Stone King LLP

Alexandra Weatherdon

Alexandra advises a wide range of local, national, and international charities on all aspects of charity law and regulation and has developed extensive experience in restructuring projects. Alexandra advises charities, not-for-profits, and individuals on a wide range of charity law issues. Having started her career in a not-for-profit association for cancer research and following a fulfilling secondment to the in-house legal team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation, Alexandra’s experience means she recognises the broader context of her clients’ organisations and understands her clients’ needs. Alexandra advises on a range of charity law matters, including: setting up and registering new charities; assisting existing charities with their restructuring projects, including changes in legal structure (including incorporations and conversions) and hive-offs and mergers; advising on a range of constitution, governance, and regulatory matters frequently involving the Charity Commission. Alexandra delivers training as part of the firm’s Trustee Training Programme as well as to individual charities. Alexandra also has experience advising charities on data protection issues, including general data protection compliance, having obtained the BCS Foundation Certificate in Data Protection. Faith sector expertise Alexandra has a growing reputation for advising charities connected to faith organisations, in particular in relation to their incorporation and other restructure projects, having now advised on over 30 such projects.

Alexandra Steffensen

Alexandra has extensive experience in assisting charities of all kinds with incorporations, re-structuring, rationalising permanent endowment, dealing with conflicts of interest and negotiating with the Charity Commission, as well as assisting those wishing to set up a charity to find the right structure for them. She has particular expertise in Governance (co-founding the Governance and Company Secretary Forum with Guide Dogs for the Blind); assisting faith based charities adapt their religious mission to the charitable landscape; museums and independent schools.

Alice O'Mahony

Alice is an Associate Solicitor in the Charity & Social Enterprise Team. She advises on a wide range of charity, company and trust law matters and has particular expertise in working with faith-based organisations. Alice is also a member of Stone King’s specialist Charity Legacy Protection Team. Alice advises charities and social enterprises throughout every stage of their journey, including: the establishment and registration of new charities; changes of legal form (incorporations and conversions); governance issues and regulatory compliance; constitutional reviews; and collaborations, mergers and wind-ups. Alice is a member of Stone King’s specialist Faith Sector and enjoys working with a wide variety of faith-based organisations, providing advice that is sympathetic to the particular religious context and ethos of each client. She also advises charities on their legacy income and how to maximise this in a way that is sensitive both to the needs of supporters and the Trustees’ duty to maximise their charity’s entitlement. Alice delivers training as part of the firm’s Trustee Training Programme and bespoke training to individual clients.

Alison Allen

Alison is a Partner and Stone King's Chair. Alison joined Stone King in 1998 and acts for a wide range of clients advising on general private client matters, including inheritance tax, trust drafting and administration, wills, including complex wills and tax efficient wills and administration of estates. She has particular interest in advising older clients and their families and carers, including advice regarding NHS continuing care funding and NHS complaints procedures, means-testing and care funding disputes with the local authority, court of protection matters, powers of attorney and deputyships.

Amy Berry

Amy is a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Employment Team, advising on a wide range of employment law issues. Her extensive experience includes: Advising in relation to ongoing staffing issues, such as sickness absence, capability, recruitment, whistleblowing, restructuring and misconduct, including providing practical advice as to liability and risk Supporting clients through TUPE processes Negotiating and drafting termination packages Advising in relation to Trade Union relations and industrial action Managing tribunal claims such as unfair and wrongful dismissal, discrimination, equal pay, whistleblowing and unlawful deduction of wages. Drafting bespoke contracts, restrictive covenants, non-disclosure agreements, consultancy agreements, secondment agreements and a broad spectrum of policies. Amy regularly speaks at internal and external events and writes articles on sector specific topics.

Andrew Mortimer

Andrew specialises in estate planning advice for private individuals, particularly inheritance tax planning, strategic advice to families on managing and passing on assets and businesses, the drafting of wills, the establishment and running of trusts, and advising elderly clients on managing their affairs. Andrew also practices as a Notary Public, providing notarial services to clients on cross-border transactions and other matters.

Andrew Banks

Andrew is a Partner and Head of the Court and Regulatory Team. He is an experienced Criminal practitioner who practices in the Crown Court and Magistrates Court. Andrew is a Solicitor Advocate having attained his Higher Court qualification. Andrew also represents transport concerns at Public Inquiry and in the courts. He is a panel solicitor for the Freight Transport Association and an affiliate member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). Andrew’s practice also involves representing clients regarding regulatory breaches ranging from PLC's to private individuals. The range of breaches encompasses Health and Safety issues, CITES, Trading Standards prosecutions, Property Mis-description, and Planning and Environmental breaches. In addition, Andrew defends motoring offences. He has an excellent record of ensuring that clients facing discretionary disqualification from driving avoid disqualification. Offences defended include speeding, failing to identify a driver, drink driving and also tachograph and roadworthiness offences.

Ann Phillips

Ann has long been regarded as one of the UK’s foremost experts in charity law, with a career advising charities and philanthropists spanning over 40 years. She has worked with all types of charity, including many well-known charities, national and international, and some of the country’s oldest charitable bodies. This means she is very familiar with the technical and governance problems facing large organisations and long-established institutions, as well as the practical solutions needed to achieve their organisational aims. Ann has considerable expertise in working with endowed charities of all kinds and has specialist knowledge of permanently endowed charities, Royal Charter charities and heritage charities, as well as City Livery companies and their charities. She was a Partner of Stone King for almost 20 years and served as Stone King’s Chair from 2014 until 2020 when she became a Consultant.

Caroline Fell

Caroline is a Partner and Head of the Family Team. She advises on all issues arising on the breakdown of relationships. and is ranked by independent legal directories as “a real star – composed and able” and as a “calm, capable and knowledgeable lawyer who has a wonderful manner with clients”. Caroline recognises that, with the right guidance, it is eminently preferable for a couple to resolve issues following separation together where possible. She looks to assist clients in achieving this end through a variety of processes, to include mediation, collaboration and constructive negotiation. Caroline has an established mediation practice, using her extensive experience and expertise to assist couples in resolving issues arising on separation, particularly where complex financial issues are involved. She is also qualified to speak with children as a child-inclusive mediator. Caroline specialises in financial matters on divorce and separation, often where complex issues are involved, to include business assets, property portfolios and trusts. She regularly advises clients where international issues are involved, being able to advise on issues as to jurisdiction, cases involving overseas assets and financial claims following an overseas divorce. Caroline is further able to assist in the preparation of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, both in relation to national and cross-border marriages.

Caroline Taylor

Caroline is Head of Stone King's national property team and has extensive experience of all aspects of commercial property with a particular focus on retail leases with turnover rents, pre-lets, commercial and mixed use leasing and development projects as well as acquisitions and disposals of investment properties. Her experience also encompasses the acquisition and disposal of land for residential and commercial developments, regeneration of brownfield city centre sites and the greenfield development of urban expansion areas. Caroline's advice to clients extends to advising clients on site assembly, the use of options and site promotion, profit share and joint venture agreements as well as funding large scale purchases.

Christopher Jones

Chris is a Senior Associate in the Education Team advising Trustees and Senior Teachers in Academy Trusts on a wide range of education law issues that impact on the operation of schools. He is an experienced trainer and regularly delivers seminars on complaints, exclusions and admissions. Increasingly his work involves the successful defence of claims in the First tier Tribunal (disability discrimination), resolving complex and vexatious parental complaints and challenging Local Authorities on their inappropriate placement of pupils with EHCPs. Chris advises Academies on the operational aspects of education law including: Admissions and admission appeals; Exclusions & Behaviour (including Head Teacher’s decision permanently exclude to Governor and Independent Review Panel stages, including complex incidents of sexual and physical assault and drugs); SEND (including responding to EHCP consultations and representation in the First tier Tribunal in disability discrimination cases); Equality Act duties and issues; Attendance (including removal from roll and education welfare); Policies; Family law issues and parental responsibility in a school context; Parental Complaints and referrals to the ESFA; School Leadership Support; Funding; As well as representing schools in the First Tier Tribunal, Chris also works with schools in responding to judicial review claims.

Ciara Campfield

Ciara has amassed a wealth of experience advising a range of education institutions on corporate, commercial and governance matters. She has a particular interest and specialism in advising on the development of joint ventures and multi-partner collaborations comprising local authorities, education and business. She has a particular interest in advising general further education colleges and sixth form colleges on corporate and commercial matters, including mergers, restructures and federations. A core aspect of Ciara’s work involves advising on the set up of new education institutions (academies and group training organisations offering skills-based learning focused on local area and needs).Ciara also provides a range of commercial and corporate advice to academy trusts and spends her time advising the largest multi academy trusts on project work and public procurement issues and strategy.

Craig Vincent

Craig leads on all aspects of business development for the Employment and HR Consultancy team, and this includes speaking at regional and national events. Craig is a people-focused HR professional with specialist knowledge in recruitment, talent management, people strategy and workforce design, Craig also provides advice on complex HR issues as they arise including absence management, disciplinary, capability, grievance, TUPE, restructure and redundancy . Craig has extensive experience of working with clients from all sectors and holds specialist knowledge in education.

Daniel Harris

Daniel is a Partner and Head of the firm's specialist International and Cross-border Unit and also the Head of the Charity Legacy Team. He advises UK and overseas private clients as well as charities and other solicitors on succession and taxation issues in all jurisdictions of the world.

Elizabeth Fortin

Elizabeth specialises in advising mainstream and special schools and academies (SATs and MATs) in operational matters concerning their pupils. She advises on all aspects of education law, including admissions, exclusions, safeguarding, data protection and parental complaints. She is passionate about supporting schools and academies with matters relating to: the Equality Act, including all aspects relating to protected characteristics; The Children and Families Act, including all aspects relating to SEN and EHC processes (including LA obligations). Elizabeth frequently advises clients on hearings in the First Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and in responding (at the pre-action stage) to judicial review claims, with clients being successful in a significant majority of cases. Particular highlights include: applications to strike out disability discrimination claims upheld by the Tribunal; claimants withdrawing claims before they have gone to court or Tribunal; and supporting a MAT in its successful complaint against the Department for Education under the FOI regime (which was then upheld by the Tribunal). Her experience includes: Equality Act (e.g. disability and transgender); SEN and school/LA obligations towards pupils with EHC plans; exclusions (preparing governors for reviews of exclusions and schools for Independent Review Panels); Parental complaints; and Safeguarding.

Emma Seaton

Emma is a private client solicitor specialising in international and cross-border succession matters including will preparation, estate planning, inheritance tax and powers of attorney. Professional Experience

Frances Godden

Frances specialises in charity and ecclesiastical law, and the law as it relates to matters of art and heritage. She also has extensive experience in education law. Frances acts for a wide range of clients including charities of all purposes, sizes and structures, advising on governance and constitutional matters, cy-près applications, management and restructuring of complex historical trusts and permanent endowment, Royal Charter petitions and complex gift and loan agreements in respect of works of significant academic, artistic and historical interest. A former Deputy Diocesan Registrar as well as Deputy Diocesan Secretary, Frances has worked extensively for the Church of England locally and nationally, advising Diocesan Boards of Finance and Education, parishes and clergy of the law of the Church of England and its structure, processes and application, particularly regarding charities and trusts, patronage, pastoral reorganisation and the faculty jurisdiction as it applies to church buildings and assets. She also advises clergy and others in matters relating to clergy discipline and complaints. An active member of the Institute of Art and Law, and holder of the Sotheby’s Institute’s Certificate in Art Law, Frances is also well placed to offer advice on legal issues as they affect matters of art and heritage, cultural property, or private or commercial clients in that sector, particularly charitable institutions with valuable collections. She has particular recent experience on matters of contested heritage in sacred settings. Frances further advises Diocesan Boards of Education and Church of England schools and HFE institutions, particularly on their constitutions and governing documents. She has established numerous single and multi-academy trusts, and has worked on multiple successful conversions and mergers, as well as negotiating important updates and revisions to legal documentation with the Department for Education

Graham Burns

Graham is the Head of education team and his particular skills include advising on complex public sector procurements (where he has particular expertise in the education and local authority sectors) and major commercial transactions. Graham also offers substantial experience of major and complex public private partnership deals, including completing the largest schools partnership contract in England for Northamptonshire County Council.Graham has a substantial practice in the academies sector, a history that began with him acting for the West London Free School on the very first free school funding agreement. He is also recognised as one of the education sector’s leading innovators having acted for a broad range of sponsors developing Multi-Academy Trusts and Umbrella Trust structures.

Hannah Kubie

Hannah is a Partner specialising in charity law and governance and social enterprise. Hannah advises charities and social enterprises on incorporation and registrations, governance issues, commercial operations and mergers and transfers. Her particular expertise is in contracts and grants and she acts for a number of publicly funded organisations. She frequently advises on collaborations and partnerships, procurement and trading. She is also experienced in the establishment of academies and free schools, both as part of single model and multi-model academy trusts. Hannah works closely with the firm’s Corporate team in the area of social finance, which includes advising organisations seeking to raise funds and advising charities on their social investments. An active member of the Charity Law Association, Hannah recently participated in its working party on the Law Commission’s consultation on a new social investment power for charities.

Harriet Broughton

Harriet is a Partner in the Employment Team specialising in the education, charity and faith sectors. She is able to advise on all areas of employment law, taking a commercial and pragmatic approach to resolving matters. Harriet started her career predominantly undertaking claimant tribunal litigation before moving to advising SME employers on all contentious and non-contentious employment matters. During her time at Stone King, Harriet has developed her expertise in the education, charity and faith sectors. She has particular expertise in handling disputes at senior level, and regularly advises trustees and governors in such issues. She is also regularly involved in complex safeguarding, discrimination and whistleblowing claims. Education Sector experience: Harriet works across the Education Sector, with her primary focus being Independent Schools. She can bring her commercial experience and understanding of Independent School regulations to fully support schools in handling employment matters. She regularly advises on complex safeguarding matters concerning staff, as well as supporting clients with parental complaints, outsourcing services, and grievance and disciplinary matters. Harriet understands the complexities and challenges facing independent schools and tailors her advice accordingly. Charity Sector experience: Harriet regularly advises clients in the Charity sectors. She is experienced in advising in complex matters including senior exits, whistleblowing disputes, and organisational change including TUPE, restructure and redundancy. Harriet is adept at balancing Charity Commission guidance and employment law requirements providing clients with clear and pragmatic advice. Harriet is also a member of Stone King’s Faith Sector and regularly advises organisations of all faiths on employment law matters. She has experience in advising charities on Equality Act exemptions for faith organisations.

Helen Tucker

Head of Independent Schools Team

Hugh Pearce

Hugh is the Senior Partner in Stone King’s Real Estate Team, leading on its work for Charity & Social Enterprises. Hugh is also one of the leads for Stone King’s extensive work for Faith-based clients. Hugh advises on a very broad range of property matters (and property types) - including development work involving construction and planning elements - and has a special interest in the more complex or strategic project work for charities. This includes involving mission development, or investment, or mixed motive social investment objectives, as well as collaboration, promotion and other joint venture type agreements. Hugh works most closely with Stone King’s Faith, Charity and Education clients and is a senior member of the firm’s Faith Sector Team; Charity & Social Enterprise Sector Team; and Education Property Team.

James Barratt

James is an Associate Solicitor in the Employment Team and advises clients across the firm’s Education, Charity, Business and Private Client Sectors on a wide range of employment law issues. With a primary focus on the Education Sector, James advises large multi-academy trusts on issues such as discrimination, employee benefits, contentious employee exits, whistleblowing complaints, shared parental leave, some other substantial reason (SOSR) dismissals, safeguarding issues and relationship/ reputation management matters. He also drafts contracts, settlement agreements and policies. He manages complex Employment Tribunal claims involving complaints such as whistleblowing, race/sex discrimination and constructive unfair dismissal.

Jamie Otter

Jamie’s key focus is acting for schools and academies in the North and is based in our Leeds Office. Jamie has vast experience acting for providers across the education sector, and advises schools, academies, nurseries, further education and sixth form colleges and local authorities on sophisticated corporate governance issues, including the establishment of trading companies, collaborative groupings and federations on collaboration agreements. He has also managed over 1,000 conversions projects and his experience includes providing cutting edge strategic advice to a number of high profile multi-academy trusts on academy to academy transfers.

Jean Boyle

Jean is joint Head of Stone King's Education Sector together with fellow Partner Tom Morrison. With over 15 years’ post qualification experience in the education sector, Jean is an accomplished employment lawyer who specialises in acting for those in the not for profit and education sector and is fully versed in the employment law issues facing these organisations. Jean aims to provide practical, sector specific advice and works with clients to support their strategic plans and provide client focused support. She has extensive experience in advising a range of clients on all aspects of employment law, with particular expertise in TUPE issues especially on outsourcing and complex TUPE transfers. Alongside the other partners in the team, Jean acts for clients in relation to the most complex advisory cases particularly for our school and college clients and supervises junior colleagues in dealing with routine enquiries. Jean has developed a niche practice alongside her employment advice which provides support to schools on issues relating to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and schools and colleges the Local Government Pension Scheme. In this respect Jean has particular expertise in relation to public to private sector outsourcing and admission arrangements.

Joanne Burton

Joanne specialises in advising education clients and leads the Education Property Team at Stone King. She advises on all aspects of estates management for school clients. In addition she has recently acted for a number of further education colleges for both acquisitions and disposals. Her recent work has included multi-million pound cross border transactions including advising on overage and planning aspects of transactions. She has also been involved in numerous disposals of school land to housing developers to extract capital value providing investment back in to school capital build projects.

Julian Blake

and employee engagement; ii) socially-focused business; iii) public services commissioning, procurement and subsidy control from a public benefit perspective; and iv) public policy and charity law innovation. He is dedicated to the development of: Social Enterprise; Social Finance; Social Value; and Social Impact. He works particularly in relation to: Community Transport; Education; Health and Social Care; Rehabilitation; Renewable Energy; and Youth Services. He works closely with E3M, a group of pioneering chief executives running mature social enterprises and associated groups of progressive commissioners and social investors (see www.e3m.org.uk). He has developed innovative quasi in-house partnership arrangements, with social enterprises, including Catch22 and Energy4All. Having written and edited books on charity law, his co-authored publication “The Art of the Possible in Public Procurement” (2016) opened the way to collaborative commissioning and relational contracts in public services, which he champions, including through co-authored Local Government Association guidance on the relationships between councils (2024) and the public benefit sector and through the VCSE Crown Commissioner’s Advisory Panel to Government.

Julie Moktadir

Julie is an experienced immigration expert, having worked in this area of law for many years. She has worked with various types of organisations and individuals on all types of immigration matters. Julie advises on a broad range of immigration issues, including UK organisations recruiting from abroad and matters affecting European nationals employed in the UK. She uses her knowledge of often sensitive immigration-related matters to support clients across Stone King’s specialist sectors of Business & Social Enterprise, Charity, Education, Faith and Private Client. Julie’s broad experience includes publicly funded and private immigration and asylum work, including applications, appeals and judicial reviews. A former role of Head of Immigration at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) saw Julie successfully lobbying on policy issues relating to income restrictions placed on nurses who are pursuing Indefinite Leave to Remain. She also worked on nursing to be included on the shortage occupation list for the UK. Julie successfully completed a Management Development Programme and is an accredited Senior Caseworker and Supervisor of the Law Society’s Immigration and Accreditation Scheme. Julie has completed a Management Development Programme, is a trained coach and mentor.

Katharine Robinson

Katharine is an Associate in the Employment Team, specialising in the Education Sector. She advises on a wide range of employment law issues, including termination and settlements, safeguarding issues, industrial action, and defending employment tribunal claims. Experienced in working with maintained schools, academy trusts, and independent schools, Katharine advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters. She has an in-depth understanding of the Education Sector and is able to provide our education clients with sector-specific, tailored advice. Katharine regularly supports clients in defending employment tribunal claims, including constructive/unfair dismissal, discrimination, and harassment and victimisation claims. She advises clients on day-to-day issues including grievance and disciplinary matters, contractual queries, and settlements. Katharine often speaks at events on employment law updates. Work Highlights Katharine’s practice includes: Representing respondents in employment tribunal claims, including claims for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Advising independent schools on changing pension arrangements relating to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Advising on safeguarding matters and the regulatory requirements under KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education). Advising on disciplinary, capability and grievance matters. Supporting clients in settlement negotiations and drafting settlement agreements. Advising on the risks of dismissing employees and how to manage this risk.

Kathryn Layzell

Kathryn deals with all aspects of trust and estate administration including wills and tax planning matters. She is a member of the firm’s Elderly Client Services Team and has a particular interest in dealing with issues affecting older clients such as the preparation of lasting powers of attorney, applications to the Court of Protection, and funding long term care. She has regularly given seminars about local authority care funding and making applications for NHS Continuing Care funding. She is also a member of the firm’s Legacy Team providing support to charities dealing with issues arising from the administration of estates. She regularly delivers seminars and workshops to charities and individuals about planning for later life, local authority care funding and making applications for NHS Continuing Care funding.

Kerry Rogers

Kerry heads our Probate and Estate Administration team and has over 16 years experience advising private clients. She specialises in complex estate administration and high value estates. Her areas of expertise also include Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney, inheritance tax planning and trusts. Kerry is a member of our Legacy Team working closely with charities to provide them with advice regarding legacy giving and the administration of estates where they are beneficiaries.

Laura Berman

Laura advises state schools on a wide range of every day operational issues, usually pupil-focused, including: Admissions and admission appeals; Pupil behaviour and exclusions; Special Educational Needs, in particular in relation to schools’ responsibilities to make provision for pupils with and without an EHCP, SEN Funding, SEN related behavioural issues, responding to EHCP consultations; Disability and other Equality Act matters; Laura regularly defends disability discrimination claims in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal; School policies; Parental complaints; Safeguarding. Laura’s depth of experience enables her to help clients with contentious and non-contentious issues. She regularly defends judicial review challenges. She has specialist expertise in advising faith schools and also has significant experience assisting individuals with education law issues.

Lee Coley

Lee specialises in a mixture of ecclesiastical, education and property matters with a particular focus on the Church of England, although he acts for other Christian denominations and faith groups. Lee is Registrar and Legal Advisor to the Bishop and Diocese of Leicester. He was previously the Registrar of the Diocese of St Albans and Joint Registrar of the Diocese of Guildford. As a result, Lee is well-used to dealing with the day-to-day legal activities of a Church of England diocese as well as giving advice on more contentious issues to senior staff and others on such issues as clergy discipline, safeguarding and data protection. He has acted for individual clergy and parochial church councils on property and purely ecclesiastical matters. Lee has expertise in historic educational and ecclesiastical trusts and has advised numerous Church of England dioceses and schools on such issues. He acts for a number of Church of England diocesan boards of education nationally on all issues that they have to deal with in connection with the Church of England schools within their diocese. He also acts for a variety of diocesan and school-led multi academy trusts, again nationally, in the conversion of maintained schools into them as well as academy to academy transfers. As part of this he has developed an expertise in the School Sites Acts and associated tax issues and issues to do with the development of church school sites. Post conversion / transfer, Lee provides advice to those trusts on governance and other related issues. His work highlights include: Leading the conversion of a mix of 16 Church of England and community schools in the Chelmsford Diocese, the largest single joint application for conversion dealt with by the Department for Education. Working with the senior staff of the Diocese of Leicester to address the challenges faced by the Diocese following the City of Leicester being the first area in England to be put into a local lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

Louise Castle

Louise has almost 10 years specialist experience working on a range of projects in the public sector with particular expertise in education. She has advised on a broad range of academy projects in a range on contexts, including single and multi-academy projects, school converter and sponsored academies, often advising on complex issues such as PFI arrangements in particular. Louise has worked for a number of multi-academy trusts in the North of England, advising on issues relating to contracts, governance, restructuring, funding arrangements and transferring existing academies into their trusts. Louise has also advised on a number of free school projects since the launch of the programme in 2010, Studio Schools, schools PFI and university accommodation schemes. She has worked on numerous trust school projects and on a £10m scheme to deliver a world-class youth facility in Bradford.

Luke Watson

Luke is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Team and specialises in contentious trust and probate disputes. Luke is a member of ACTAPS. Luke has considerable experience in deal with property disputes (Luke is a member of the Property Litigation Association) and commercial disputes. Trusts and Estates routinely contain property and companies and this means that Luke’s broad experience enables him to deal with complex and high - value disputes relating to such trusts and estates. During his recent career Luke has acted for trust companies, Executors, Trustees, Attorneys, educational establishments, companies, partnerships, unincorporated associations, high-net-worth individuals, landowners, property developers, commercial landlords charities and Multi-Academy Trusts. Luke routinely advises in cases with an international element. The disputes Luke deals with regularly involve 7 figure sums and are predominantly High Court cases. Recent work highlights include: Acting for Executors in relation to the contentious aspects of a multi- million-pound estate in which property was held in eight jurisdictions across Asia, Europe and Australasia. The deceased’s sons intimated a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and/or a claim alleging undue influence and lack of testamentary capacity. Acting for a company in the hospitality industry in relation to a disputed property/business sale for c£15 million. The claim alleged breaches of warranties in the sum of c£1.5 million. Acting for a disappointed beneficiary in High Court proceedings regarding the interpretation/construction of a will. The residuary beneficiaries were two national charities and both charities and the Executor, a partner in the alleged negligent firm, were defendants to the claim. Luke is a regular speaker at contentious trust and probate seminars.

Matthew Graham

Matthew is a specialist criminal and regulatory solicitor, with associated civil expertise and experience, and Head of Stone King's Criminal Law Team. His background includes working with some of the most vulnerable in society through publicly funded work based across London. That robust and rigorous introduction to legal life lay the foundations for a professional career defined by supporting others. Matthew handles cases nationwide. Matthew is a hugely experienced and commanding advocate conducting both contested and plea cases routinely, in courts all over England and Wales. Matthew works with individuals, families and organisations to find solutions that work. His rare multi-disciplinary and cross sector experience brings solutions that really make a difference. His eye for detail and ability to identify the key issues quickly and accurately make him both a key ally and trusted advisor. With a real and deep commitment to social justice, Matthew’s responsibility and dedication to the clients he works with quickly cements those relationships. Matthew has a particular interest and expertise in working with those experiencing mental health issues and has both substantial experience and a personal interest in working with people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger Syndrome.

Matthew Graham

Matthew is a Partner and Head of Stone King's national Criminal Law Team. He is a specialist criminal and regulatory solicitor, with associated civil expertise and experience. He is widely respected by colleagues and peers, and regarded as one of the most technically able solicitors in the field: driven, fearless, incisive and a figure to respect in court.

Melanie Carter

Melanie joined Stone King in 2024, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a strong client following. Her work focuses on the powers and duties of public bodies, as well as representing those engaging with or challenging public bodies. She is a former government and in-house lawyer at a regulator, and understands the policy and resource constraints inherent in the public sector's operation. She has worked with numerous third-sector organisations, including institutes and national charities, on strategic litigation or when they have been under the scrutiny of regulation. She specialises in judicial review and public inquiries. Melanie is a trusted adviser, often operating at board level and as external general counsel. She has personally devised legal frameworks and drafted statutory legislation or constitutional documents (e.g., primary and secondary legislation, Royal Charters, Codes of Conduct, disciplinary and complaints policies and procedures) for their implementation. Practice Areas Melanie is a Partner and Head of Public & Regulatory at the firm. She also leads on information law. She is a longstanding specialist in these fields and is ranked as a leading individual in legal directories. She has over 30 years of experience acting for clients across the public and regulatory sectors, charities, social enterprises, institutes, Royal Charter bodies, businesses, and individuals. Her work spans both contentious cases—she is a specialist in public inquiries and judicial review—and advisory work, including the drafting of legislation and codes of conduct. She often advises at board level on corporate governance, reputation, and strategy. Additionally, she works internationally as an adjudicator, sits as a legal assessor in professional regulatory cases, and serves as a Tribunal Judge. Work Highlights Inquiries and Investigations: Melanie has worked on the Covid Inquiry, the Independent Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry, the Grenfell Inquiry, the Brook House Inquiry, and the Infected Blood Inquiry. She has also been appointed individually as an independent investigator in local government and the NHS and acts as an independent adjudicator. Central Government: She has experience working on the Crown Commercial framework for central government and has held in-house roles at the Home Office and Treasury Solicitors, including expertise in parliamentary procedure and legislative drafting. Local Government and NHS Audit: National leader in providing legal advice in the private sector in these areas. Judicial Review: Representing numerous regulators. Professional Regulation: For many years, Melanie has acted as a legal assessor and adviser in public law to various professional regulatory bodies. Charities Regulation: Includes work with the Charity Commission (compliance and statutory inquiries) and the Fundraising Regulator, along with broader governance issues. Freedom of Information: She has handled numerous requests, First-tier Tribunal, and Upper Tribunal cases.

Michael Brotherton

Michael is a Partner and specialises in all areas of Education Law, he has also built up an enviable reputation dealing with the more contentious aspects of school life including procedural issues, admissions, exclusions, parental complaints, and Equality Act claims.Michael’s other skills include advising on many academy conversions, from single academy projects to multi academy conversion projects; advising on safeguarding issues, abuse allegations, policy drafting, general governance, best practice and whole school issues.

Miguel Pereira

Miguel is a corporate and commercial lawyer and advises on a wide range of corporate transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, start-ups, shareholders’ agreements, joint ventures, restructurings and corporate borrowings. In addition to general corporate and commercial work, Miguel has developed a particular expertise in partnership and LLP law and is recognised as an expert in this area by the leading legal directories. He has significant experience advising partnerships and LLPs across various sectors on their constitutional arrangements and has also advised individual partners on their joining or leaving of partnerships. Miguel is a fluent Spanish speaker and acts for a number of Spanish clients in relation to their interests in the UK.

Nicole Reed

Nicole advises charities, social enterprises and businesses including on collaborations, mergers, asset transfers, incorporations, inter-group structuring and governance issues and is particularly interested in enabling charities to work with non-charities. Nicole is actively involved in E3M, an initiative to reform public service delivery, and is a member of Stone King’s Health and Social Care group, working together with colleagues from our Corporate and Commercial Team. She is particularly interested in facilitating collaborative partnerships in health and social care and building relationships between the voluntary sector, social enterprise, social funders and local authorities. Work highlights include: Advising on the change of control and future collaboration of two charities supporting those with learning disabilities. Co-ordinating a complex tripartite transfer of assets and liabilities between two charities and a community interest company. Establishing a number of corporate foundations and advising on structure and governance inter-relationships between group entities. Supporting an entrepreneur and philanthropist in the creation of a charity and the structuring of a significant gift to the charity. Co-ordinating the merger of two north London charities involving a large property portfolio and varied complexities. Guiding a number of asset transfers and project hive-offs involving charities and non-charities. Carrying out governance reviews, supporting external investigations and providing advice and next step recommendations for a number of charities working internationally. Supporting several livery companies in relation to charity governance and compliance.

Peter Woodhouse

Peter has been assisting clients in employment matters since he qualified in 1991. He advises on a full range of employment matters and aims to provide support to clients managing change in their business. eter considers that businesses prefer to act responsibly both as a matter of policy and economics. He works with clients to ensure their outcomes in terms of responsible business are delivered. Work highlights include: Business: advising a large drinks company on collective redundancies of around 700 staff. Including advising on disputes with the unions, levels of and entitlements to redundancy pay upon re-employment, related TUPE issues of various sites. Charity: Advising a Charter charity on the loss of staff: advising on worker and employment status, running collective processes for both, providing detailed advise regarding calculations of pay for redundancy purposes: Charity: advising a charity regarding allegations against the MD arising out of a whistleblowing process. Allegations including sexual harassment and potential criminal offences. Working with Stone King’s charity team to ensure all charity governance matters correctly handled including delegation of authorities and Serious Incident Reporting Transport: running a series of webinars in relation to practical matters of import to the transport sector including furlough, exiting from lockdown. Also running a webinar regarding vehicular Bridge Strikes with a view to raising awareness cross industry for this very important issue.

Raquel Ugalde

Raquel is a Private Client Associate Solicitor specialising in international and cross-border wills and succession. She advises clients who have assets in the UK and abroad on estate planning, inheritance tax, domicile issues, will preparation and powers of attorney, as well as administration of multi-jurisdictional estates. Raquel is a native Catalan and Spanish speaker, having grown up in Barcelona before moving to the UK in 1994. She is therefore familiar with the cultural and legal challenges facing those with international connections and can explain complex, unfamiliar legal concepts in plain English. Raquel is the winner of a STEP (Society of Trustee and Estate Practitioners) Worldwide Excellence Award, having achieved the highest scoring mark in the specialist Advanced Certificate in Cross-Border Estates in 2018. Raquel is a member of STEP’s special interest group for Cross-Border Estates and International Client.

Reema Mathur

Reema is a Partner in the Charity Team. She acts for a huge variety of charities, ranging from start-ups to historic charities, locally focussed charities to those working internationally, and for both grant-making and operational charities. She specialises in charity law and governance, and how they apply to charities in practice. She is particularly experienced in the technical and complex aspects of charity law, such as dealing with permanent endowment, the de-restricting of restricted funds, the re-writing of complex governing documents and the amendment of charitable objects. She gives technically robust legal advice which is workable for charities in practice.

Richard Freeth

Richard has over 23 years’ experience in advising schools and local authorities on a wide range of education issues including admissions, exclusions, SEN, disability discrimination and other Equality Act issues. His advice has covered both state-funded and independent schools. Richard also has significant experience in SEND law and other local authority education issues such as transport, school re-organisation, legal challenges and complaints. Richard has supported schools on a range of complex issues including advising on: Admissions – including on compliance with the legislation and School Admissions Code 2021; challenges to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator and/or ESFA complaints; removal from boarding; and judicial review challenges; Admission Appeals – advising on and clerking admission appeal hearings; provision of training to admission authorities and appeal panel members; advising on and representing admission authorities in complaints made to admission appeal processes from the ESFA or Local Government Ombudsman; Exclusions – advising on compliance with the statutory exclusions guidance and advising on responses to behavioural incidents at school generally; clerking GB review meetings and Independent Review Panels; and training schools and panel members on exclusions; Equality Act issues – supporting schools on a range of complaints and claims made in respect of alleged discrimination; representing schools on claims arising from disability discrimination in the First Tier Tribunal; SEND – advising and supporting schools on all aspects of SEND legislation and guidance including funding, admissions and the relationship with the local authority and representing the school in relation to complaints being made to the DfE in respect of LA actions; Complaints – advice and representation in respect of complex complaints arising from all aspects of a school/trust’s operations. In addition, Richard is Chair of Trustees at a multi-academy trust in Warwickshire.

Roger Inman

Partner Roger Inman specialises in school governance and re-organisation (notably multi-academy trusts (MATs), school finance, admissions as well as all pupil provision issues, notably special educational needs and disability (SEND). A recognised national specialist regarding special educational needs law, Roger works as a Judge in the SEN Tribunal in addition to his role at Stone King. Roger regularly trains colleagues in schools, colleges and other education sector groups on SEN law and practice, including the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), the Association of Colleges, and Natspec. Roger also has a particular specialism in advising on the strategic development of multi-academy trusts and other school groups. He has been advising on school and college governance for over 25 years and is on the Advisory Board for the Academy Trust Governance Code. Roger also contributes to the Education Sector more generally by working closely with national school and college membership organisations on a broad range of education sector issues, notably the Confederation of Schools Trusts and the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL).

Rosamund McCarthy Etherington

Rosamund is Head of Charity Sector at Stone King. For more than 30 years she has utilised the law to create, merge or restructure charities and not-for-profits, set up efficient funding arrangements and work alongside as well as challenge the decisions of regulators. As well as advising on long term and technical charity law issues, she also advises charities in the eye of the storm, helping them to navigate through a regulatory, governance and media maze. Rosamund has a track record in defending the rights of charities and campaign bodies. Her practice includes: Innovative charity applications, including advising on wide-ranging public benefit issues. Optimal structuring including donor advised funds, community benefit societies, CICs, fiscal sponsorship, conduits. Governance and membership advice for a wide range of charitable, professional and campaigning bodies, as well as entities established by Royal Charter and Acts of Parliament. Charities under investigation - everything from operational cases to statutory inquiries, often where there are multi-disciplinary issues. Grant making including to non-charities and overseas, as well as participatory grant making, collaborations and partnerships, grant agreements, financing, Charity Commission and HMRC requirements. Campaigning, political activity and electoral related activity, including advice to charities and non-party campaigners. She also advises political bodies and campaigners on non-party campaigning electoral law and is the co-founder of the Electoral Law Forum. Corporate Foundations on philanthropy, donor advised funds, corporate social responsibility, including extensive advice over many years to the Foundations of FTSE100 global brands. Arts charities including high profile literary prizes on governance, sponsorship and charity registration. Advice on fundraising, sponsorship as well as compliance with the requirements of the Fundraising Regulator. Rosamund is a trusted advisor to the chief executives, chairs, and boards of charities. She works across many sectors, including children and young people, international development, education, the arts, faith, animal welfare and health. Rosamund’s clients include start-ups, household name charities, international foundations, membership bodies, royal charter bodies and corporate foundations.

Sam Dowgill

Sam is a solicitor in Stone King’s Charity & Social Enterprise Team, advising charities, social enterprises and purpose-led businesses on a wide range of issues. He is based in Leeds, but splits his time between our Leeds and London offices.

Stephen Ravenscroft

Stephen is a Partner in Stone King's national Charity practice. He has specialised in charity and not-for-profit law since qualifying as a solicitor in 1997. Stephen acts for clients of all sizes, helping them with a wide range of issues that includes new charity registrations, incorporations, governance matters, mergers, trustee training, dealings with the Charity Commission and fundraising matters. Stephen has enormous expertise in advising on Academy projects. Over the last 10 years Stephen has worked with more than 50 sponsored Academies and more than 100 converter Academies. This depth of experience means Stephen is often able to save clients time and fees by anticipating potential issues at the earliest stage.

Tamsin Eastwood

Tamsin has more than 25 years’ experience in corporate finance, banking and financial services. She has a thorough knowledge of company law; corporate finance, banking and financial services law; as well as a good understanding of property, employment and general commercial law. Corporate & Commercial: Her skillset and expertise have been applied for growth, structuring and restructuring as well as addressing insolvency issues. Transactions and other matters where Tamsin has led include M&A: take-overs; joint ventures; MBOs/MBIs/LBOs; complex banking transactions: property finance; general corporate banking; syndicated bank facilities; equity injections and other fund raising exercises for quoted and private companies and collective investment schemes; debt finance; partnerships; financial services; shareholder arrangements; service agreements for senior executives; share option schemes and other management incentive plans. Social and Impact Finance: Applying her expertise with understanding pragmatism and practicality to assist clients achieve their objectives and deliver their chosen impact efficiently and effectively, Tamsin advises businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, impact ventures, social enterprises, borrowers, lenders and others. Work highlights: Advising early stage companies on investment into the impact venture Acting for an ethical bank on secured development loan facilities, often taking account of the varying interests, objectives and requirements of junior lenders and grant providers as well as those of the borrower and the bank Acting for charitable educational establishment obtaining £16m secured loan facilities Acting for charitable foundations making secured loans to acquire residential accommodation for vulnerable people Acting for a further education institution in relation to a refinancing package of circa £40m+ including two secured loan facilities Assisting a charity providing security for the loans of a second charity and negotiating the settling the contractual relationship between the two

Tim Rutherford

Tim has a national reputation for advising charities and is a Partner in the Charity & Social Enterprise Team at Stone King. He specialises in advising on charity law, governance and related issues and is also experienced in advising charities and organisations in relation to insolvency and risk management issues. He excels in advising charities related to faith organisations (in particular Roman Catholic religious orders and Dioceses and Anglican religious orders) and Almshouses, as well as acting for many other types of charity across the sector. He has a particular expertise in incorporations and restructures, having been responsible for the first incorporation of a Roman Catholic religious order charity as a CIO and has since established more than 80 similar CIOs in the past few years. He also worked with the Almshouse Association to rewrite its guidance ‘the Standards of Almshouse Management’. Tim's work highlights include: Assisting several international Religious Congregations to restructure their operations in England to fit in with the changing nature of the way they work internationally and the reduction in the number of members based in England. Advising a charity with a significant permanent endowment fund on the potential to apply the total return regulations to part of the endowment, whilst retaining the rest of the endowment in traditional form. Advising a large religious congregation on restructuring to provide a modern structure to enable the continuation of their way of religious life (in new and different forms) whilst also establishing a new charity to take forward their mission work, separate from the religious way of life. Advising several charitable organisations that are exempt charities on the process to change their structure from a registered society to a company limited by guarantee to enable them to demonstrate they are a registered charity for the purposes of raising funds from third party grant funders who will only grant fund registered charities. Carrying out a strategic review of a household name charity to assist the Trustees to identify any gaps between their stated strategy/mission and how they operate in practice, and then assisting the Trustees to make appropriate changes in light of the review.

Tom Murdoch

Tom specialises in charity law and has a particular interest in charitable purposes. With key clients, he has developed a charitable definition of ‘public interest news’ which is accepted by the Charity Commission. As well as working with many organisations which provide public information, Tom acts for charities and social enterprises on recognition and registration, spin-offs from the state, structural re-organisations, governance, mergers and closures and charity campaigning. Sub-sectors in which he is particularly active include learned societies, professional membership bodies, arts and heritage organisations, scientific and natural history charities, royal charter bodies and international NGOs. He is known for his expertise in charitable status, the development of novel charitable purposes and the governance and control of complex charity structure. He is increasingly requested to assist charities deal with high-profile disputes and cases with potential for significant reputational damage. Tom also has extensive experience of Interim Manager (IM) work, both being appointed by the Charity Commission as IM in several recent high-profile cases. His practice includes: Recent charity work includes: assisting a large, household-name charity successfully conclude contested elections advising a large learned society on complaints about a well-known member developing a new charitable purpose to cover ‘public interest news’; registering the first such charity; and contributing to Parliamentary consultations on the sustainability of public interest news; assisting a household name thinktank develop a novel, FCA-regulated charitable investment fund to develop the ‘social economy’; assisting a professional membership body deal with an embarrassing incident with significant potential reputational damage first registrations of new charitable purposes associated with open-source content, local authority public health responsibilities and novel Covid-related purposes; assisting with the conversion of a national Government-sponsored social enterprise to a new royal charter body; establishing a new Government-sponsored charity to manage significant public amenities in London; assisting the Government with the establishment of a new national infrastructure charity; participating in diverse working parties on the development of charity law, including on the Charities Act 2022.

Tom Morrison

Nationally recognised for his specialist expertise in supporting colleges, Tom is Stone King’s Head of FE and HE and Joint Head of the Education Sector. Tom is also a member of Stone King’s Partnership Council and our Deputy Chair. Tom advises education providers on strategic, governance, contractual and commercial issues, with particular expertise in leading projects, handling contract negotiations and supporting discussions with regulators. He and his team work exclusively with education sector clients, supporting the teams at colleges, universities, multi-academy trusts and other education providers throughout England. Tom’s practice includes: education law, further education, external board reviews and governance support for colleges. Tom speaks at sector conferences and delivers sector-specific training online and at events throughout the country, including those organised by the Association of Colleges, the Sixth Form College Association, the Education & Training Foundation, the College Finance Directors Group and the Governance Professionals’ Special Interest Group.

Tony Pidgeon

Tony became head of Stone King’s Dispute Resolution & Litigation team in 2018, having joined the firm in 2010. His caseload focuses on high-value commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on real estate disputes. Tony’s commercial litigation practice centres on contractual disputes, breach of fiduciary duties, procurement disputes and injunctive relief. Tony has considerable experience of real estate disputes in a wide variety of sectors. Examples of his real estate disputes include dilapidations claims, forfeiture, possession of land and trespasser claims, telecommunications issues, development and overage disputes, Right of Light claims and lease renewals. Tony repeatedly acts for national charities, educational establishments and significant corporate clients. Sector Experience: Charity & Social Enterprise Tony’s experience in the sector covers everything from advising Trustees as to their duties and liaising with the Charity Commission, to complex disputes and investigations. Recent work includes: Successfully defending injunctive proceedings in an unusual case concerning property rights in the context of a cemetery; Dealing with complex historical undue influence claims; Acting in a high-value Right of Light dispute in a central London location. Education Tony has considerable experience of the full range of disputes that educational institutions face. Recent cases include: Defending a maintained school in a complex lease claim worth £8m, through to the Court of Appeal; Acting for a number of contracting authorities in a substantial procurement disputes. Business Recent cases include: Acting for a national Spanish company and a related party in multi-party High Court proceedings involving claims of lawful and unlawful means conspiracy; Advising in relation to complex and connect partnership and company dissolutions on behalf of outgoing directors.

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