Stone King advises on landmark donation to establish Rokos School of Government at University of Cambridge

Law firm Stone King has advised philanthropist and investor Chris Rokos on his historic donation of £190 million to establish the Rokos School of Government at the University of Cambridge.

The funding (including a matched element) will support the development and long-term endowment of the Rokos School of Government, which has a global purpose to equip future leaders with the skills required to address the world’s most complex challenges. The commitment to donate £190 million represents the largest single philanthropic donation made to a British university and will also fund the design and construction of an iconic building to house the School.

Stone King provided legal advice on the philanthropic structure, including use of a dual qualified US/UK charity, as well as the framework underpinning the new School. The Stone King legal team advising Chris Rokos included Charity Partners, Rosamund McCarthy Etherington and Tim Rutherford; Head of Real Estate, Caroline Taylor; Head of IP, Gavin Llewellyn; Sophie Pughe, Charity Senior Associate, as well as Ruby Lake, Solicitor.

Commenting on the donation Rosamund McCarthy Etherington, Stone King Partner, said: “Stone King has a long history of advising on complex gifts with a global reach. We are delighted to have advised the donor on this visionary gift, which will have a once-in-a-generation impact on leadership and global policy thinking.”

CEO of Stone King, Vicky Brackett, commented: “Advising on a donation of this scale and significance reflects the depth of Stone King’s technical expertise in philanthropy, charity and education, as well as the team’s ability to work collaboratively with donors, partners and recipient institutions. This is an exceptional gift and we are proud to have advised the donor.”

The creation of the Rokos School of Government comes at a time when philanthropic giving to UK universities has faced broader pressures, underscoring the exceptional scale and ambition of the gift.

Independently recognised as a leading firm for education and charity law in the UK, Stone King operates nationally with offices in London, Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, and Manchester. The firm is consistently top-ranked by independent legal guides Chambers and the Legal 500, and has been named a Best Law Firm for 2026 by The Times.