Experience
I work with charities, not-for-profit organisations and businesses with a social purpose on various legal and commercial matters including international governance structures, incorporations, mergers, registrations, spin-outs, contracts, grants, constitutional matters and general charity law.
I’m particularly interested in international development and working with international organisations. I worked in-house for an international NGO for more than two years before joining Bates Wells. So I have valuable experience in this area, especially in relation to risk management and legal compliance. I’m a member of Bates Wells’ International NGO team and I regularly advise our NGO clients on their overseas operations and other activities.
Having started my legal training in Scotland, I’m now dual qualified to practice in both Scotland and in England and Wales. I was also a member of the Charity Law Association working party responding to the Scottish Government Consultation on Scottish Charity Law in March 2019.
I’m currently a trustee of The Hands Up Foundation, a charity that raises funds and awareness to support people affected by the conflict in Syria.
Recent projects
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Supporting education for children in India
I advised a UK charity on providing funding and support for projects run by local organisations in India to promote education for children.
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Advising on international grant-making
I provided detailed advice to a large corporate foundation on its international grant making procedures. This included preparing a detailed report on the charity law requirements and drafting key papers such as policies, due diligence documents, compliance checklists, risk assessments and project reports.
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Advising on the relocation of a large humanitarian charity
I worked with a team of lawyers at Bates Wells to advise on the relocation of the charity’s international headquarters outside of the UK and the transfer of its activities to its new offices overseas.
- Advising a children’s health charity on incorporation and governance issues
- Advising on the registration of a human rights charity that aims to prevent human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK
- Advising on various mergers between charities and other not-for-profit organisations
- Advising on partnership and collaboration agreements between charities and other organisations based in the UK and overseas
- Providing advice and preparing policies on matters such as conflicts of interest, grant-making and anti-bribery, corruption and fraud
- Working with Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) on advising its large network of village hall charities on incorporation and other charity law issues
Area of expertise:
Services
Qualifications and career
- The University of Edinburgh, LLB Bachelor of Laws (with Honours Law), 2005-2009
- The Rijksuniversiteit University of Groningen, European and International Law (Erasmus programme), 2007-2008
- The Robert Gordon University, Diploma in Legal Practice, 2009-2010
- Trainee solicitor at DLA Piper, 2011-2013
- Admitted as a solicitor in Scotland at DLA Piper, 2013
- Secondment to Plan International, 2013-2014
- Risk and Legal Compliance Advisor, Plan International, 2014-2015
- Joined Bates Wells in 2015
- Admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales through the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme at Bates Wells, 2017
Pro bono, memberships, and appointments
- Trustee of the Hands Up Foundation
- Member of the Charity Law Association working party responding to the Scottish Government Consultation on Scottish Charity Law
- Experience of voluntary work in the UK, the Netherlands and India
- Pro bono projects and advice to various charities
Insights
