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Position

Partner

Deliver

Higher education

Our Higher education team has a deep understanding of the complex, unique and high-risk issues facing clients within the sector. Empower your institution for success by drawing on the unique and unparalleled expertise of MinterEllison's new education consulting service, resulting from our partnership with Wells Advisory.

Empowering your success in a rapidly evolving sector

We provide cutting-edge insights – derived from an unrivalled track record working with universities, institutes, their partners, government and investors – and tailored advice to solve your most complex challenges. Discover how a combined legal, regulatory, risk, quality, technology and strategy advisory team can deliver you a truly seamless solution. We understand the unique mission, culture, processes, and regulation of the higher education sector, positioning us as the leading trusted advisor.

We support universities to achieve their statutory education functions and research functions, from advising on new campuses and precincts, commercialising their intellectual property, leveraging university resources to implementing policies and procedures. We also represent higher education institutions in claims brought by staff, students and unions in relation to grievance and misconduct matters, to courts, tribunals and government agencies as well as all aspects of industrial, safety and employment related matters.

As a dedicated team with former sector leaders and regulators, we immerse ourselves in your unique situation and guide you towards expert solutions. Our clients appreciate our up-to-date knowledge of the market, our attentive approach, focus on meeting challenging timeframes, and ability to solve complex issues.

 

Explore the guide to 2025/26 higher education regulation

Explore more

Legal advice at the forefront of change in education

Clients seek our depth and breadth of experience to identify opportunities, navigate challenges and provide solutions for them. We have been at the forefront of sector change, advising clients through the regulatory transition from States to the Commonwealth with a lens on their sustainability. Governing bodies and senior executive teams engage us on:

  • renewal of registration under the TEQSA Act and ESOS Act, and associated services
  • strategic planning for growth, sustainability, and turnaround
  • workforce and workplace performance management, change and leadership
  • corporate and academic governance review and improvement
  • education precincts and infrastructure project development
  • research performance, commercialisation investment and implementation
  • the rapid growth of and disruption to Australia's share of the international student market
  • supporting strong indigenous education outcomes
  • the emergence of the third-party delivery model to onshore and offshore students and transnational education opportunities
  • addressing historical and emerging incidents of gender-based violence, including sexual assault and harassment on campuses
  • underpayment remediations
  • officer health and safety due diligence obligations
  • risks to academic freedom and freedom of speech
  • foreign interference risk
  • maintaining information security with an emphasis on cybersecurity
  • crisis management, and the regulatory and litigious engagements that follow
  • the emergence of threats to academic and research integrity; and
  • corporate transactions in the higher education sector.
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Our thinking and experience

Subscribe to Higher education industry updates

Our Higher education team regularly publishes new content. Please subscribe to the Higher education mailing list if you would like to receive these updates or  join our webinar series.

You can also request full recordings of past webinars.

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Knowledge and expertise

We work with stakeholders across the education lifecycle – from childcare and early learning providers, government and independent schools, vocational education and training providers, to higher education providers.

  • Education
  • Childcare and early learning
  • Schools
  • Vocational education and training
Education

EDUCATION

We work with stakeholders across the education lifecycle – from childcare and early learning providers, government and independent schools, vocational education and training providers, to higher education providers.

Childcare and early learning

CHILDCARE AND EARLY LEARNING

Our Childcare and early learning team deliver specialist legal services to domestic and international clients based on a deep understanding of the sector's compliance, funding and regulatory issues. These issues impact buyers, regulators and operators of centre-based day care, including long day care, occasional care, preschools and kindergartens.

We are leaders in best practice with expertise in acquisitions, consolidations and restructures, defending class action claims, and other corporate transactions. Our team have a genuine passion for the sector. They are committed to providing clients with tailored solutions to help them navigate the unique challenges and opportunities arising from ongoing changes and unprecedented disruptions within the sector.

Schools

SCHOOLS

Our Schools team provide legal services to government and independent schools. This experience has provided us with sector-leading insights into best practice and emerging issues and a deep understanding of the policy, operational and regulatory environment within which our clients operate. We can help clients to navigate the unique challenges and issues impacting government and independent schools across Australia.

We advise on matters including child protection investigations, discrimination of students and staff, enrolment and parent disputes, and safety and wellbeing. Our team has experience in the full range of employment and governance matters, including the particular duty of care and OHS issues commonly arising within a school environment.

Vocational education and training

Our Vocational education and training team assists registered training organisations, including TAFEs, with all aspects of the regulatory framework. They advise and represent concerning audits, compliance and other regulatory and legal action by the Australian Skills Quality Authority, the Commonwealth Department of Education, State departments of education and training and other regulatory bodies.

We have experience assisting our clients in avoiding tuition assurance breaches, dealing with multiple concurrent regulatory interventions and proceedings, entering the sector and facilitating wind-downs and exits from the sector. Our team can help clients develop strategies to maximise returns on legacy VET FEE-HELP assets while limiting reputational impacts on other parts of the business.

Get in touch with Kylie Diwell

Contact us

Kylie Diwell

Partner, Education Industry Leader, Melbourne

Michael Wells

Partner and Education Practice Lead, MinterEllison Consulting, Melbourne

Harriet Eager

Partner, Sydney

Tom Fletcher

Partner, Brisbane

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