With almost 30 years’ experience working with the charity sector, I have developed a deep interest and expertise in charities and charity law. I have a broad charity law and governance practice. Having started my career as a private client lawyer, I have particular experience of advising on charity trust issues, philanthropy, endowments and restricted funds, and legacy giving, as well as complex charity structures.
Over the years, I have written and edited several specialist publications on various aspects of charity law, most recently the Charities Acts Handbook which is one of the leading guides for charity practitioners. The Handbook was comprehensively updated in 2024 to reflect the changes to the law in the Charities Act 2022. I also speak regularly at internal and external events. I chair our annual Charity Law Update webinar and have presented on issues affecting charity legacy teams for the Institute of Legacy Management and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
I am inspired by the extraordinary variety of work in the sector and by the commitment of our clients. My focus is always on using the law to provide pragmatic and accessible solutions.
Outside work I am interested in the power of local community. I volunteered with my local Citizens Advice team until 2023 and continue to be involved in various projects near my home in rural North Yorkshire.
- Orchestrating the restructuring of a healthcare charity with its origins in the 16th century, which involved repurposing and releasing restricted funds so they can be used more effectively to support beneficiaries and their families.
- Assisting a professional membership charity with a review of its restricted and endowment funds, updating their purposes, releasing the endowments and merging the funds into a single education and professional development fund.
- Advising a national charity on the establishment of an endowment fund as part of its fundraising strategy, and advising on waqf funds set up in compliance with Sharia law.
- Supporting a large charity with responsibility for the stewardship of significant areas of open space land with a comprehensive review of its structure and funding.
- Advising a household name charity on the receipt of two significant grants including a grant devoted to the charity’s regional work, and a research fund dedicated to welfare issues.
- Advising an environmental charity on the interpretation of a complex gift of land in a Will, in line with the supporter’s wishes but in a way which affords the charity flexibility.
- Contributed to leading sector publications, including Charitable Status (Directory of Social Change), Charities, Trading and the Law (with Stephen Lloyd), and multiple editions of the Charities Acts Handbook.