Education excellence recognised for leading law firm

The education team at Dickinson Dees has been shortlisted as one of the country's leading legal advisers on education matters at this year's EducationInvestor Awards. The awards, which celebrate excellence and innovation in the UK's education industry, will take place in London in November.

The 70-strong team at Dickinson Dees, which forms part of the firm's specialist public sector practice and draws upon expertise from across the firm, will be judged alongside national law firms such as Beachcroft, Cobbetts, Trowers and Hamlins and Winckworth Sherwood, to see which organisations and individuals have demonstrated excellence in the sector over the last 12 months.

Speaking of the achievement, Dickinson Dees' head of education, Rowan Ferguson commented:

"We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted in recognition of our contribution to the education sector UK-wide. We have an established education practice covering a broad range of issues and legal disciplines drawing upon expertise from across our corporate and commercial, construction, property, tax, VAT, employment, pensions, procurement and charities departments."

Dickinson Dees is recognised for its unique approach to the delivery of services in the education sector which has allowed it to win key new clients over the past year. Recent work in the schools sector has seen the firm delivering innovative, technical legal advice on pension issues arising out of academy status and undertaking a number of cutting edge school projects. Higher education clients include the University of York as well as Newcastle, Northumbria, Teesside and Durham Universities.

Speaking of the advice delivered by the education team at Dickinson Dees, Andrew Chubb, Principal, Archbishop Sentamu Academy commented:

"Dickinson Dees led us through a particularly complex and involved set of ICT and maintenance contracts in relation to our new build under the Building Schools for the Future scheme.  The advice was invaluable and enabled us to make decisions which gave both immediate comfort that our interests were being protected and the potential for long-term savings by ensuring that the Local Education Partnership was crystal-clear on its obligations to us as an academy."

Jacqueline Harris Baker, Head of Legal Services (Community), London Borough of Croydon said:

"The advice given by Dickinson Dees is prompt and accurate but crucially, it is always pragmatic and innovative, demonstrating an awareness of the current and broader educational and local government context. We also have the benefit of Dickinson Dees national and wider education project experience and their relationship with Partnerships for Schools , to resolve difficult issues successfully."

The EducationInvestor awards will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts, and presented at a glittering ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 16 November.

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