News

Bates Wells agrees strategic partnership with Social Enterprise UK for another three years

Bates Wells has agreed a three-year partnership with Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), which will build on previous strategic partnerships going back to 2014. SEUK is the national membership body for social enterprise. Its members range from start-ups and micro-enterprises to large and well-established social enterprises, as well as public and private sector organisations supportive of social …
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Our climate commitments: annual report 2021

While sustainability has always been at the heart of Bates Wells, in 2019, we formally recognised the Climate Emergency and Biodiversity Crisis. We promised to achieve net carbon zero in 2019 and work to reduce our scope 3 emissions. We pledged to take the crisis into account when developing our new strategy. We set a …
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Bates Wells celebrates LGBT+ history month | Listen to our Spotify playlist!

Throughout LGBT+ history month we shared recommendations from people across our firm to celebrate queer history.  We received heaps of amazing suggestions of books, songs and events that demonstrate the cultural richness of each part of LGBT+ spectrum, so whatever your interests are, there will be something for you! Our playlist collates all of the great song suggestions we received, …
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Complying with the Code of Fundraising Practice – Top tips from the Fundraising Regulator, Chartered Institute of Fundraising and Bates Wells

Last week we hosted a webinar with the Fundraising Regulator and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) on how charities can best achieve compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice and engage with the Fundraising Regulator as part of its investigation process in the event that complaints are made. Many charities looked to new and …
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Charity Commission inquiry into Kids Company concludes with no regulatory action against the former trustees and CEO

Bates Wells successfully represented several of the former trustees in last year’s High Court case. We’re pleased that after completing its inquiry into Kids Company, the Charity Commission has concluded that the legal test has not been met for it to take regulatory action against the former trustees or CEO of Kids Company. The Commission …
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Bates Wells welcomes Eleonor Duhs as new head of Data Privacy

Bates Wells is excited to welcome the arrival of data protection expert Eleonor Duhs, who is joining the firm as partner and head of Data Privacy Eleonor joins Bates Wells from Fieldfisher, where, as a director and barrister, she advised on the full spectrum of data protection compliance.  Eleonor’s clients include public bodies and regulators, …
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Bates Wells attends the Federation of Awarding Bodies #fab2021 conference

One of the many highlights was hearing about all the incredible work done by Awarding Organisations, many of whom are our clients, during the incredible challenges they faced navigating the pandemic. A wonderful celebration of an incredible sector. Emma Dowden-Teale, Mindy Jhittay and Rachel Mathieson from Bates Wells delivered topical seminars on Employment status and IR35 …
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Bates Wells represents Kids Company trustees in High Court win

The High Court has ruled against the Official Receiver in his bid to disqualify the former trustees and CEO of Kids Company from acting as directors. In a 225 page judgment Mrs Justice Falk found that the public needed no protection from the ‘highly impressive and dedicated’ trustees and that she was ‘wholly satisfied’ that …
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Boardroom 2030 hackathon: looking through a climate lens

We held our first firm wide climate-focused hackathon as part of B Lab’s Boardroom 2030 campaign. We chose to look at Boardroom 2030 through a climate-lens and held a preliminary panel discussion a fortnight before. At the panel event, chaired by B Lab’s Charmian Love, we asked an activist, an environmental think tank policy director …
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Bates Wells honoured as a ‘Best for the World” B Corp, 2021

Bates Wells has been announced as a 2021 “Best for the World” B Corp, in the category of governance. The award means we’re ranked in the top 5% of all B Corps worldwide in terms of our governance and is recognition of the positive impact we make on our people, society and environment. To become …
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Bates Wells immigration lawyer contributes to Third Sector Updates

Chetal Patel, partner in our Immigration Team, has taken part in the latest edition of Third Sector’s Updates series. Speaking to Emily Burt, deputy editor of Third Sector, Chetal spoke on the subject of whether or not charities are ready to deal with the potential impact of Brexit on their immigration arrangements. In a brief …
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Purpose & Values: Bates Wells Managing Partner features in Updates discussion

Martin Bunch, Managing Partner at Bates Wells, has participated in a discussion hosted by “Disrupting Purpose”, a leading Updates for CSR professionals interested in the concept of social purpose. Alongside Becci Gould, Senior Account Director at Kin & Co, Martin spoke about how BWB has embraced its Purpose & Values over recent months and, in …
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