I aim to provide practical and robust advice to organisations and individuals working to achieve positive social impact or to influence law or public policy.
As a partner in our top tier charity and social enterprise team, I am lucky to be able to help charities, social enterprises, mutuals and mission-led businesses achieve their aims. I work closely with my clients and colleagues in providing a wide range of advisory and transactional support, with common areas of advice including structuring and governance, financing and investment, collaboration and mergers, campaigning and advocacy.
I lead our specialist elections, public affairs and campaigning law team, which helps political parties, candidates, donors, charities, advocacy organisations and campaigners navigate the complex regulatory environment that can be relevant to their electoral and policy goals. Our multi-disciplinary team works across all areas of public affairs and campaigning law, from election and referendum law to campaign finance, transparency of lobbying, data privacy, charity law, public law, strategic litigation, advertising and reputation-management.
I am continually inspired by the new and innovative approaches developed by my clients to advance their social aims, which often require creative and innovative solutions in new and untested areas of law. I regularly advise on the intersections between philanthropic and commercial activity, between charitable and political advocacy and online and offline activity. My clients range from small civil society organisations to the biggest businesses, political parties and charitable federations, and I regularly advise on international activity and cross-border giving.
- Advising the official Remain campaign in the EU referendum I advised Britain Stronger In Europe, the lead campaign group on the Remain side of the EU Referendum debate, on electoral and referendum law compliance, campaign finance, fundraising and a wide range of other legal needs during one of the most high profile and contentious campaigns of modern times. I also advised a wide range of other Remain-side campaigners, including charities, businesses, donors and issue-based campaigners.
- Advising on the UK’s first listed charity bond I advised on the first charity bond issue to be listed on the London Stock Exchange, by the Mencap subsidiary Golden Lane Housing to fund investment into the vital housing services to people with learning disabilities. The bond was issued through the Retail Charity Bonds platform on the ORB market of the LSE, and required an unusually high degree of engagement with the UK Listing Authority, to ensure that the charity’s offer documents would be suitable for investment by both institutional and retail investors.
- Advising on two of the largest charity mergers in recent years between Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now and between Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation.
- Advising the Cabinet Office on an independent review of the Lobbying Act I was appointed by the Cabinet Office and Lord Hodgson to provide legal advice on his independent statutory review of non-party campaigning law and regulation, following the amendment of those rules by the controversial “Lobbying Act”. The Lobbying Act significantly expanded the regulation of non-party campaigning activity in the run-up to an election, and with my help Lord Hodgson’s report recommended a suite of reforms to help reduce the resulting ‘chilling effect’ on the public advocacy of charities and other issue-based campaigners. Unfortunately, the Government has not yet enacted the recommendations, but I am continuing to help a range of clients and others make the case for reform.
- I regularly advise students unions on governance, incorporation, trading and compliance with the application of political activity rules to their students voice activities and political engagement.
- I have advised prominent recent candidates for the London Mayoral elections and Combined Authority (“Metro”) Mayoral elections, and a recent prominent candidate on their bid to become leader of a leading political party.
- I advised a consortium of charitable think tanks on their engagement with the Charity Commission following the issuance of new regulatory advice by the Charity Commission in December 2018.
- I regularly advise the dual-qualified US-UK charitable foundation of a global investment bank on governance, regulatory compliance, taxation issues and international grant-making.
- I have advised household name charities and campaigning organisations on charity law and election law compliance across multiple General Elections, the Scottish and Welsh devolved elections and London and regional mayoral elections.
- I have advised a range of social banks and building societies on banking and building society law, including interaction with capital adequacy and charity law issues.
- I advised Charity Bank on its complex relinquishment of charitable status in 2014.