Resources

Expertise, events, news and updates –
what interests you?

Webinar | Resolving trade mark disputes for charities | 7 July 2026

A charity’s name and brand – its identity – can be one of its most valuable assets. Someone else adopting a name or brand that’s too close to yours, or even deliberately imitating you online, can have serious consequences. Also, an allegation that you have infringed a third party’s rights can be extremely damaging. Resolving …
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Event | Joining Forces roundtable: Crisis – Preparation and management | 14 July 2026

Crises are inevitable in the life cycle of a charity. Some may be avoidable while others come from unexpected quarters and affect the most well-run organisations, as we saw with the global pandemic. Like any other charities, Armed Forces charities are vulnerable to a range of issues which can prompt a crisis, such as fraud …
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Webinar | Getting ready for the IFR licensing regime | 15 July 2026

The IFR has published its final licensing documentation and the application process for club licences is due to open in November. Football clubs need to use this period to build solid foundations before the application window opens.   Bates Wells advised Fair Game, the fan-led coalition that campaigned persistently and effectively for meaningful reform of …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 30 June

Our weekly roundup of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission At the Third Sector Conference 2026, Charity Commission Chair Dame Julia Unwin gave a speech about “The Commission’s role in uncertain times”. She discussed …
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Real Estate – Summer reflections and looking ahead

In May, over 16,000 real estate professionals attended this year’s UKREiiF conference. A driving conversation was what is on the horizon for the industry. Key themes included: Looking ahead, regulatory changes affecting the industry include: Attending conferences such as UKREiiF allows us to get a good handle on the issues affecting the industry and the …
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Data protection complaints: new obligations and what you need to know

One of the more significant changes made by the Data (Use and Access) Act (the “Act”), is the introduction of a specific right for individuals to make data protection complaints directly to an organisation. Although individuals have always been able to do this (and encouraged to do so by the ICO), there are a couple …
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People and Workplace round-up

Welcome to our round-up of 5 minute People and Workplace updates hand-picked to help HR teams. Catch up on: Unfair dismissal: clarification on contributory conduct relations The Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) has clarified how tribunals should approach reductions to compensation for contributory conduct in unfair dismissal cases and how requests for reinstatement should be dealt …
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Drawing the lines: mutuality, control, and the tax test for employment status

On 1 May 2026, the First Tier (Tax) Tribunal (“FTT”) found that, despite HMRC’s assertions to the contrary, certain referees engaged by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (“PGMOL”) were self-employed, rather than employed, for tax purposes (see the case here). This decision is the latest (though possibly not the last) installment in a long running …
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House of Lords report on Settlement, Citizenship and Integration: key findings and policy implications

The House of Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs Committee (the ‘Committee’) released its report on Settlement, Citizenship and Integration on 23rd June. This critical report suggests that immigration policy has been too reactive and has been developed in the absence of adequate data, impact assessment, operational capacity or cross-governmental cooperation. Ultimately it opposes key proposals …
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Managing charity financial distress: key takeaways from our roundtable

Following on from our March webinar on Managing Financial Difficulties, Bates Wells and FRP Advisory hosted a Financial Management Roundtable on the 10th June which explored the challenges facing charities in the current funding environment. There was a particular focus on trustee duties in distress, early warning signs of financial difficulty, and practical approaches to …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 23 June

Our weekly round-up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Investigations and complaints The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into St Andrew’s Healthcare.  This comes after a regulatory compliance case into concerns about safeguarding …
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Purpose & Impact: your round-up | June

Welcome to your round-up – a monthly selection of news hand-picked to help keep you up to date, for businesses, investors and others working to create positive impact. Jump to: Corporate Purpose B Corps Climate & Biodiversity Impact Investing Social Enterprise ESG Corporate purpose This summer, Bates Wells will be hosting our annual Be More …
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