England - London • Public sector

Bindmans LLP

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Bindmans LLP retains a ‘highly knowledgeable and well resourced team’ that is capable of handling a wide range of cross-disciplinary matters for individuals. The practice has acted in tribunal appeals related to school placement on behalf of children with special educational needs and also advises on freedom of speech issues, allegations of academic misconduct, and school exclusions. Karen May, who leads the team, is highly recommended for her expertise in SEN matters and regularly acts alongside key contact Alex Temple in complex judicial review and tribunal cases. Other key contacts in the team include Kate Goold, an experienced criminal solicitor who acts in cases related to serious criminal and disciplinary accusations, and Emma Varley, who is noted for her expertise in educational matters with discrimination elements.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Quick to respond and personable, clear advice.’

  • ‘Karen May is confident and clear in her advice.’

  • ‘Karen May is outstanding, kind, and knows how to build a rapport with a client. Great knowledge of local authorities, with exceptional clinical skills and understanding. Great at fighting in your corner.’

  • ‘Claimant focused education law team that is excellent for community care cross-over work.’

  • ‘I have been impressed by the way in which the Education team at Bindmans can use the firm's cross-sector expertise (i.e. intersection between the crime team and education team) in higher education matters relating to student discipline.’

  • ‘I would recommend Emma Varley without hesitation. She has been proactive, collaborative, responsive and shown great attention to detail.’

  • ‘This is a very highly knowledgeable and well-resourced team. They will leave no stone unturned to provide the best solution for clients. The team is very hard-working and extremely professional.’

  • ‘Emma Varley and Karen May are very knowledgeable about their areas of law, have an excellent grasp of procedure, and are very practically-minded.’

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Karen May

Karen May

Bindmans LLP

Partner and Head of Education Law. Karen mainly acts for individuals although has also had experience of acting for local authorities and schools. Her specialism is judicial review cases, with a particular focus upon education law and community care law judicial reviews. Karen has acted in many leading education law judicial review cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal, concerning vulnerable children. Instructions are also regularly received from parents of children attending independent schools. These instructions often relate to safeguarding and exclusion matters within the independent sector. Karen’s main focus is acting for vulnerable children and adults. This work has seen her acting for a number of families in relation to special educational needs issues during childhood right through to Court of Protection matters in adulthood. It has also seen her acting in challenges against a wide variety of public bodies in addition to local authorities, such as CCGs and Chief Constables. Karen has also acted in a number of cases concerning breaches under the Human Rights Act 1998 and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. She has secured favourable financial settlements for clients in a number of these cases. Karen has also recently acted in a case against a police force concerning breaches under the Human Rights Act 1998 in a claim for damages connected with information on an Enhanced DBS Certificate. She has experience of representing a number of clients in relation to what appears on their Enhanced DBS Certificates. As well as providing representation in relation to higher court cases, Karen regularly represents clients in relation to SEN Tribunal cases, admission appeals and exclusion appeals. She is also regularly instructed in relation to disputes about school transport which is a particularly difficult area with a number of public sectors cuts to transport budgets. Karen’s interest in transport cases stems from acting for the claimant in October 2000. Since that time, she has helped many parents secure suitable transport arrangements for children with special educational needs.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Karen May

Other key lawyers

Kate Goold, Alex Temple, Emma Varley