Browne Jacobson education practice achieves six top tier positions in Legal 500 and Chambers rankings

Browne Jacobson’s education team has been confirmed as a national powerhouse after securing five Tier 1 rankings in the latest edition of Legal 500 for the very first time. The team also maintained its Band 1 UK-wide ranking for Education (Institutions – Schools) in Chambers & Partners UK 2022.

This year the firm’s South West based team improved its Legal 500 ranking to Tier 1 meaning the firm nationally and all five of its regional teams in Birmingham, Exeter, London, Manchester and Nottingham are now awarded the directory’s highest ranking.

Described by Legal 500 as an “outstanding” and “very knowledgeable team”, the firm’s education practice supports over 1300 schools and academies every year from its five-office national network. The team’s market-leading reputation means that they are often the first port of call for education clients seeking advice and support on matters attracting political, societal and media attention and a hallmark of the team’s approach is to combine their legal expertise and deep education sector understanding to provide advice that enables their clients to navigate the evolving education landscape.

This year one client told Legal 500 that Browne Jacobson were an “exceptional company to work with …. sage advice, professional input and guidance. Their understanding of the education sector is exceptional” and another commented that the education team had a “uniqueness built around their helpful and valued mix of support and challenge. They provide more than a service. They challenge our thinking, offer different often unique perspectives and contribute effectively to our mission”.

The “outstanding” head of education Mark Blois is named in Legal 500’s ‘Hall of Fame’ for Education (Schools) and Education (institutions) for London and for the Public Sector in the East Midlands. Mark is also ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the East Midlands alongside partners Dai Durbridge (North West), Julia Green (London, South West) and Richard Freeth and Nick MacKenzie (West Midlands). They are joined by recent Partner hire Charlotte Antoniou who is ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ with Legal Director Lydia Michaelson-Yeates and Senior Associate Hayley O’Sullivan (West Midlands) and Senior Associate Victoria Hatton (South West) named as ‘Rising Stars’.

The team’s Band 1 UK-wide ranking for Education (Institutions – Schools) in Chambers & Partners UK 2022 caps off the best directory rankings the team has received to date. According to Chambers UK 2022 the firm has a “stellar education practice providing in-depth advice and support to a wide range of schools and academies across the country” with clients describing the team as "customer-focused, innovative and experts in their field."

Six lawyers in Browne Jacobson’s Education team have also this year received a UK wide individual ranking by Chambers UK including Mark Blois (Band One), Nick Mackenzie and Bettina Rigg (Band Two), Dai Durbridge, Richard Freeth and Charlotte Antoniou (all Band Four) and additionally Tom Briant-Evans was ranked as an ‘Associate to Watch’.