The Legal 500

London: Private client

Charities and not-for-profit

Within: Charities and not-for-profit

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP  has a ‘very responsive team that is easily accessible even out of hours. The team’s knowledge is excellent’. Head of team is Emma Moody  who ‘wins peoples’ trust quickly’. The' approachable, pragmatic and knowledgeable’ Jo Coleman  provides ‘well explained advice and delivers to time and within estimate’. The national team has an international reach and advises a broad range of clients such as service providers, corporate and family foundations, grant makers as well as professional societies. It has particular expertise in the education, health and care as well as the religious sectors. Highlights included advising the United Synagogue on the funding and structuring arrangements that were required to develop one of the United Synagogue’s flagship synagogues. The advice included negotiating the funding arrangements with a local charitable trust as well as advising on other issues such as the transfer of land. Gateshead College and Addaction are other major clients.

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London: Public sector

Education: institutions

Within: Education: institutions

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP offers a full service to an impressive range of universities, colleges, student unions and education support organisations. It can provide sector-specific advice in areas ranging from charities law and governance to corporate and real estate and is especially in demand for procurement matters. It is advising Durham University on the delivery of two new colleges via a long-term public-private partnership. Emma Moody  and Kevin Robertson are advising Gateshead College on its response to the government’s local area review process by developing a Career College to focus on the construction industry. Christina Tolvas-Vincent is especially noted for her expertise in employment matters and is advising the Arts University Bournemouth on the introduction of a new academic career framework for its academic staff. Craig Moore is also noted for his real estate work.

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Education: schools

Within: Education: schools

Kevin Robertson, who heads the education practice, and Emma Moody  who specialises in charity law, are the key names at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP. The team is advising numerous governing bodies such as Waterton Trust, Carmel Education Trust and St Hilda’s Catholic Academy Trust on matters relating to academy conversions. Robertson is assisting the Education and Skills Funding Agency on its Free Schools programme and is also advising the Northern Education Trust on academy conversions and HR matters relating to its schools. Other clients include the Carmel Education Trust in Darlington, Newcastle upon Tyne Royal Grammar School and the Vision Academy Trust.

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North: Private client

Charities and not-for-profit

Within: Charities and not-for-profit

With particular expertise in the education, health and religious charity sectors, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP is noted for its ‘excellent level of service’, providing clients with ‘timely and detailed advice’ on strategic, governance and operational charity law matters. This includes assistance with registrations with the Charity Commission and preparing governing documents for the establishment of a charity as well as advice on regulatory compliance and charitable trust matters. ‘Outstanding’ team head Emma Moody ‘is always prepared to go the extra mile’; she advised Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on its governance structure, the establishment of a strategic board and the set-up of a trading company as a joint venture to enable the client to develop new revenue streams. In other work, Moody assisted Gateshead College with a review of the college’s complaints system, and continues to provide the Roman Catholic charity Saint John of God Hospitaller Services with on-going strategic advice. ‘Knowledgeable’ managing associate Samantha Pritchard is another key member of the team and praised for her ‘common sense approach’.

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North: Public sector

Education

Within: Education

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP provides a ‘very good service’ to a broad education sector client base including schools, school governing bodies, academy trusts and local authorities. Its offering is equally wide-ranging and spans contentious and non-contentious governance, health and safety and academy conversion matters alongside employment, construction and procurement issues. Team head Kevin Robertson is ‘first class’; he continues to advise the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Department for Education on its free school programme which includes university technical colleges and studio schools. He also advised multiple governing bodies on their conversion to academy status, and assisted 12 schools with handover arrangements and other matters pertaining to the North East PF2 programme. Together with Iain Greenshields, he assisted Academy 360 with its change of sponsor. In another highlight, Greenshields advised Durham University on all aspects of the delivery of two new colleges at Mount Oswald via a long-term public private partnership. Other key individuals include the ‘outstanding’ Emma Moody, who is ‘always prepared to go the extra mile for the client’, Simon Rowland and Ian Atkinson. Associate Peter Cantwell is also recommended and rated for his ‘practical and timely advice’.

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