B Corp

Are you on the journey towards empowering your organisation to do business in a way that is values-driven, as well as profitable? As the first law firm in the UK to certify as a B Corp, we bring first-hand insight and experience to our legal advice.

We can go beyond the legal essentials to fully support you throughout your B Corp journey. We advise on practical steps to strengthen your initial application, including a review of governance processes and employment structures and practices. We can help with the creation of bespoke and innovative legal, constitutional and governance structures. We figure out how to articulate the social identity and purpose of your business into its constitution, and solve sustainability issues affecting the premises you own or occupy.

We’ve been instrumental in the establishment of B Corporations in the UK and invite you to tap into our experience and expertise. Whether you’re considering B Corp certification and looking for guidance on the process, or are an established B Corp seeking new ways to embed your principles and values further in your business, we can help.

B Corps are for-profit organisations redefining success in business by embedding a commitment to positive social and environmental impact at the heart of their governance. Companies limited by shares, companies limited by guarantee, LLPs, community interest companies and a range of other structures are all eligible for certification.

How we help

We have B Corp-expert lawyers in every department who both share your values and have knowledge of the B Corp standards. Settling a discrimination claim, dealing with a waste disposal hazard or agreeing a new supplier contract or process all have – positive or negative – B Corp implications.

Our team is uniquely placed to advise on the certification process. We advised on the establishment of B Corporations in the UK and were instrumental in the development of the UK legal test for certification. Luke Fletcher and Louise Harman both currently sit on B Lab UK’s policy council, shaping policy and considering regulatory issues for B Corps.

Explore

Protected: Purpose & Impact: your round-up | June

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Events and roundtables for purpose-driven and impact-focussed businesses

Interested in networking and sharing ideas with senior leaders and legal teams within B Corps, social enterprises, impact investors, social banks, and other kinds of purpose-driven businesses? We regularly host events and roundtables to discuss the ‘impact angles’ on key legal and practical issues, and share best practice across a range of topics, including: If …
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Bates Wells Impact Report 2025

We are united as a firm in our values and in our purpose. We want to use the law as a force for good, helping charities and purposeful businesses to be better and bolder in their choices. We also want to be the best type of business that we can be, and to bring others …
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UK B Corps & the EU’s directive on empowering consumers for the green transition: using the B Corp logo in EU markets

The Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition (“ECGT”) creates new provisions within EU consumer protection law that, among other points, prohibit businesses from making unsubstantiated generic claims about their environmental performance and requires them to provide certain information to consumers, to enable consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions. The ECGT also prohibits …
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Creating a ‘Speak Up’ culture in purpose-driven businesses: The benefits of an effective whistleblowing framework

Bates Wells convenes the Impact Counsels’ Forum, a space for senior counsel working within impact investors, B Corps, and other purpose-driven businesses. The forum discusses the ‘impact angles’ on legal and practical issues faced by in-house legal teams. Recently, the forum explored the benefits of an effective whistleblowing framework and how that can support an …
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Meet our team

We produce a range of handy guides and top tips for B Corps

View our guides