Nicola is a employment partner focused on providing employment, student and regulatory advice to clients in the Education sector.
A partner in the Education, Labour and Pensions Group, she focuses on providing advice to clients in the Education sector and heads the firms Education Sector Group. Nicola qualified in 1992 and became a partner in 2000 and has focused on working with Education Sector clients throughout her career.
Nicola's education sector experience encompasses students, employment and regulation working with providers in the Higher and Further Education Sectors, as well as schools and academies and private providers. Recent experience includes: student complaints, disciplinary processes and litigation; employment law, involving senior post-holders and governance issues, complex disciplinary and grievance matters, whistleblowing and TUPE; regulatory challenges.
She regularly advises on student issues focusing on student complaints, disciplinary and litigation matters, particularly involving issues of discrimination. Recent experience includes advising in relation to complaints under the Equality Act by students with a range of disabilities, defending claims by students for race and age discrimination, for religious discrimination and dealing with issues relating to sexual harassment and mental health. Nicola also advises on matters arising out of sector regulation including advising on regulatory challenges Ofsted, OIAHE, OfS and other regulatory bodies and others, using complaints processes and JR.
Her work also includes employment law matters, contentious and non-contentious, including claims for unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, whistleblowing and equality and diversity issues, particularly dealing with the management of internal grievances, and strategic HR issues. Nicola has appeared as an advocate in the Courts and the Employment Tribunal.
Examples of work Nicola has been involved in includes:
- advising in relation to a range of discrimination and breach of contract claims brought by students, providing support on internal processes, as well as in relation to formal claims
- advising in relation to media and reputation management in relation to high-profile student issues, which result in national and local press coverage
- advising a range of institutions on disputes with regulators, including OfS, Ofsted, OIAHE and relevant government departments including effective use of complaints or appeal processes and challenge by way of judicial review
- advising on complex employment tribunal claims particularly involving issues of discrimination, whistleblowing and constructive dismissal, including advocacy at hearing as required
- advising on senior post-holder issues, including grievances and disciplinary matters ensuring compliance with governance requirements
- acting in relation to the dismissal of professors under charter and statues, including case presentation as the university's advocate at the internal dismissal hearings and acting as advisor to boards or governor panels
- advising in relation to outsourcing projects in the sector, including the creation of subsidiary service companies dealing with TUPE issues arising
- advising in relation to data handling in relation to employment and student matters dealing with DSAR, special category data, and issues around parental access
Nicola regularly works with sector groups, has spoken at conferences for AHUA, AULP, UCEA, UHR and AoC, as well as a regularly providing training at seminars and courses on student and HR issues to the sector more generally.
Nicola is described in Chambers by sources as providing "very good, professional and pragmatic advice” and as having “an exceptionally good understanding of … business.” She is a recommended lawyer in Legal 500 for both her employment and education practices.
Top Ranked Chambers UK 2018, 2019
Nicola leads the firm's local Gender Network and heads the Community Relations committee for the Nottingham office. She has a passion for Equality and Diversity and works to ensure that local communities benefit from our local engagement.
- Law Society Finals, Lancaster Gate College of Law, 1989 – 1990
- BSc (Hons) Linguistic and International Studies (Russian, Swedish and Law), University of Surrey, 1985 – 1989