Education Law Solicitors

We are pleased to announce the recent promotion of Angela Sandhal to Director of the Leeds-based Litigation and Education Law department.

Angela now leads our Litigation and Education Law team in Leeds and specialises in judicial review, administrative law, education law, equality law, court of protection/mental capacity and civil litigation.

Her litigation practice covers acting for clients across a broad range of disputes involving breach of contract and negligence involving individuals, businesses and educational and other institutions.

She has extensive experience in conducting cases in the Administrative Court, Tribunals and County Court and has been involved in a number of high profile public interests cases for individuals, institutions and groups. She largely represents claimants and interested parties in claims and appeals arising from public body decision making including: Ofsted inspection outcomes, appeals to the care standards tribunal, disclosure and barring appeals in the Upper Tribunal and claims that raise equality act issues.

Her education law practice includes acting for schools, academy trusts and nurseries, specialising mainly in disputes with Ofsted, funding providers and disputes with other parties including students and parents. She has a particular interest in appeals to the Care Standards Tribunal and regularly act for schools, nurseries and registered care homes. She also acts for university students in complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator and claims for breach of contract, negligence and discrimination arising from university education and services.

Angela maintains a strong mental capacity practice – acting for clients in all aspects of litigation in both the welfare and property and affairs jurisdiction of the court of protection and has successfully challenged capacity assessments and deprivation of liberty orders. She has a particular interest in acting for family members in applications where there has been the removal of a family member to a specialist facility or care home at the objection of P’s family. She also regularly acts for the Official Solicitor on behalf of P in a range of applications. Her property and affairs work involves acting for individuals and family members in disputes about capacity, validity of Lasting Power of Attorneys and related revocation applications arising from suitability disputes and financial abuse. She has been involved in a number of high value cases where funds have been managed by deputies of all kinds including family members, solicitors and local authority officers.

Admitted as a solicitor in 2010, she has extensive experience of complex cases, including highlights, such as Northamptonshire County Council and Abor v The Lord Chancellor [2018] EWHC 1628 (Fam), a case concerning the examination of the statutory power to exercise the legal aid statutory charge in claims for damages under the Human Rights Act 1998 arising from section 20 of the Children Act 1989.


Upon her appointment Angela comments:

“I am delighted to be taking up the position of Director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors. The firm continues to be recognised in the industry awards as a leading law firm in a number of areas and I am looking forward to building on that success in our Leeds office where I will be leading our litigation and education law team”.