Ronald Fletcher Baker joins Independent Higher Education as a Partner 

We are delighted to announce that Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP has joined Independent Higher Education (IHE) as a Partner, bringing our litigation expertise and extensive experience of the higher education sector to support IHE members. 

IHE is the UK membership organisation and national representative body for independent providers of higher education, professional training and pathways. Its membership brings together more than 90 providers, including specialist institutions offering programmes across the creative industries, business, technology and professional education. Through its partnerships, IHE connects members with specialist expertise and services tailored to the independent sector. 

Our partnership builds on our longstanding work with higher education providers. We understand the pressures institutions face and the consequences that regulatory decisions can have for their students, staff and continued operation. Our approach combines detailed knowledge of the sector with experience of challenging unlawful decisions and resolving complex commercial disputes. 

We have acted in several successful judicial reviews in higher education, championing fairness and ensuring that institutions have a meaningful opportunity to address the case against them. Our reported work includes the successful Court of Appeal challenge to the OfS’s refusal to register Bloomsbury Institute and Oxford Business College’s successful judicial review of the Secretary of State for Education’s decision to remove course designation for student funding. 

That litigation experience also informs our work before proceedings become necessary. We have helped providers secure OfS registration following “minded to refuse” decisions, working constructively with institutions and the regulator to address concerns about governance, ownership and financial viability. We also advise on investigations involving the OfS and the Department for Education, including sensitive matters resolved without sanctions. 

The pressures facing the sector can also affect relationships with franchise partners and within institutions themselves. We advise on partnership and franchise disputes, threatened termination of agreements, and disagreements between shareholders and directors. Our focus is on resolving these matters discreetly and effectively, with close attention to institutional reputation and commercial objectives. 

Rudi Ramdarshan and Victoria Huxley, Partners at Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP, commented: 

“We are pleased to join the IHE community and contribute our experience to supporting its members. Our work with independent providers has given us a close understanding of their ambitions, the challenges they face and the importance of ensuring that each institution is treated fairly on its own circumstances.”

“Through this partnership, we look forward to sharing practical insights and hearing directly from members about their priorities. We want to help institutions address difficulties early, make informed decisions and pursue their ambitions with confidence.” 

To find out more about our work, visit our Higher Education Litigation page or contact Rudi Ramdarshan r.ramdarshan@rfblegal.co.uk o Victoria Huxley V.huxley@rfblegal.co.uk for a confidential discussion.