I am a charity law specialist with a varied practice. I enjoy helping our clients to achieve their plans, find solutions to difficult problems and put structures in place to support legal compliance and good governance. My clients are charities, social enterprises and individuals and commercial organisations who are engaged in philanthropy.
- Charity Commission investigations I regularly advise charities and individual trustees in relation to Charity Commission inquiries and regulatory compliance cases. This has included acting for the majority of the former trustees of Kids Company in relation to a Charity Commission inquiry and director disqualification proceedings brought by the Official Receiver following the charity’s closure, which our clients won.
- Restricted and endowment funds I work with many charities and donors in relation to major gifts and the establishment of restricted and endowment funds. I advised City Bridge Trust on the establishment and funding of the London Community Response Fund which provided essential support for charities and other organisations during the Covid-19 pandemic. I also regularly advise clients on making changes to, and merging, restricted and endowment funds so that they can be used more effectively.
- Royal Charter bodies I worked with the Institute of Fundraising on establishing a new charitable Royal Charter body and restructuring their activities within the new charity, Chartered Institute of Fundraising. I also regularly advise Royal Charter bodies on amendments to their charters and byelaws.
- Philanthropy I am recognised in the legal directories for my advice to commercial organisations and individual philanthropists on setting up new charitable foundations in the UK and assisting with all aspects of their philanthropy including governance, regulatory compliance and communications with the media. This has recently included advising a grant making charity on restructuring its governance, changing its name and managing a Charity Commission investigation after human trafficking allegations were made against its founder.
- Mergers, incorporations and restrucutres I enjoy advising on restructures of all kinds and finding ways for charities to operate as effectively as possible.
- Armed forces charities I lead our work for armed forces charities and give a range of advice to our armed forces charity clients including on governance, constitutional changes, collaborations and restructures. I recently advised an armed forces charity providing employment support to veterans on a merger with another armed forces charity.