News

March means B Corp month

This year we’ll be showing you what it means to go beyond business as usual. As a Certified B Corp, we use our business as a force for good, putting people and the planet first. So get ready to find out why – and how – we go beyond the legal essentials. At Bates Wells …
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Bates Wells’ LGBT+ history month roundup

At Bates Wells we see it as vital to promote the work of our LGBT+ people as well as acting as an institutional ally. This LGBT+ history month, we focussed on: Claiming the past – we secured charitable status for London Gay Switchboard in 1974, and we’ve been addressing challenges in the LGBT+ community since. …
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Joe Whitfield joins Bates Wells as new Head of Development Finance

At Bates Wells, for over two decades, we’ve been helping clients in the UK to make (and raise) investments which provide both a financial return and positive impact for the greater good. But in today’s world, many of the systemic social and environmental problems we’re facing are global in scope – and in their negative …
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Bates Wells Impact Report 2022

It’s been another busy year at Bates Wells and we continue to live through interesting times. Martin Bunch, our Managing Partner, is increasingly convinced of the need for business to be radical, to step up and address the biggest challenges that we face. Our people work on this on a daily basis. This impact report …
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‘Power imbalance’ in sector funding model, say new charities at Spotlight, the Annual Bates Wells Charity Conference 2022

Jason Arthur, CEO of Mission 44 and Shameem Ahmed, Director of Advocacy at the Black Equity Organisation joined Samara Lawrence on our Power, participation and privilege panel. The two newly registered charities identified an imbalance of power in the way charities are funded, saying that some grantmakers are starting to introduce more equality into their …
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Bates Wells sign the Mindful Business Charter

On 13 October 2022 we officially signed the Mindful Business Charter. In doing so, we’ve committed to the challenge of creating healthier and more effective ways of working across the firm. The Charter focuses on how firms can create a culture where employees interact with each other in a thoughtful and mindful way, to help …
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Creating impact: Bates Wells recognised by The Times Best Law Firms 2023

We’ve been commended by The Times Best Law Firms 2023 for our work for charities, employment and immigration. Key highlights included the ground-breaking Butler Sloss judgment and Erica Crump and Molly Carew-Jones’ work on the repatriation of the Horniman’s Benin Bronzes. The article also flagged our immigration team’s lobbying efforts in the wake of the crises …
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We join the nation as it mourns the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

We join the nation as it mourns the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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Law Firms and The B Corp Movement

B Corps are a group of businesses that are actively working to make business a force for good. They seek to address society’s greatest challenges and to build a more inclusive economy. To qualify for B Corp Status, companies must consider the effect of their decisions on all of their stakeholders: shareholders, staff, the wider …
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Charity investment: what do the latest legal developments mean for trustees?

The Butler-Sloss case clarifies current law surrounding ethical charity investment. More emphasis is now being placed on charity trustees to balance financial and non-financial considerations. The recent High Court Judgement recognises that potential conflicts with charitable objects could exist across the investment universe, however it is for trustees to use their own discretion to decide …
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Purpose and law firms – a contradiction in terms or the future of the profession?

For Bates Wells, being a B Corp means that we always strive to do the right thing and help our clients to make a positive impact on society. We encourage our people to develop, innovate and participate in activities that promote an equal, diverse and inclusive environment. Angela Monaghan, our Purpose and Impact Manager, explains …
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Bates Wells honoured as a Best for the World™ B Corp of 2022!

Bates Wells has been named a 2022 Best for the World™ B Corp, in recognition of its exceptional positive impact in the category of governance. The Best for the World award is a distinction granted by the B Lab to certified B Corps whose verified B Impact Scores in the five impact areas evaluated in …
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