The Legal 500

United Kingdom > London Bar > Education

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Index of tables

  1. Education – Leading Sets
  2. Education – Leading Silks
  3. Education – New Silks
  4. Education – Leading Juniors

11KBW is an ‘exceptional set with a uniformly high quality of counsel’. ‘Response times always match the urgency of the matter and its willingness to work in an informal way is greatly appreciated’. At silk level, Nigel Giffin QC is ‘immensely impressive in whatever he does, owing to his formidable legal mind and humble nature’, and John Cavanagh QC is ‘obviously very good, but also down-to-earth and excellent with clients – a rare combination’. Tim Kerr QC is ‘a formidable barrister’ with ‘one of the great legal minds’, and Peter Oldham QC is a ‘highly respected, exceptional advocate’. Recently appointed silk and ‘innovative thinker’ Clive Sheldon QC is ‘very strong, with a clear, analytic mind’, and at junior level, Holly Stout is ‘unflappable and instils confidence in those who instruct her by her intelligence and draftsmanship’.

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square is a ‘very strong education law set’ which includes public law barrister Richard McManus QC. Among the juniors, Jonathan Moffett continues to be instructed by both local education authorities and the Department for Education, and Andrew Sharland advises on all aspects of education including special educational needs. Paul Greatorex is ‘extremely quick to understand the cases’ and Jonathan Auburn is ‘concise’ and displays ‘common sense’. Lisa Busch is also recommended.

Hardwicke provides an ‘exceptional level of service’, through high-quality clerks and a number of experienced counsel. Deborah Hay is an ‘outstanding barrister’ and a ‘formidable negotiator’ with ‘excellent knowledge of the law’, and Clive Rawlings and John Friel are both ‘competent and experienced’. David Lawson has ‘extensive knowledge of the technical aspects of education law, the workings of the Local Government Ombudsman and the Special Educational Needs Tribunal’. The ‘excellent and very client-friendly’ Fiona Scolding is also recommended.

Matrix Chambers has a ‘very strong team of counsel’ which includes recently appointed silk Sam Grodzinski QC and highly respected senior junior David Wolfe. Wolfe is ‘brilliant, accessible and intuitive’, and the ‘safest pair of hands in the business’. Other recommended juniors include Nick Armstrong, who is a ‘particularly strong and robust advocate, and one of the best in the field’, Daniel Squires and Mathew Purchase.

Blackstone Chambers ‘continues to excel at understanding the business realities of litigation’. At senior level, Michael Beloff QC is noted for his discrimination work, Beverley Lang QC practises in all areas of education and public law, and Monica Carss-Frisk QC is recommended. Juniors include Gerard Clarke and Gemma White, who has ‘outstanding analytical skills’ and is ‘excellent at getting to the heart of legal problems’.

1 Chancery Lane has ‘carved out a niche’ and is now classed as a ‘specialist heavyweight’ in education negligence cases brought against schools and local education authorities. The ‘legendary’ Lord Faulks QC ‘does everything brilliantly’, and the ‘extremely bright’ John Norman and ‘outstanding’ Andrew Warnock are ‘both very formidable juniors’, and provide ‘a silk-level service in everything but name’. Paul Stagg has ‘superb knowledge and a feel for statutory provisions’.

Doughty Street Chambers has a number of experienced barristers in education, including ‘solid and measured advocate’ Ian Wise QC, who ‘has been the driving force in all the landmark test cases for children in recent years’. The ‘very bright, very ingenious and strategic’ Nicholas Bowen QC has ‘a brilliant mind’ and a broad practice which covers special educational needs.

Landmark Chambers is recommended for its educational experience within public law matters. Nathalie Lieven QC is ‘a natural first choice on most public law matters’, and Galina Ward is ‘approachable, with good knowledge of the law’.

Other notable practitioners include Outer Temple Chambers’ John McKendrick, who has ‘excellent knowledge of the law’; Fenella Morris at Thirty Nine Essex Street, who is ‘absolutely excellent on all issues which raise public law arguments’; Oliver Hyams at Devereux; and the ‘clear, concise and very helpful’ Francesca Quint at Radcliffe Chambers.

Search News and Articles

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • 11KBW Strollers walked 10k for London Legal Walk raising £2,000 for London Legal Support Trust

    The “11KBW strollers” were out in force to take part in the London Legal Walk raising around £2,000 for London Legal Support Trust, London Legal Support Trust, the Free Representation Unit and the Bar Pro Bono Unit.
    - 11KBW

  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW

  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW

  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW

  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW

  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW

  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
© 2012 www.legal500.com