Katie Fudakowski > Farrer & Co > London, England > Lawyer Profile

As a ‘leading light in the field of education and schools‘, Farrer & Co works with a diverse client base that encompasses independent schools and associations and offers ‘pioneering guidance in areas such as safeguarding and EDI‘. In addition to its widely recognised safeguarding expertise, the team is also well-equipped to handle cross-border commercial matters, with lawyers regularly advising on partnerships and school openings, mergers, and trade marks. Increasingly, the firm also assists clients with their attempts to challenge the results of ISI and Ofsted inspections. Practice head Jonathan Eley often advises on high-profile employment matters, including strike action and crisis management, and frequently works with vastly experienced safeguarding specialist David Smellie, employment lawyer Alice Yandle, and former barrister Katie Fudakowski to handle complex safeguarding, SEN, and equality issues. Sam Macdonald continues to be a highly recommended specialist for restructuring and governance matters, and Paul Jones is a key contact for commerical contracts and partnerships. Maria Strauss is particularly noted for her expertise in safeguarding investigations.

Steered by Tom Bruce, Farrer & Co‘s sports team regularly advises a diverse mix of high-profile sports clients on a range of corporate, commercial and governance matters, such as regulatory instructions, joint ventures and structuring international sporting events. Bruce regularly handles this workload with the support of India Benjamin. Katie Fudakowski is the key contact for several governing bodies seeking assistance with investigations and reviews into safeguarding and employment matters, as well as compliance mandates. Owen O’Rorke focuses on overlapping commercial, IP and data matters for such clients, while Julian Pike is a go-to contentious media and sports practitioner, advising sports teams, governing bodies and individuals on all manner of disputes. Henry Sainty, David Hunt and Paul Jones are further key names to note. Kate Allass is particularly recommended for her capabilities in high-profile disputes.