Graham Burns

Graham started his legal career in local government working on major education schemes. Since entering private practice Graham has built on his early experience by helping a huge number of schools, academies, local authorities and education providers complete major educational projects.

Graham’s particular skills include advising on complex public sector procurements (where he has particular expertise in the education and local authority sectors) and major commercial transactions. Graham also offers substantial experience of major and complex public private partnership deals, including completing the largest schools partnership contract in England for Northamptonshire County Council.

Graham acted as lead advisor on both the establishment of a Local Education Partnership at The London Boroughs of Lambeth and Ealing and the wave 4 and 6 schools with the Kent BSF programme. He has a strong track record in school PFI schemes and is currently acting for a large number of PFI schools as they convert to academies.

Graham has a substantial practice in the academies sector, a history that began with him acting for the West London Free School on the very first free school funding agreement. He is also recognised as one of the education sector’s leading innovators having acted for a broad range of sponsors developing Multi-Academy Trusts and Umbrella Trust structures.