Education

Harrison Drury has an experienced and well-established education sector team dedicated to supporting nurseries, maintained primary and secondary schools, independent and private schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions including universities.

Our team works closely with education sector clients on a day-to-day basis to support and advise in relation to property, employment, corporate, commercial, licensing and regulatory matters as well as in relation to all types of dispute resolution and litigation including property related disputes. Many members of our team have been advising education clients for many years and have built a deep understanding of the issues they face and their operational needs as the sector continues to evolve.

Our education clients value the ease of access to our specialist solicitors based in our offices in Preston, Garstang, Kendal, Lancaster, Clitheroe, Lytham and Manchester although our team is instructed by education clients across England and Wales. We provide robust, practical advice which enables you to achieve your objectives in an ever-evolving and highly competitive sector.

We also work closely with other advisors in the sector such as accountants, banks and funders to provide education clients with holistic, proactive and commercially focused advice.

Our team includes leading individuals renowned nationally for their expertise and experience in advising education sector clients. The team has an extensive track record of advising private childcare providers including a number of well-known children’s nursery groups, in relation to the sale and purchase of nurseries. We also advise nurseries on a wide range of legal issues, including in relation to new leases, property purchases, employment contracts, HR matters, advice on terms and conditions with parents and suppliers and also regulatory matters.

In the further and higher education sectors, our specialist team work with senior leadership, management and in-house legal teams, advising both proactively and reactively to support clients, forming an extension of their teams to manage their complex and evolving property portfolios, deal with disputes, provide support and advice on employment and HR matters and advise and negotiate in relation to commercial contracts and arrangements with stakeholders and third party suppliers.