I’m a Senior Associate in our charity department.
I am also a “Roll A” Parliamentary Agent, meaning that I am able to assist clients to take private legislation through Parliament. In that capacity I can assist charities or other bodies which are governed, wholly or partly, by private Acts of Parliament. Statutory bodies are often stuck with outdated or inappropriate governing documents, or inadequate powers, which limit their ability to most effectively further their core mission. In this role I can provide accessible solutions, combining knowledge of Parliamentary processes with knowledge of the specific requirements and concerns for charities and the charity sector. For more information, please see here.
I have particular professional interests in:
- Constitutional reviews and advice, for charities and (more broadly) organisations set up to do good – whether they are structured as a company, a charitable trust (governed by trust deed or Scheme), an unincorporated association, a statutory corporation (governed by Act of Parliament), or a Royal Charter body.
- Complex trust and charity law issues, including identifying and releasing restricted funds, special trusts, and permanent endowment.
- Issues affecting membership organisations and students’ unions, including the interpretation of rules and guidance and the conduct of elections;
- Advising you how to run your charity in a compliant and effective way, including advice on the duties of trustees, Charity Commission guidance, and the Charity Governance Code;
- Advising on pure charity law issues, such as novel or complex charity applications, private benefit restrictions and conflicts of interest;
- Information law, including UK GDPR compliance and “direct marketing” rules as they apply to the fundraising and advocacy efforts of non-profits;
- Election law and the regulation of campaigning activities by charities and similar organisations; and
- Grant-funding and contractual arrangements.
As well as providing written advice, I enjoy writing and speaking about these areas.
- I advised Amnesty International UK and the National Union of Students in relation to significant constitutional and governance reform processes
- I have advised students’ unions on the conduct of elections and the positions of office-holders
- I advised on the granting of a supplemental charter in the Privy Council and a scheme under s.73 Charities Act 2011 to amend the constitution of a statutory charity
- I provided advice to Britain Stronger in Europe (“Stronger In”), the official remain campaign in the EU Referendum. I also advised on the formation and registration of a new political party, and in relation to an investigation into a third party by the Electoral Commission
- I advised an international corporate foundation on its establishment as a separate charity and its diversification of activities into different countries around the world
- I advised a major global charity on an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office, and advised many other large charities in relation to their compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
- I acted on the merger of two large cancer charities