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Specialist Higher

Education Lawyers

Higher Education Professionals

In addition to institutions, we also assist professionals in higher education, including both academics and those in non-academic roles, with the legal issues that arise within their work, research and publications. 

Areas where we can support, include:

  • HR Guidance
    • Rights under contractual terms, policies, procedures and local ordinances
    • Grievances, student complaints, disputes, disciplinary, performance management and sickness absence
    • Redundancies, outsourcing, restructuring, and TUPE  
    • Employment Tribunal claims 
  • Free Speech and Academic Freedom
    • Campus free speech law
    • Office for Students free speech complaints scheme
    • Disputes, complex litigation matters, grievances and disciplinaries
  • Student support with Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIAHE) complaints
    • Dispute handling support and advice on rights and options
    • Complaints, appeals, disciplinary issues, discrimination, dealing with the OIAHE - including challenging OIAHE decisions
  • Data Protection
    • Data subject rights and responsibilities under the GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
    • Accessing personal data under data protection or freedom of information legislation
    • Data subject access requests 
    • Personal data breaches 
  • Pensions
    • Benefit entitlement under pension schemes such as the LGPS, or USS 
    • Pension arrangement disputes
    • Pension rights on loss of employment  
    • Re-organisation exercises (including TUPE) as well as pensions advice on redundancy 
  • Intellectual Property and Defamation
    • Copyright infringement, plagiarism or academic malpractice
    • Bringing or responding to claims of defamation
JM

James Murray
Legal Director
+44 (0)20 7778 7226
jmurray@doyleclayton.co.uk

Listen to our podcast series

Our team has recorded a series of podcasts, diving into the key legal topics which impact the education sector, including how to be day one ready for the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, and tips for student sponsors on how to be ready for a Home Compliance visit. 

Education Bulletin

Our Education Bulletin is our newsletter which discusses legal matters impacting the education sector. Our Spring Term edition explored how the recent UK immigration changes have impacted the sector, discussed insightful topics such as gender questioning children, and looked at upcoming employment law updates.

Meet the team

Our industry specialists have expert knowledge of the sector; our team includes lawyers who have been governors, and who have worked in-house at a licensed student sponsor.