Tony McPhillips

With a passion for education Tony has a reputation as one of the North’s leading education lawyers, providing legal support to FE and HE institutions, independent and maintained schools, and multi-academy trusts. 

He leads an education team that has been consistently ranked Tier 1 by Legal 500 UK and has supported some of the  UKs leading education providers such as Newcastle University, Northumbria University, NCG, Tyne Coast College, Bishop Bewick and Bishop Chadwick multi-academy trusts, Three Rivers Trust as well as independent schools such as Sedbergh School and Dame Allan’s Schools

With a wealth of project management experience he has lead on several major reorganisations, restructuring and redundancy processes across the education, public and private sectors, including FE College  and school mergers.

Described as ‘outstanding, resourceful and pragmatic’,Tony.has advised many high-profile sports clients and international stars. These include Premiership Football Clubs, England Athletics, the Rugby Players Association (RPA),Caribbean Premier League Cricket (CPL) as well as international footballers, rugby players and cricketers.

Client relationship partner for The Football Association since 2011, he is responsible for developing the extensive services that Muckle continued to provide to 50 County FAs and to over 7,500 grassroots clubs and 250 leagues. 

Tony is noted  for his “expertise in complex litigation work”, advising on judicial reviews, injunctions, whistleblowing and discrimination claims. He is regarded as a formidable employment litigator with experience in employment tribunal and VAT as well as the High Court and Court of Appeal.