Education

While universities and private colleges are looking to develop new sources of revenue and build new business relationships, the independent schools sector is increasingly affected by parents' inability to afford tuition fees. They all recognise the imperative to develop growth strategies to ensure future survival in a more commercialised marketplace – and to protect their existing revenue streams – and are seeking external specialist advice across a range of disciplines to achieve them.

Penningtons' education group comprises a multidisciplinary team of corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, employment, immigration, property and tax lawyers. Working closely together to provide an integrated service, we can support HE and FE clients, in particular, across a wide range of issues from sponsor licences, student contracts and disputes to reorganisations, new structures and employment tribunals.

Our education sector solicitors are increasingly being instructed by universities and private colleges to help protect them from the commercial and reputational damage that could result from losing their sponsor licences. While licence issues are often the first problem for us to manage, our clients also welcome our ability to resolve any contractual or employment issues relating to students, academic staff or education partners as well as corporate development challenges such as restructuring, overseas development and governance.

Our education group's immigration and employment partners are consistently ranked as leaders in their field by The Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession.