Graham Burns
Partner, Head of Education Team

Graham started his legal career in local government supporting schools and working on major education schemes. Since entering private practice Graham has spent the last 25 years 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 (with particular expertise in the education and local authority sectors) and major commercial transactions. Graham also offers substantial knowledge of major and complex PFI and public private partnership deals and has specialised in Schools PFI since working on the very first pathfinder schemes in 1997. He is currently acting for a large number of PFI schools as they convert to academies, or transfer to different academy trusts.

Graham has 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 supporting growing MATs with their regulatory compliance. 


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What our clients say

"Graham Burns is steeped in complex public procurements and transactions involving schools and local authorities."

Chambers - 2016