Thorntons Law LLP is known for handling a broad spectrum of education work, including commercial property and construction issues, IT procurement mandates, and both discrimination and dismissal claims. Robbie Francis divides his time between Dundee and Edinburgh. Francis’ primary areas of expertise include corporate governance issues and funding, and the entry of academic institutions into international partnerships. In Dundee, Noele McClelland leads the firm’s employment practice, and is noted for her expertise in reputation management and complex senior executive-level issues within the education sector.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Full service firm that takes time to understand the business and the issues at hand.'
‘Debbie Fellows - A true and integral part of our business. Honest and reliable.’
‘Strong alignment of team capabilities and team member experience to our specific niche.’
‘We have a longstanding secondment arrangement for contract support. We've had exceptional individuals in this role, and I've viewed Thorntons' people very much as part of my team. I know I've been able to rely on them for advice, and trust them to work with our partners.’
Key clients
- Abertay University
- University of Stirling
- University of the Highlands and Islands
- Glasgow School of Art
- Robert Gordon University
- University of St Andrews
- The James Hutton Institute
- City of Glasgow College
- Dundee & Angus College
- Perth College
- Borders College
- Dumfries & Galloway College
Work highlights
Advised Glasgow School of Art on the conditional sale of JD Kelly and Richmond Buildings in Glasgow to a student accommodation developer.
Advised Robert Gordon University on how to manage industrial and employee relations in a wide-scale and complex collective redundancy situation.
Advised the University of Stirling on a substantial IT procurement of the Worktribe research management platform.
Practice head
Robbie Francis; Noele McClelland
Other key lawyers
Debbie Fellows