The team at Blake Morgan LLP has a workload that spans education, health and social care, and local government-related cases of considerable value and complexity. The team assists its clients with large-scale projects, as well as in advisory and litigation contexts. Reading-based health specialist David Hill helms the team alongside local government matter expert Penny Rinta-Suksi, who works from Oxford, and education specialist Matthew Smith, who splits his time between London and Cardiff. The ‘meticulously thorough’ Southampton-based Jane Biddlecombe also has a particular specialism in education, and acts for a number of well-known colleges, universities, and federations. In Reading, Rajiv Joshi is a key name for his tech sector specialism, as is Rob Jefferies at the same office.

Brachers (Part of Lawfront)‘s Maidstone-based offering is well-placed to assist its broad array of clients, which features NHS Trusts, academy schools, various colleges and schools, and local authorities, in a plethora of matters. Its workload varies from assisting with employment issues, HR cases, and various complex disputes across the sectors. Catherine Daw assists a range of public sector clients on collective issues, trade union matters, and in Employment Tribunal litigation. Colin Smith harnesses capabilities in handling the employment aspects of education sector matters. Ash Jilani specialises in healthcare and primary care cases, while Abigail Brightwell is well-equipped to handle various education-related matters, from grievances and disciplinaries to data protection matters and restructurings. The four co-head the offering.

The group at Cripps in Tunbridge Wells is experienced assisting its varied portfolio of clients, which spans the healthcare, social housing, education, and local government sectors, on a broad range of complex and high-profile matters, in both domestic and cross-jurisdictional contexts. The team’s frequently high-value workload includes advising on property and planning issues, construction matters, and redevelopment projects. James Lee is a non-contentious construction specialist, with experience handling the documentation, agreement, and contractual aspects of related matters. Beth Gascoyne is well-equipped to advise on the range of planning matters, including large-scale housing and mixed-use development projects. The pair co-lead the team alongside James Clewlow, who has expertise in real estate. Holly Goacher departed the team in April 2026.

The team at Birketts LLP is experienced in advising on various complex public matters, including those relating to the education sector,acting for key colleges and universities, and the health sector, in which it frequently assists with complex employment issues. Public sector specialist Ruth Neave works across various offices in the South East, Abigail Trencher has notable education sector expertise and works from the Cambridge office, and Matthew Newnham has a health sector focus and works from the Norwich office; the trio co-head the offering. Claire Jones is a key contact in Ipswich, with experience handling multi-disciplinary projects across a range of Council functions, including social care, leisure, waste, and housing support.

The Brighton-based team at Martin Searle Solicitors‘ workload features complex matters pertaining to specialist community care issues and Court of Protection matters, as well as employment issues. The team’s client list features professional clients, such as local authorities, and individuals. The team is headed up by Brighton-based Cate Searle, whose areas of expertise include assisting with sensitive matters regarding care costs for vulnerable individuals, various health and social care issues, and complex Court of Protection cases. Paula Jones is a key name in the team, with noteworthy experience in adult social care, particularly in cases regarding mental capacity.

The Oxford-based practice at Mills & Reeve LLP has a noteworthy specialism in assisting its list of clients, which includes well-known universities and colleges, local councils, and public libraries, with an array of complex public issues. William Downing  helms the offering and has expertise in handling such employment issues as business transfers and dismissals, restructurings, and board-level disputes. Construction and engineering specialist Dominic Jones is well-equipped to advise on the lifecycle of significant projects, ESG issues, and the Building Safety Act. Laura Ludlow is a key contact for her higher education-related workload, which includes advising on asset management and development matters. Sam Rose also has a higher education focus, with a specialism in student processes, such as complaints and disciplinaries.

The offering at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP has a varied charities and employment workload, which includes terminations, reputation management, national profile growth, and safeguarding matters. Oxford-based team lead Daff Richardson‘s workload includes assisting higher education clients with a breadth of employment issues, including sensitive and collective employee relations cases, complaints, and disciplinaries. Gemma Woodhouse is a key contact in Reading, with expertise advising independent schools, in particular, on both contentious and non-contentious employment cases, including those regarding discrimination.

The Harrow and Middlesex-based offering at Orwins is well-placed to assist its roster of clients, which spans the healthcare sector, with a variety of complex corporate issues. A corporate specialist with a significant healthcare focus across the pharmacy, dental, and nursery sectors, Hammad Naveed leads the group alongside Nikesh Shah, who has expertise advising corporate clients on significant transactions, including M&A deals. Charlotte Harsent‘s workload includes advising buyers and sellers across pharmacy, care home and nursery transactions.

Thomson Snell & Passmore‘s practice harnesses expertise in the education sector, in particular, with a client list that features special needs schools, educational charities, and schools and further education colleges. Nick Hobden, based in Tunbridge Wells, helms the cohort and has experience assisting charities and education sector clients on a range of contentious and non-contentious employment issues, discrimination-related unfair dismissal matters, and reputational damage cases.

The team at Moore Barlow is based in Guildford and has a specialism in handling a range of complex dispute resolution cases. David Foster oversees the group and harnesses expertise representing claimants and defendants on matters of significant value pertaining to politics, SMEs and charities, sensitive cases of healthcare and withdrawal of care, and various public inquiries.

The Bishop’s Stortford-based group at Tees Law is headed up by Victoria Kerr, who is equipped to advise education sector clients on disability discrimination, complaints, and special educational needs matters. The team’s workload includes acting for families in high-value matters pertaining to the provision of safeguarding, healthcare packages, and specialist education for children and young adults. Tracey Dickens is a key contact. Former team head Polly Kerr departed the practice in October 2025

Wellers Law Group LLP‘s cohort is experienced advising town and parish councils in a range of governance and emerging risk matters. Commercial property specialist Asma Shamim heads up the offering from the firm’s Surrey office, and harnesses expertise advising town and parish councils on land disputes, grant funding, and community assets cases. Contentious local government matters and disputes are Craig Batko‘s areas of experience. The team is based in Surrey.