International


We can help you implement your global strategy. Through working with us, you gain access to the best international lawyers on the ground, with market-leading education sector expertise.

We've spent over 25 years building a unique global network of relationship firms, who share our values, high standards, commitment to client service and in-depth sector experience.

From attracting international students, drafting policies and contracts for staff working overseas, and handling contentious matters, to ensuring your international collaborations, partnerships, joint ventures, and campuses are set up to succeed and will work effectively, we can help.

We'll deliver you outstanding, market-leading advice while making use of the local expertise of our partner law firms. It'll be seamless and sensitive to local cultures, working practices and regulatory requirements. The firms we partner with have extensive, in-depth local expertise and are each leaders in their jurisdictions. We'll always match your needs with the right in-country experts for any project.

Our lawyers

We work on some of the most innovative and strategic international projects across the sector. This means we have vast experience acting as the central point of contact for complex projects, co-ordinating advice from partner law firms, and making sure this is delivered to you on time and to budget. 

Our experience

We have a proven process in place to manage our relationships with international firms to ensure our clients receive the outstanding service you expect from us. This means your advice will be consistent, tailored to you and the billing will be in a format that we've agreed with you in advance.

Examples of our successful international support to clients includes:

  • Working with University of York in respect of its LLP joint venture with Kaplan to set up an international student centre on the University’s campus.

  • Advising De Montfort University on setting up campuses in Dubai and Uzbekistan.

  • Advising London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on the transfer to it of two MRC research units in the Gambia and Uganda.

  • Supporting Manchester Metropolitan University on its academic collaboration with Zhongyuan University of Technology.

  • Acting for University of East London on establishing an overseas admissions office in Malaysia, including the secondment of UK based employees to Malaysia, and immigration issues.

  • Supporting a post-92 University on establishing a campus in India and how staff should be engaged.

  • Providing extensive support to universities in relation to the urgent recruitment of international academic staff.

  • Drafting global mobility clauses in employment contracts and secondment agreements for staff being seconded to an overseas campus.

  • Seeking urgent local immigration, tax and employment law advice for staff working from home overseas who were unable to return to the UK based institution during the pandemic.

Click here to catch-up on our bite-size webinars focusing on the higher education markets in India, the Middle East, South East Asia, the US, Germany and the Netherlands.

Education experts from our relationship firms share their views on important key developments and issues, opportunities, regulatory matters, and other regional and cultural factors to consider in these jurisdictions. 

Did you know?

National sponsors of AHUA

(the Association of Heads of University Administration) alongside relationship firms Burness Paull (Scotland) and Carson McDowell (Ireland).

Supporting your international strategy

Please click here to catch-up on the recordings of our bite-size webinars focusing on the HE markets in key jurisdictions.

Our blogs

View the follow-up blog posts summarising the key take-aways from the sessions on: India, US, Middle East and South East Asia.

What our clients say about us?

“The team have a very broad range of expertise, which means we can obtain all our legal advice from one source. The breath of this expertise is supplemented by exceptional depth which, when combined with the care they take to understand our institution and its needs, means they rarely, if ever, disappoint.”

Legal 500

“Deep understanding and knowledge of the HE sector. Advice provided is always pragmatic and commercially-focused. ”

Legal 500

“They have excellent knowledge and are excellent technically, practical and proactive.”

Chambers UK

Our clients

We act for over 100 education and research institutions, including universities, colleges, independent schools and academies. Clients seeking our support with their global strategies include:

  • King’s College London
  • Birmingham City University
  • Coventry University
  • University of Cambridge
  • De Montfort University
  • University of York

Our expertise

Academies and schools
Apprenticeships
Education law
Further education and skills
Higher education and research
Independent (private) schools
International
University financial resilience taskforce

Get in touch

Our team of legal experts are here to support you.
Contact one of our lawyers today.

Contact us

Meet our international team

Education blog

Bringing together the latest public, private and charity law updates for the education sector.

Read our blog

Education and research sector legal updates

We prepare a bi-monthly legal update for AHUA members and for our clients. 
Click here to access these updates

Related sectors & services

Education Academies and schools Apprenticeships Education law Further education and skills