Supporting universities, colleges and independent education providers with clear, practical legal advice.
Ansons’ education law team combines deep sector experience with practical insight gained from years of working alongside in-house legal teams and university departments. We understand the pressures of the modern education environment — from regulatory compliance and governance to employment, data and student matters — and deliver advice that’s commercial, pragmatic and always in plain English.
We work closely with higher and further education institutions, academies, schools and sector charities.
Our approach is collaborative — acting as an extension of in-house teams to provide specialist advice or additional capacity when it’s needed most.
Our education solicitors advise on every aspect of the student journey, from admissions to graduation.
We help institutions manage policies and procedures, student contracts, complaints, appeals, disciplinary and fitness-to-practise cases, as well as CMA and OfS compliance.
We also support clients through complex issues such as misconduct investigations, accommodation disputes and OIA complaints.
We advise on data protection, GDPR, Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations.
Our team assists with policy drafting, breach management, data audits, third-party requests, and ICO reporting.
We also offer tailored data protection and FOI training for in-house legal and academic teams, and can provide retainer-based support for ongoing compliance.
Our corporate specialists support education providers with everything from governance and registration to commercial transactions.
We regularly advise on mergers, joint ventures, and group restructures, as well as drafting commercial agreements, student contracts and research or collaboration arrangements.
Our cross-disciplinary team ensures every matter — from OfS registration to procurement and state aid — is handled with efficiency and precision.
Our employment team provides straightforward, commercially focused advice to universities, schools and academies.
We cover all aspects of employment law including documentation, tribunal representation, and bespoke training.
For clients seeking certainty on costs, our Ansons On Call retainer provides ongoing access to legal advice, policy health checks and support with grievances, disciplinaries and redundancies.
We help universities and colleges protect, manage and exploit their intellectual property — from research outcomes to institutional branding.
Our lawyers advise on licensing, collaboration, and infringement disputes including copyright, trademarks, and patents.
We also assist with resolving conflicts swiftly and cost-effectively when breaches occur.
Ansons acts on behalf of universities, colleges and educational trusts in all aspects of property and estate management.
Our property team handles acquisitions, leases, planning agreements and development projects, ensuring transactions are efficient and compliant.
We also advise on student accommodation, green energy initiatives, and property disputes such as dilapidations, rent recovery and lease terminations.
