Education

“Clients receive a highly focused service and are confident that matters will be resolved, to the highest standard and to our timescales.” Chambers & Partners

Experience

Corporate

Acting for a university in relation to the transfer of a biomedical engineering research group from another university and on the associated research contract.

Commercial

Negotiating and drafting a sole licence of a college’s Japanese trade marks to a third party licensee.

Intellectual property

Advising a Research Council on the terms of a joint programme with the Met Office to fund and promote research in the field of weather and climate research involving access to background IP and foreground IP for the benefit of all parties.

Employment

Advising a college on an appeal by a former undergraduate against her expulsion for academic underperformance.  We represented the College before the Conference of Colleges Appeal Tribunal, which found in favour of the College. 

Disciplinary

Advising a university on disciplining an undergraduate who admitted plagiarism on a number of occasions, in the light of previous disciplinary offences.

Governance

Helping set up a new charitable trust, intended to run as a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. 

We have also advised several Colleges of the University of Oxford with regard to their investment powers, including their ability to spend income growth.  We have given advice to higher education institutions with regard to the treatment of overseas bequests and trusts including the winding up of defunct trusts.  We have also advised on the operation of College by-laws and Statutes and have revised College student disciplinary regulations

Property

Acting for one of the Colleges of Oxford University in the disposal of an agricultural estate subject to valuable shooting rights, which were fundamental to the transaction. 

We recently handled  the sale and leaseback of the main Ruskin College building and grounds in the centre of Oxford which enabled the bespoke redevelopment of premises elsewhere to facilitate the college relocating. This transaction involved complex arrangements in relation to stage payments and short and long term occupancy arrangements for the college whilst their redevelopment takes place.

Property litigation

We regularly advise a number of Colleges of Oxford University on property disputes, including landlord and tenant matters involving commercial tenants and students.

Regulatory

We advised a consortium of universities and colleges on the introduction of Energy Performance and Display Energy Certificates, as well as other matters relating to student accommodation, such as Houses in Multiple Occupation legislation. We also advise a number of independent schools and Oxford colleges regarding the Licensing Act 2003.

Private client

We operate a special Will Review service for staff and alumni of two Oxford colleges: Balliol and Somerville. We have also been accepted on the Oxford Alumni Card Scheme.