Experience

I advise corporates, charities, social entrepreneurs, B Corps, philanthropists and investors seeking to make a positive difference. My practice involves structuring, governance, commercial and regulatory matters for clients who want to go beyond ordinary ‘ESG’ and solve problems for people and planet.

Highlights
  • I have acted on the formation and ongoing work of a range of influential charities, not for profits and social enterprises I have acted on the instructions of Government departments and founders on the formation and work of prominent civil society institutions, such as B Lab UK, The Oversight Trust, Big Society Capital, Social Finance, Access, Fair4All Finance, the Youth Endowment Fund and the Council of the Inns of Court, which co-ordinates the work of the four Inns.
  • I have advised LifeArc during its transformation in recent years to become one of the UK’s largest and most active foundations. This has included advising LifeArc on the charity aspects of its £1bn+ monetisation of its royalty interest in the blockbuster drug Keytruda, advising on governance matters, and advising on investment, grant-making and other activities in the life sciences translation space.
  • I acted for the successful claimants in the leading charity investment case of Butler-Sloss v Charity Commission I advised the trustees of the Ashden Trust and the Mark Leonard Trust in bringing this high-profile High Court case, which involved the blessing of the trustees’ momentous decision to adopt investment policies which seek to align closely with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The landmark judgment sets out the legal principles applying to investment for the benefit of charities generally and is central to the Charity Commission’s CC14 guidance.
  • I co-designed the UK B Corp legal requirements and advise on embedding purpose and mission in corporate structures These legal requirements now define the purpose of over 1,300 businesses with over £20bn in revenue and 60,000 employees. I have also advised all kinds of businesses on the adoption of B Corp legal requirements, including the Body Shop, Jamie Oliver Group, Good Energy and Kin + Carta, the first B Corp listed on the London Stock Exchange.
  • I have advised several clients on group structures, where charities or not for profits have a close relationship with a corporate This has involved advising some of the world’s most sophisticated corporates and financial institutions on corporate foundations and clients - such as The Oversight Group, Dalberg, MedAccess, Futerra and OpenCorporates - on the subtle relationships between corporates and charities in group structures, including where the charity or not for profit plays an important role in protecting the mission of the corporate.
  • I have advised UK Government Departments, the European Commission, OECD, UN PRI, City of London Corporation, the Impact Investing Institute, national governments, think tanks and others on the development of a just and sustainable economy This has involved advising on the development of law, regulation and policy to support social entrepreneurship, develop social impact bonds, accelerate impact investment and encourage more responsible investment and business practice. I have always sought to bring practical insights from my legal practice to inform policy and practice and help grow the impact economy, alongside other stakeholders.