OUR PEOPLE

"The team at Harrison Clark Rickerbys helped Farlington School in so many ways. They provided us with excellent legal and technical advice regarding the sale of our school, but they went beyond that. When our school first recognised that it needed to take action to preserve its future, Kate was able to set out our options clearly and then ultimately find us a number of potential partners to purchase our school. She went on to advise us on the different offers made, which enabled us to choose the best purchaser. HCR introduced us to our ultimate purchaser, an established world-class group of schools, Bellevue Education, who were aligned with our own high standards. Kate’s team then negotiated a deal structure which provided the best possible outcome for the charity and the school. HCR go far beyond being normal legal advisors with the ongoing support they provide, any day of the week and at any time of the day. They built a strong bond with our school’s management team and worked with us to get the best for our school and its pupils. We are delighted with how things have turned out. If any other schools are in a similar situation we would definitely advise them to use HCR.“ Sue Mitchell, Chair of Governors

The relationship with us goes back a long way, and the service HCR provides in the more ‘traditional’ areas such as employment and education remains first-rate. But what has been especially pleasing is the way that, as our ambitions and vision have broadened, so too has HCR’s ability to support us on our journey. Of course I’m thinking in particular about our international plans and discussions – it’s no exaggeration to say that we couldn't have come as far as we have without your tremendous support, expertise and sage advice. As you know, we still have a long way to go, but the guidance and service you’ve provided so far has been fantastically positive and we are very grateful to you. Thanks. An Independent School client

The up to date information and expert advice on offer at our annual Schools HR Day is always much appreciated - one first time attendee from an independent school said: “Yesterday’s training was excellent and really useful. Thank you very much for organising such a worthwhile day.” The day is one of our most popular events and gives delegates an update on topics such as employment law, safeguarding and data protection law.

When an independent girls’ school had the chance to join a group which runs more than 60 schools across the country, the governors knew that they needed in-depth legal expertise to help steer the school through the process. When the transaction was complete, the chair of governors said: “HCR were appointed to act as our advisors in what appeared to be a straightforward transaction. Having asked around, their name kept coming up as real experts in the education market, a particularly lively place just now. “They found a solution to enable us to do the right thing by the school. It wasn’t just an excellent technical solution. What really impressed me was that they have all the bases covered, and they developed a nose for how we work and fitted in perfectly. The governors didn’t get everything right first time, but thanks to HCR, we did finish up in the right place. Invaluable.”

Kate led on a deal to support investment by a Chinese fund, China Financial Services Holdings Ltd, in one of the oldest schools in the country, Thetford Grammar School, in Norfolk. The transaction involved some specialist issues, a tight timescale and a variety of stakeholders in the 900 year old school. Cherry Han, CEO of Thetford Grammar School Ltd, said of the HCR team: “Kate and her team are experts in education law/ policy/regulation and have always provided Thetford Grammar School 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. Our sincere thanks to Kate and her team. We highly recommend her firm.”