is practical and pragmatic, risk enabled rather than risk averse.
• We work hard to build relationships that matter and are committed to adding value to everything we do.
• We continually refine and improve how we deliver our services so that we can better meet the sector’s needs.
Our education team works particularly closely with our Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Intellectual Property, Procurement and Real Estate teams and also draws on a wide range of other specialist lawyers from around the firm.
Training for education institutions
Follow our education blog here – http://blog.sghmartineau.com/
Follow our Education Group on Twitter @SGHMartineauEdu
What our clients say about us
“This dedicated group of specialists has a high profile in the further and higher education sector. It has advised on several joint ventures and demerges, and is appointed to numerous education panels including the London Universities Purchasing Consortium. Recent new client wins include the University of Cambridge and Nottingham University. In terms of international work it has assisted two universities in setting up bases in China, as well as advising on collaborations in Greece and Italy and handling a college’s establishment of an academy in India.” Chambers UK.
“SGH Martineau has advised us on some very complex student matters over the years, often involving many areas of difficult law. They offered sound advice that combined an understanding of the practical challenges faced by the University with an appropriate legal perspective. Most helpfully they have provided practical and timely solutions and a clear way forward. The team's understanding of higher education is well developed and always up to date and this provides us with confidence that the issues will be readily understood and that advice will be soundly based.” Dr Christopher B Turner, Cardiff University.
“...The team expertly steered us through the legal complexities of TUPE at a recent ET and EAT appeal hearing. David Browne worked closely with us to advise on this case, develop the ET response, prepare the bundle, obtain statements and ensure that we were represented effectively. We were very pleased with the highly professional, responsive and comprehensive service we received, and of course at the successful outcome in both cases." Julia Davy, University of Plymouth.
“The acquisition of those shares in the University of Warwick Science Park Limited not already held by the University and of the related property interests of Coventry City Council was a pivotal transaction for the University of Warwick, in which the support and guidance of SGH Martineau were crucial. Ian Baker’s overall grasp of the legal aspects of the complex transaction and the commercial drivers for the University and his wise guidance on strategic issues, supported by Bhavesh Amlani and his team on the complex property issues, made SGH Martineau the ideal partner for the University of Warwick team.” Jenny Greenway, University of Warwick.
“SGH Martineau recently helped us with the divestment of our further education provision to Askham Bryan College and Carlisle College. This major and complex project involved working closely with a series of regulators, funders and interested parties including the Skills Funding Agency, the Young People’s Learning Agency, the North West Development Agency, HEFCE and Cumbria County Council. The timescale within which the divestment needed to occur was very challenging. We found the team at SGH Martineau took up the gauntlet with commitment, energy and determination and even in the most challenging moments approached the whole task with total professionalism, providing the University with the clear direction and support it needed to complete this strategically significant project successfully.” Neil Harris, University of Cumbria.