Shakespeare Martineau LLP

Shakespeare Martineau LLP remains a market leader in the higher education field, advising an array of universities and colleges on real estate, employment, mergers, governance and regulatory matters, as well as on disputes. Smita Jamdar heads the practice and has significant expertise in governance, regulatory, student-facing facing and constitutional matters. The Birmingham-based David Browne heads the employment offering and specialises in restructurings in the education sector, while Tom Long leads the further education practice and focuses on employment tribunal litigation. Real estate expert Clive Read advises universities and colleges on the development of campuses, and construction expert Ruth Phillips specialises in building contracts. Other key members of the team include Catherine Rustomji and Mark Taylor, who advise on mergers; Selina Hinchcliffe, who advises on IP-related matters; Joanna Forbes, who advises on student regulations; Anieka Sheppard, who handles data protection matters; and employment specialist Esther Maxwell.