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.
England - London • Public sector
Stone King LLP
Stone King LLP offers its roster of state school, faith school, multi academy trust, and independent school clients across England first-rate advice on admissions policies, especially in connection with safeguarding and equality matters. The team is also active on contracting and commercial issues, having advised on a number of mergers and academy conversions as well as on the establishment of new schools in the UK and abroad. The multidisciplinary team is jointly led by four lawyers based across the UK. Roger Inman, who is based in Cambridge, is a trusted advisor on school governance matters, especially with respect to SEN policies. London-based lawyer Graham Burns is reputed for his work on PFI school conversions and transfers, while Tom Morrison, who practices from Bath, is a safeguarding expert, and Leeds further education specialist Tom Morrison advises MATs on their governance and structuring policies. The practice heads are further supported by London-based lawyers Laura Berman, an admissions and safeguarding specialist, Lee Coley, who maintains close relations with a number of faith schools, and Stephen Ravenscroft, who is trusted to handle mergers and academy conversions.
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Key clients
- Ark
- Astrea Academy Trust
- Future Academies
- Greenshaw Learning Trust
- Hoddesdon School Trust
- Ivy Learning Trust
- Leigh Academies Trust
- The Kemnals Academy Trust
- Oasis Charitable Trust
- Middlesex Learning Trust
Work highlights
- Advised The Kemnals Academies Trust on their admission arrangements to ensure that these are robust and legally secure.
- Advised a collective group of 55 academy trusts on a successful collective class action which resulted in a major concession by Education Software Solutions and positively affected 70% of the academies in the country who contract with ESS, and which in addition led to a positive intervention by the CMA.
- Advised Oasis Charitable Trust on the establishment of the UK's first secure school in Medway.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading individuals
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Roger Inman, Graham Burns, Helen Tucker, Tom Morrison