Blake Morgan: Guiding Oxford Colleges toward a resilient, thriving future

Embedding legal expertise across education

“The team we have supporting the Oxford colleges and education in general has an excellent reputation in the area,” commented Thames Valley property partner, Michael Ward.

Blake Morgan support over 100 institutions — including independent schools, FE colleges, universities, and Oxford colleges — covering a broad spectrum of legal areas with pragmatism and commercial realism. Their strength lies in the ability to marshal expertise across multiple fields:

• Real Estate & Construction: Whether it’s college expansions, refurbishments, or managing complex project agreements, the team draws on skills from its Construction, Project Management, Finance, Cost Management, and Environment practices.
• Employment & Pensions: From handling disciplinary proceedings to redundancies, TUPE transfers and restructuring, as well as managing schemes like USS or TPS, they ensure colleges remain compliant and resilient.
• Immigration & International Collaboration: Successfully navigating Tier 4 education sponsorship licences and advising on collaborative arrangements across borders, Blake Morgan enables colleges to attract global talent and partner internationally.
• Commercial, IP & Research Partnerships: Advising on joint ventures and collaborative research — whether funded by EU sources or otherwise — the firm crafts agreements that turn academic innovation into measurable impact.
• Data Protection, Governance & Charity Law: With an accredited team in GDPR (they’re the only firm authenticated by the British Computer Society for the Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection), combined with unrivalled expertise in governance, charity law, regulatory compliance and public law, Blake Morgan ensures colleges maintain legal compliance while safeguarding institutional integrity.

Tailored, collaborative support for Oxford Colleges

Advising Oxford colleges isn’t a one-size-fits-all exercise. Each college has its own charter, statutes, governance structures, and rich history. Blake Morgan excels in tailoring advice — whether that’s amending Royal Charters, managing trusts and legacies, or navigating regulatory relationships with bodies like the Office for Students or the Charity Commission.

The firm’s approach is grounded in understanding — not just legal complexity, but collegiate identity and mission. Their values — straightforward, team-player, committed, astute — aren’t lip service but guiding principles of client engagement. As one academic client described the service:

Exemplary client outcomes & impact

While many examples are sensitive or private, Blake Morgan’s track record speaks volumes:

• For estate, governance, and financial structuring, they act for many Russell Group universities, as well as numerous Oxford colleges, delivering seamless, multidisciplinary legal support.
• In challenging cases—such as disputes or regulatory scrutiny—their public law and governance lawyers stand ready with judicial review and charity law expertise.
• When Oxford colleges pursue complex real estate or construction projects, the firm advises across procurement, cost strategy, planning and environmental considerations effectively.

Why Oxford Colleges turn to Blake Morgan

What sets Blake Morgan apart is their ability to be both technically expert and relationally engaged. Institutions trust that the firm’s lawyers are not just advisors, but collaborators; helping them navigate rapid change — whether in funding landscapes, regulatory regimes, or governance standards — and positioning them for long-term resilience.

Clients appreciate that the team understands the “people behind the statutes” — that legal advice is delivered pragmatically, with empathy, and within collegiate constraints — a tone rarely achieved in such technical contexts. As one internal source put it, the firm works as “an extension of your team,” providing intuitive, clear, legally sound support.

Building the strong future

The title of Blake Morgan’s online brochure says it plainly: “Helping Oxford Colleges build a strong future.” That statement encapsulates the firm’s mission — supporting institutions that are government-regulated, chartered, and tied to legacy, while ensuring they remain future-proof.

From ambitious construction projects to legacy governance, pension scheme reform to global collaborations, the firm helps institutions thrive across all dimensions — legal, operational, strategic.

In a higher education world beset by change — from shifting funding models to evolving governance expectations — the trust cultivated between Oxford colleges and Blake Morgan stands as a powerful alliance. For institutions looking to balance heritage with innovation, tradition with agility, that kind of partnership is not just welcome — it’s essential.

OxProp Awards 2025

Blake Morgan’s support of the education and property sectors in the Thames Valley continues to be seen by their involvement in the upcoming involvement in the OxProp Awards 2025. Launched in 2018, the OxProp Awards programme has quickly become a feature of the property and real estate scene in Oxfordshire. Blake Morgan is an award partner for the event, which will take place on 11 September at Keble College, Oxford. Find out more about the occasion here.

Michael Ward added: