Our Areas of Practice

Governance, Risk & Compliance

We advise schools on governance frameworks and regulatory obligations, including:

• Section 83C compliance

• non-government school registration

• governance and board advisory

• risk management and compliance systems

• policy development and review

Employment Law & Human Resources

We provide practical advice on workforce management and employment issues, including:

• employment contracts

• disciplinary processes

• termination and redundancy

• workplace investigations

• staff complaints and disputes

• visa and immigration matters

Work Health & Safety

We assist schools to manage WHS obligations and risk exposure, including:

• WHS compliance advice

• risk management systems

• incident response

• governance and reporting

• ISO 45001-aligned WHS audits

Child Safeguarding & Protection

We advise on child protection and safeguarding obligations, including:

• child protection frameworks

• complaints and reporting obligations

• policy development

• incident management

Student, Family & Children’s Law

We assist with legal issues involving students and families, including:

• family law matters impacting schools

• enrolment and student disputes

• complaints and disciplinary matters

Privacy & Data Protection

We advise on compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 and data governance, including:

• privacy policies and compliance

• handling of student and staff information

• data breaches and response

• integration with school systems

Commercial & Operational Matters

We provide legal support across school operations, including:

• commercial contracts

• property transactions and leasing

• debt recovery and school fees

• copyright and intellectual property

• sports law matters

How We Work With Schools

We work with:

• school boards and responsible persons

• principals and executive teams

• business managers

• internal and external HR and compliance providers

Our role is to support decision-making and ensure legal compliance across the full operation of the school.

Ben Wilding — Principal Solicitor - Exeprience in Schools

Ben spent twelve years teaching in Catholic secondary schools before he practised law.

He then moved in-house legal role, first at a large independent girls' school and later at Catholic Schools NSW, where his work spanned the full school management portfolio — Catholic Block Grant Authority funding and capital works, employment relations, finance and resources, school registration, teacher accreditation, governance training, emergency management, work health and safety, and legal and risk. It is an unusually broad grounding: most education lawyers see one of those areas at a time, and only after something has gone wrong.

Ben acts for boards, principals and business managers on employment and industrial matters, governance and board decision-making, construction and capital works including CBGA projects, child safe standards and reportable conduct, NESA registration and school registration, work health and safety, enrolment and fee disputes, and section 83C compliance under the Education Act 1990 (NSW). He is also regularly appointed to conduct external complaints and investigation processes, where a school needs a matter handled independently of its own staff.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Applied Science.