Nick MacKenzie
Partner
Birmingham
nick.mackenzie@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)121 237 4564
Nick is the national head of our education team, an executive coach and a member of the firm’s board. Recognised as a leading expert in education by The Legal 500 and Chambers for over 10 years, Nick specialises in corporate and governance advice in the education sector.
He has significant experience of advising executive teams and boards in the social housing, corporate and, for well over 10 years, education sectors.
Nick works with boards and executive teams to help them navigate the landscape together with helping them spot and take opportunities. He is regularly used by education clients as an external sounding board on strategic issues, using his expertise to make the complex simple. His clients include some of the largest school trusts in the country.
Over the last 10 years, Nick has contributed regularly to the debate on key issues impacting the sector. He also has excellent relationships with sector bodies such ASCL, CST and NGA regularly speaking at their conferences and collaborating on joint projects.
Nick was invited to join the board of the Foundation for Education Development, a CIC established to promote a long-term plan for education in England. Its work involves bringing together policy influencers from education, business, politics and beyond.
Expertise
Featured experience
Outwood Grange Academies Trust
Supporting a consortium of leading school trusts - Outwood Grange Academies Trust, Harris Federation, Oasis Community Learning and Star Academies – on their successful bid for the DfE's Institute of Teaching tender with the contract providing over £120m of funding.
Greenwood Academies Trust
Working with Greenwood Academies Trust on the commercialisation and development of their innovative cloud-powered EdTech solution for 3-19 education providers through a its subsidiary company, Our Learning Cloud.
Potteries Educational Trust
Facilitating a strategy day for Potteries Educational Trust’s board, executive leaders and local governors including providing a “provocation” session on effective governance.
Testimonials
“Nick has been our client partner since 2018. In all aspects Nick has been responsive, timely and professional. He has quickly gained a knowledge and understanding of our Trust to ensure that advice is relevant and considered. His expertise has also ensured that I have felt confident in the advice provided.”
“I have worked closely with Nick for more than a decade on a vast range of subjects and projects, very often which were at the forefront of thinking in the sector. Nick’s insight, deep interest in education and wisdom have proved invaluable in helping me and my organisation successfully navigate numerous challenging issues and capitalise on many opportunities.”
“Nick is a brilliant lawyer but more than this he is a kind and thoughtful person who is passionate about education. His thought leadership contributes to making the education sector stronger. His professional generosity is an important feature of his work – he works with a range of national organisations, including the Confederation of School Trusts, and his contributions nationally are well regarded and respected.”
You may be interested in...
Podcast - #EdInfluence
#EdInfluence podcast (series 4): In conversation with inspiring leaders
Press Release
Browne Jacobson recruits Head of Higher Education from University of Nottingham
Legal Update
Transformative leadership: In conversation with Lauren Thorpe
Press Release
Browne Jacobson bolsters education team with hires across key specialisms
Legal Update
Browne Jacobson’s EdCon conference for school leaders returns for fifth year
Legal Update
Legal views on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Legal Update
The power of storytelling (and curiosity)
Legal Update - School leaders survey
School Leaders Survey Autumn 2024: The results are in
Legal Update - Be Connected (schools)
Be Connected: Schools and academy trusts November 2024
Legal Update - Be Connected (schools)
Be Connected (schools and academy trusts): October 2024
Legal Update
Share your thoughts on the changing shape of the education sector
Legal Update - Be Connected (schools)
Be Connected (schools and academy trusts): July 2024
Press Release
General election reaction from Browne Jacobson’s education team
Press Release
School trusts are breaking barriers to find new solutions for their local communities
Legal Update
SEND support a major issue in education ahead of General Election, say school leaders in Browne Jacobson survey
Press Release - Firm news
Browne Jacobson appoints new Head of Education Employment
Legal Update - School leaders survey
School leaders survey Spring 2024 - the results are in
Legal Update
New leadership for our education team
Press Release - Firm news
Browne Jacobson announces Nick MacKenzie to succeed Mark Blois as head of Browne Jacobson’s education team
Legal Update - School leaders survey
School leaders survey Autumn 2023 – the results are in!
Legal Update
School leaders – share your views on the issues of the day
Press Release
School leaders significantly dissatisfied with current government policies across the board, new research reveals
Legal Update - School leaders survey
School leaders survey Summer 2023 – the results are in!
Guide
FAQs - becoming an academy sponsor
Guide
Virtual AGMs
Guide
Setting up a trading subsidiary – a guide for academy trusts
We’re pleased to collaborate with Lloyds Bank, who recently asked us and audit and risk specialists Crowe UK to offer guidance that academy trusts would find helpful when considering setting up a trading subsidiary.
Press Release
Education team maintains clean sweep of top rankings in latest legal directories
Browne Jacobson’s education team has again been confirmed as a national powerhouse after securing five Tier 1 rankings relating to Education in the latest edition of Legal 500 and maintaining a Band 1 UK-wide ranking for Education in Chambers & Partners UK 2023.
Press Release
Browne Jacobson’s C-suite exec level coaching team appoints two new education specialists
National law firm Browne Jacobson has grown its team behind its dedicated Space + Time executive coaching programme with the addition of two more qualified coaches who will work with clients in the education sector.
On-Demand
Rising to the challenge: Digital transformation in schools - Part 2
Catch up for part 2 of our education training videos, exploring the role of digital transformation on our education system.
On-Demand
Rising to the challenge: Digital transformation in schools - Part 1
Catch up on our on-demand video to see the latest in our series looking at how the education sector is rising to the challenge and should look forward with optimism.
On-Demand
Effective Board and Members meetings: Covid-19 and beyond
On-Demand
Running governing body and board meetings and AGMs effectively during COVID-19
This on-demand video looks at the options for decision making, tips for managing ‘virtual meetings’, changes you may want to adopt permanently and set out options for effective AGMs.
Guide
Beyond system design – addressing the operational leadership challenges
We set out to explore two key related issues: the leadership challenge and how should the sector respond; and what the sector should be doing so that it can be trusted to hold itself to account within a self-improving school-led system.