“Its commitment to customer service and the need for timely and sometimes robust advice is highly valued.”
Legal 500“Extremely thorough and clearly experts in the field of Charity and governance”
Muslim Council of Britain“LBMW has continued to provide the excellent service my family has always enjoyed”
“In a complex and challenging case, your performance was exemplary”
“A professional team that provided commercial and user-friendly advice and got the deal done for us”
“The lawyers are experts in their field and they provide comprehensive advice. They have good communication skills and quick response times along with availability”
Legal 500"LBMW provides a wide spectrum of services without diluting the in-depth expertise of any particular area."
Legal 500
"[...] a one-stop-shop for all legal services where seamless communication and referrals between areas of expertise and partners allow for all aspects of one’s needs to be met."
Legal 500
"LBMW excels at maintaining relationships by instilling confidence through the quality of its work and advice which is thorough, timely, well reasoned and comprehensive."
Legal 500
Ian Blaney
Partner
Ian acts for a wide range of charitable organisations, with a particular focus on ecclesiastical and education law.
His practice extends to:-
- the establishment and regulation of charities;
- academies (including academy conversions) and maintained schools, the Education Acts, the law of reverter;
- charity property, acquisition, development and disposal, and trusts of land;
- burial law, churchyards and cemeteries and the post-death treatment of human remains; and
- all matters relating to the Church of England.
Experience
Ian has been a solicitor since 2013 but has worked in the field of ecclesiastical law since 2005. Cases in recent years include:
- amalgamating a village hall and church school charity and facilitating the building of a joint-use school and village hall building on a new site;
- pursuing an amendment to the Higher Education and Research Act to safeguard the right of the Archbishop of Canterbury to award degrees; and
- making a successful application to release the remains of the late Captain Flinders (who circumnavigated and first named Australia), dug up at Euston Station, to his family for burial.
Career to date
- Is the author of respected publications on the law of marriage, ecclesiastical law and the law of burial and cremation and has a detailed knowledge of the law of school sites and trusts.
- Is the Registrar to the Bishop of Lincoln and the Bishop of Derby and a notary public for ecclesiastical purposes.
- Is Deputy Registrar of the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
- Is Deputy Registrar of the Diocese of Guildford.
- Out of work is a Governor of St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hornsey, a member of the Hornsey St Mary and St George Parochial Church Council and a trustee of the Friends of the Church in China.
- Was an ecclesiastical clerk in LBMW and the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury from 2005 until 2011.
- He holds an LL.B in law, a further LL.M in Canon Law and an M.A in History (Cantab).
'Ian Blaney has consistently provided high quality advice in multi-layered matters where acumen coupled with experience are required to solve problems. His knowledge of education and charity legislation has helped to protect the long-term assets that we manage. Ian has a good grasp of the wider educational landscape and provides clear and concise advice. He has a patient and professional manner.'
Legal 500