Midlands law firm shakes up leadership team

Law firm Browne Jacobson has changed the leadership of education department with Nick MacKenzie taking on the role of head of education.

Mackenzie succeeds Mark Blois, who will continue with client work within the firm.

Mackenzie said: “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to take over the leadership of such a highly regarded and influential team within the education sector. I am hugely excited about the firm’s ambition for our education team. We have a highly talented and growing team of more than 100 legal and HR specialists, which is a great platform from which to deliver our ambitious plans to be recognised as a clear market leader right across the education sector.

“I am looking forward to continuing to work with Mark and the rest of the leadership group to deliver our strategy by truly engaging with our clients, and providing key insights and innovation in our service delivery to help them succeed in an evolving education landscape.”

Browne Jacobson has offices in Nottingham and Birmingham and its support extends to multi-academy trusts nationwide and education institutions overseeing a portion of maintained sector schools in England.

The firm also collaborates with an increasing number of further and higher education institutions.

Blois said: “Having founded Browne Jacobson’s education practice and had the honour of leading it for the past 20 years, it has been a big personal decision to step down as Head of Education but I believe passionately that leadership renewal is healthy and succession planning is crucial to the success of any organisation’s growth and sustainability.  I am delighted to be passing on the torch to Nick, who has proven himself over the years to be a huge asset to the firm and has played an influential role in some of our wider engagement activities within the sector that now put us at the heart of the education conversation.

“Our education team will undoubtedly go from strength to strength under Nick’s leadership. I’m also keen to stress that I am not going anywhere. I intend to continue serving as a senior partner in the team for many years to come and I am excited that, going forward, I will have the opportunity to spend more time working directly with our clients.”