Recommendations
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Excellent solicitor
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Creative, hardworking and imaginative
Experience
I’m a solicitor working across both the Dispute Resolution and Charity teams, with a particular focus on all things political. I advise political parties, candidates and and campaigners on election rules, internal disputes, regulatory issues and getting their message across effectively whilst complying with the legal frameworks that apply.
I work with individuals and organisations who have the often daunting task of trying to contend with regulatory intervention and try to make it less scary (and hopefully help successfully defend them!). I also assist on the other side of the coin, helping regulators to make defensible decisions.
Recent projects
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Fighting fake news
When a charity working in difficult conditions across the Middle East found itself subject to a campaign of disinformation , accusing it of links to terrorism, I worked with the Charity to source evidence to successfully rebut the allegations to the Charity Commission who had opened an investigation after mainstream papers had picked up the story.
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Establishing new political parties
The current political climate having opened up the field for many new voices to be heard, I have assisted with establishment of a variety of new political parties and political movements including drafting their constitutions, and helped them understand how to comply with election and campaigning law and data protection, in a world where there has never been more opportunity to try new things in the political space.
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Advising an International Development charity on how to launch a new campaign compliantly
I recently advised a large charity on the many different legal regimes that apply to campaigns, including lobbying, advertising and fundraising regulation, the ‘non-party campaigning’ rules under election law, charity law restrictions on political activity and defamation. I reviewed their core campaigning materials to spot potential issues and suggest amendments to lower certain risk areas to give them the confidence to go ahead.
- Advice to the designated Remain campaign during the EU Referendum, Britain Stronger in Europe
- Assisting a regulatory body with its more complex investigations
- Acting to resist an application for judicial review of a regulatory body and substantive judicial review proceedings;
- Advising various organisations on compliance ahead of the major elections of the last few years
- Acting for a major arts charity in a governance dispute and related matters;
- Acting for some of the former trustees of a charity in a high profile inquiry and court proceedings
- Advising an organisation on the application of counter-terrorism law on its humanitarian activities
- Advice regarding Charity Commission compliance investigations/visits
- Advising on Electoral Commission investigations and electoral law court applications
- Advising a statutory office holder on governing legislation and procedural requirements
Areas of expertise:
Qualifications and career
- Cardiff University, English Literature (first class) 2012
- Cardiff University, Graduate Diploma in Law (distinction) 2013
- BPP, Legal Practice Course, 2013 – 2015
- Paralegal, Mishcon de Reya 2014 – 2015
- Trainee Solicitor, Bates Wells 2015 – 2017
- Admitted as a solicitor in 2017
- LLM Public International Law, University of London (ongoing)
Pro bono, memberships, and appointments
- I am always interested in helping out with projects that will help people to understand and feel less intimidated by the law on a pro bono basis, especially election and campaigning law. I have recently worked with the Thomson Reuters Foundation to produce a free guide to the main areas of campaigning law and advised an individual who was subject to an Electoral Commission regulatory investigation on a pro-bono basis.
Insights
