Barney leads our independent schools sector group.
He has more than 25 years' experience at VWV giving strategic advice to independent schools in relation to governance, mergers and acquisitions.
He understands the governance perspective and can guide you to achieve your strategic objectives.
In addition to his knowledge as a lawyer, he has board level experience having been a governor schools in both the independent and state funded sectors; a charity trustee; and a director of a commercial business.
He can guide you through the traps and pitfalls and give you the confidence needed to deal with challenging situations and to take good strategic decisions in the best interests of your schools.
Barney enjoys sharing his experience, thoughts and knowledge - both by speaking at national education conferences; and advising schools and investors on their governance and strategies to help them thrive and adapt to a changing market.
Barney is a recognised sector expert advising independent schools, particularly in relation to mergers and acquisitions.
What others say
Barney is recommended by legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, for his expertise and commercial approach by clients who say that he "offers calm, practical advice at times when everyone is under immense pressure" and is "technically very capable and an excellent presence in meetings".
‘Barney Northover is a highly knowledgeable and experienced legal professional who understands the issues facing schools and how effective management and governance impacts on outcomes. He treats each school on an individual basis, seeking to identify solutions that are relevant for their particular solution rather than enforce a previously used methodology. He is rare in the legal profession in that he is willing to spend much of his time listening! Barney is often in a position where he is presenting solutions to issues that schools have yet to identify.’ - Legal 500
What you might like to know
Barney is a board member and charity trustee of The Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS) and a Commissioner the CIVITAS commission for the future of independent schools.
He is a regular speaker at national education conferences, including for HMC, the ISBA, the GSA and AGBIS.
Barney has contributed to books including The Independent Schools Governor's Handbook (2012), Leading Schools in the 21st Century: Governance and Governors (2012), Charity Governance (2014), AGBIS Guidelines for Governors (2014) and School Transactions: Mergers, Acquisitions and Disposals (2020) - a copy of which is freely available here.
Outside of work, Barney and his sons are committed Bristol City Supporters.
Other teams Barney works with
With his focus on strategic and transactional work for schools, Barney sits in our corporate team which includes other partners who are specialist in education sector transactions.
Mergers and acquisitions require a multi-disciplinary approach, working with all our specialist education sector teams including Charity; Commercial; Regulatory Compliance; Employment; Tax; and Real Estate.
Barney also works closely with our affiliated strategy and management consultancy, Cairneagle to deliver strategic solutions that go beyond simply legal advice for our education sector clients in the UK and globally.
