Guy Biggin

Partner, Crowe UK

Guy Biggin is a Partner in the Cheltenham office of national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm Crowe. He works exclusively with educational and charitable organisations and has considerable experience in audit and risk management as well as governance, trading activities, fundraising and other issues arising in the sector.  His broad knowledge is coupled with a pragmatic and helpful approach.  Guy acts as a sounding board, offering advice to help develop strategies to address an organisation’s specific challenges.  Guy is also a governor of an independent school.

Oliver Daniels

Senior Associate, Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Oliver is a Senior Associate within the Education team at Harrison Clark Rickerbys advising, in particular, independent schools and academies on employment related matters including complex restructures, performance management issues, ill health absence, disciplinary and grievance processes, severance arrangements, school specific holiday pay issues and Employment Tribunal proceedings.  He also regularly provides assistance to schools in ensuring that internal policies and procedures and contracts of employment are legally compliant and work in practice.

Oliver is a recognised speaker within the sector delivering in-house training for Schools and has spoken at the ISBA Annual Conference and HR Day providing employment law updates and interactive sessions on specific topics such as managing sickness absence.  Oliver is praised by clients for the “responsive and professional” manner in which he deals with often complex and sensitive employment issues.

Kate Hickey

Partner, Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Kate leads Harrison Clark Rickerbys corporate education work for the independent schools team. Kate Is a corporate lawyer who has developed a special interest and expertise in the education sector.

Kate is trusted to advise and support schools on  strategic projects and collaborations including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and disposals and international projects including establishing an overseas presence.

As well as working with schools on corporate transactions, Kate also advises on formation, public benefit requirement, constitutional matters, governance and compliance. As a result, Kate works closely with governors, bursars and heads of schools across England as well as owners, directors and shareholders of companies.

Clients say “Kate and her team are experts in education law, policy and regulation and have always provided us with a first class service that is professional, proactive and reliable. We have always found Kate to be approachable, understanding and supportive. She has an excellent knowledge of the law and believes in meticulous preparation of all her work so that she can provide the best professional advice available.”

Robin Koolhoven

Partner, Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Robin is a partner in the Restructuring and Insolvency (R&I) team at HCR, heading up our R&I teams in the Cheltenham and Cardiff offices. Robin is also a member of HCR’s Education sector team. Robin advises boards of directors/trustees/governors of educational establishments faced with challenging financial conditions including advice on duties, refinancing and inward investment. Robin has worked on a number of restructuring projects involving independent schools and acts for administrators on school insolvencies including school closures and administration sales. He is a regular contributor to HCR webinars particularly advising on cash flow issues and related matters.

Rachel Parkin

Partner, Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Rachel is a Partner in the Employment team. She advises a broad range of clients in the education sector on all aspects of the employment relationship. She regularly helps schools deal with performance management issues, ill health, restructuring, disciplinary and grievance procedures, Employment Tribunal cases and advises on sensitive and complex issues, including senior severances. She regularly delivers training to clients and is a frequent speaker at sector events.

Rachel is known for being clear and dependable and works closely with schools to make the process as easy as possible, providing considered, commercial and practical advice.

Kristine Scott

Partner and Head of Education , Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Kristine heads Harrison Clark Rickerbys education team and focuses on issues relating to staff, pupils and parents as well as advice to governing bodies. Kristine has many years’ experience of child protection and safeguarding, advising on the full range of issues including allegations against staff, peer on peer abuse, ‘live’ matters as well as conducting retrospective reviews.  She is recognised UK wide as a leading practitioner and expert in the field of education and employment law.

Delighted clients say she is ‘quite simply superb’ and that she is "completely on top of her game and respected across the education sector."

Paul Watkins

Associate, Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Paul is an Associate within the Education team at Harrison Clark Rickerbys, advising on a range of issues related to parent/ pupil matters, inspection and compliance and safeguarding. He specialises in providing advice to schools, businesses and charities on data protection and freedom of information matters. He regularly assists clients handling personal data breaches and subject access requests, and has considerable experience supporting clients faced with Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) investigations.

Before joining Harrison Clark Rickerbys, Paul was Legal Counsel for UCAS, and worked within their in-house legal team for over 6 years.