Cripps provides ‘clear, practical advice’ to educational institutions, corporate foundations, religious organisations, social housing providers and high-net-worth individuals establishing philanthropic initiatives. Drawing on broad sector expertise, the team handles a variety of matters, ranging from governance and regulatory compliance to property and employment issues. Kate Arnold, particularly recommended for her strategic governance advice, jointly leads the practice alongside Dominic Ribet, who regularly acts for grant-making charities established by high-net-worth individuals, active philanthropic charities and commercial charities advancing education. Joanna Ford focuses on trustee duties and insolvency matters, while Harriet Page advises on the establishment of new charities and the conversion of unincorporated charities.
Charities and not-for-profit in South East
Cripps
Responsables de la pratique:
Kate Arnold; Dominic Ribet
Autres avocats clés:
Joanna Ford; Harriet Page
Les références
‘Excellent knowledge and understanding of charity law and how it affects a charitable foundation of our size. Excellent practical advice and guidance that has been invaluable in helping establish our charity.’
‘Clear, practical advice communicated promptly and in a very approachable manner.’
Principaux clients
John Lyon’s Foundation
John Lyon’s Charity
URC Thames North Trust
RSPCA Assured Limited
The London Diocesan Fund
University of Kent
Canterbury Christ Church University
Goodenough College
EKC Group
Principaux dossiers
- Advising John Lyon’s Foundation on all legal matters in relation to Harrow School, including this year a Court Application for a royal charter corporation on amendments to its objects and statutes.
- Advise URC Thames North Trust about the ongoing management of the portfolio, including advice on purchases, sales and leases of the properties.
- Advised Goodenough College on several key restructuring processes involving the operations team and the hotel team, and advised about how to manage under-performing employees.
Moore Barlow
Moore Barlow advises a wide range of charities, from national faith-based organisations to educational and housing charities, providing strategic, governance, regulatory and operational support, along with expertise in guiding clients through restructures, mergers, staffing challenges and reputational issues. The practice is co-led by Gordon Reid, who focuses on reputation management as well as governance and transactional work, and Joanna Lada-Walicki, who supports charities in crisis situations, particularly with trustee disputes and the dismissal of senior charity employees. Paul Ridout is a ‘trusted guide’ for faith-based organisations, as well as charities operating in the cultural, medical and conservation fields.
Responsables de la pratique:
Gordon Reid; Joanna Lada-Walicki
Autres avocats clés:
Paul Ridout
Les références
‘The team’s specialist knowledge of the process for registering a new charity was invaluable as we needed to move at speed. From the initial call, it was clear that we were in safe hands with Moore Barlow’s charities and not-for-profit practice.’
‘Paul Ridout was responsive, pragmatic and considered in all his dealings with us. A trusted guide through a somewhat niche area of law.’
Principaux clients
Young Minds Trust
Titus Trust
The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
National Rifle Association
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
Boys’ Brigade
Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth
Diocese of Guildford
Institute of Biomedical Science
Compassion UK
24-7 Prayer
Watford Mosque
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice
The Richmond Charities
Croydon Almshouse Charities
Waverley Abbey Trust
Woking and Sam Beare Hospices
Co-Mission Churches Trust
Help Musicians
CARE (Christian Action, Research, and Education)
Christian Medical Fellowship
Emmaus Road Community Church
Speech and Language UK
Principaux dossiers
- Advised a faith charity on the direct impact of the Makin Review and on allegations made against one of its trustees.
- Advised the Live Trust on its registration as a charity and persuaded the Charity Commission that it met their concept of “artistic merit”.
- Advised the Boys Brigade on the sale of its headquarters to Witherslack Group for £5.25m.
Blandy & Blandy LLP
With a notable presence in the educational sector, Blandy & Blandy LLP offers a comprehensive range of services across governance, mergers, charity restructuring, regulatory matters and strategic advice. Praised for his ‘extremely sound judgement’, practice head Nick Burrows advises national charities, independent schools and third sector organisations on incorporation or conversion, as well as constitutional and governance matters. Angela Bowman handles the full spectrum of wills, probate and trusts claims on behalf of charities, while Jennifer Scott provides guidance on charity law and regulatory matters, including governance, Charity Commission compliance and charity formation.
Responsables de la pratique:
Nick Burrows
Autres avocats clés:
Angela Bowman; Jennifer Scott
Les références
‘Flexible, pragmatic and solution-focused.’
‘Friendly and flexible.’
‘Blandy & Blandy deserves its reputation for excellence in the charities and not-for-profit sector. It has strength and depth in its team.’
Principaux clients
University of Oxford
University of Reading
Ben – Motor & Allied Trades Benevolent Fund
The Hartley Trust
Thames Valley Air Ambulance
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
The Almshouse Association
CXK
Career Connect
Adviza
The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF)
Pangbourne College
Prior’s Court Foundation
The Abbey School
St Joseph’s College
Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue
Freely Fruity
Brachers (Part of Lawfront)
With a cross-disciplinary team, Brachers (Part of Lawfront) is well equipped to deliver comprehensive support to charities and not-for-profit organisations across governance, compliance, employment, as well as property and funding matters. The practice is led by a trio of lawyers: Sarah Gaines, who takes the lead on property-related matters; Christopher Eriksson-Lee, who advises on a broad range of issues, including governance, structural reorganisations and setting up and converting charities; and Catherine Daw, whose specialisms lie in employment mandates, particularly advising healthcare providers and charities on trade union matters, collective issues and employment tribunal litigation.
Responsables de la pratique:
Sarah Gaines; Christopher Eriksson-Lee; Catherine Daw
Autres avocats clés:
Helen Stonham; Mary Rimmer
Les références
‘Brachers provide accurate advice in a straightforward way that the charity trustees can understand and rely on. Their terms of engagement are very clear and fair.’
‘Senior associate Helen Stonham is conscientious, well-informed, clear, friendly and trustworthy. She has noticed a specific and important detail in the legal documents pertaining to the property we are purchasing, which I think previous solicitors must have overlooked. I feel fully involved in the process, and Helen really understands the needs and concerns of the charity.’
‘Brachers has strong roots in the community and a well-earned reputation for trust, making it one of the first names that comes to mind when people think about legal advice.’
Principaux clients
William Barrows Charity
Charities Aid Foundation Bank
Blackthorn Trust
Kent County Agricultural Society
Brachers Charitable Trust
Tunstall Village Hall
The Sir Percival Griffiths’ Tea Planter Trust
Kent Farmers Benevolent Fund
Principaux dossiers
- Advised CAF Bank Limited on multi-million-pound combined loans to various charities.
- Advising Margate Creative Land Trust on the acquisition for a mixed-use redevelopment in support of the objectives of the Thanet Local Plan.
Debenhams Ottaway
Debenhams Ottaway’s multi-practice charities group advises a range of national and regional charities on governance, property, trusts, legacy management and regulatory matters, delivering an integrated service across commercial, employment and litigation issues. Practice head Andrew Yates advises charities on corporate and commercial mandates, including incorporations, M&A, disposals, as well as trustee duties, while Neil Mercer is particularly noted for his expertise in commercial property matters, with specialist knowledge of complex development agreements for landowning charity clients. Co-heading the firm’s trust practice, Claire Sharp advises on the formation of charitable trusts, structural changes, trustee appointments and Charity Commission schemes.
Responsables de la pratique:
Andrew Yates
Autres avocats clés:
Neil Mercer, Andrew Spearman, Claire Sharp
Les références
‘I have worked with Neil Mercer on a range of property matters, from simple tenancies to more complex option agreements. He handles all with the same care and attention. Neil is good at taking a practical approach to matters, also, which is often key in unlocking difficult deals.’
‘Showed a good understanding of what we thought was an unusual situation – they clearly had wide experience of differing situations that they were able to bring to bear, all of which gave us reassurance that their advice would be well-founded and practical.’
‘Andrew Yates listened well, was empathetic, didn’t try and talk down to us and was clearly wanting to help us solve our problems.’
Principaux clients
The Church Lands Trust
The St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance
Youth Talk
Crohn’s & Colitis UK
The Counselling Foundation
Abbeyfield
InspireAll Limited
Hubbard Will Trust
Richard III Society
Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Principaux dossiers
- Advised the Richard III Society on director appointments and assisted with changes to its rules and articles of association.
- Advised The Hertfordshire & Middlesex Wildlife Trust on a compensation payment from the government’s HS2 railway project, assisting with the deed of receipt and working with HS2’s lawyers to achieve a proportionate solution for the charity’s non-standard property interest.
- Continue to act for the Hubbard Will Trust, advising trustees on the scope of its endowment fund and scholarship opportunities.
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Particularly renowned for its work in the education sector, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP advises universities, national charities and social enterprises on governance, regulatory compliance and employment issues, offering tailored advice on matters ranging from trustee responsibilities to grant-making and legacy management. Daff Richardson and Virginia Henley co-lead the department; Richardson focuses on employment matters, frequently advising on restructures, redundancies and grievances, alongside trustee duties in conflict situations, while Henley handles a broad spectrum of regulatory and governance work such as charity registrations and incorporations. Chris Shelley is noted for supporting research institutes and universities with funding and IP licensing.
Responsables de la pratique:
Daff Richardson; Virginia Henley
Autres avocats clés:
Chris Shelley
Les références
‘Penningtons’ charities team has great skills and experience, led by the very able Virginia Henley.’
‘Virginia Henley has fantastic experience; she is very capable and instils great confidence in her clients.’
‘Virginia was incredibly approachable, explained things in basic terms and gave us the reassurance and guidance we needed.’
Principaux clients
Churchill College, Cambridge
Keble College, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Green Templeton College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Wellington College
The Institute of Leadership and Management
The Pirbright Institute
The Institute for Fiscal Studies
The Licensed Trade Charity
International Headache Society
National Oceanography Centre
Reeds Foundation
CABI
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
City & Guilds
SLG Charitable Trust
The Charity Commission for England and Wales
Bedford Greenacre Independent School
Principaux dossiers
- Working with the Charity Commission, as interim manager for Dalaid, we have advised on multiple aspects regarding the opening of a statutory enquiry because of potential misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
- Advising several Cambridge and Oxford colleges on employment matters raised by academic staff, alongside governance, charity law and reputation management advice.
Blake Morgan LLP
Blake Morgan LLP fields ‘broad coverage and expertise’ across charity governance, risk management and strategic operations, as well as grant making and charity formation. The practice is jointly led by Laura Sherratt, who advises on a range of commercial and governance issues, including registration, incorporation, mergers and joint ventures, and Rachel Sales, who is particularly experienced in commercial property matters and has been notably active in advising clients in the education sector on their property interests. Ben Brice departed the firm in July 2024.
Responsables de la pratique:
Laura Sherratt; Rachel Sales
Les références
‘Blake Morgan provides a good legal service to our charities. Their strength lies in the broad coverage and expertise that they cover in a number of legal areas such as contract reviews and set up, employment issues, property, and IP.’
‘Excellent customer service and always on hand to provide the expertise in their specific domain when required.’
‘The team has a good breadth of specialisms. We needed advice as a charity for taking out a complicated lease, and the firm had both centres of expertise.’
Principaux clients
Abingdon Learning Trust
Activate Learning
Association for Project Management
Cranstoun
The Gallery Trust
Global Witness
Hayling Health Society
Heart of Mercia
Langley House Trust
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The Methodist Church
Pilgrim’s Friend Society
Portsmouth Grammar School
The Sinodun Players Amateur Dramatic Society
Solent Mind
University of Chichester Multi-Academy Trust
YMCA
Principaux dossiers
- Advising Cardiff YMCA Charity on its proposed merger with Cardiff YMCA Housing Association.
- Advising The Gallery Trust on the opening of a free school site in north Oxfordshire, providing ongoing support for a second free school in the area, and assisting with expansion plans for another academy site.
- Advising Pilgrim’s Friend Society on the consolidation of its group structure, including advice on amendment of objects, release of permanent endowment and transfers of assets and liabilities from several smaller group entities into others.
Thomson Snell & Passmore
With ‘a broad range of expertise’, Thomson Snell & Passmore advises charities on an array of issues and has been particularly active in supporting educational clients. Nick Hobden leads the practice, advising on employment-related matters, including representation in tribunal claims, while Douglas Skilton brings strong dispute resolution expertise, with experience in both High Court litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Chris Whittington is another key contact, supporting charity clients with new building and construction projects.
Responsables de la pratique:
Nick Hobden
Autres avocats clés:
Douglas Hilton; Chris Whittington
Les références
‘The team has a broad range of expertise that is relevant to a charity that I manage, and was able to assist the charity with a number of legal issues in relation to a major redevelopment including a complex property redevelopment and the establishment of a new charity to run the redeveloped property with a widened charity remit.’
‘Chris Whittington gave excellent construction law advice.’
Principaux clients
Avante Care & Support Ltd
Town & Country Housing
Rivermead Inclusive Trust incorporating Academy of Woodlands
Beyond Schools Trust
St Edmund’s School Canterbury
The Incorporated Rochester Diocesan Board of Education and the Governing Body of the Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School
Birtley House (Kent) Limited
Kent Archaeological Society
Illuminate Minds Trust
Siri Guru Nanak Darbar (Sikh Temple)
North East Surrey College of Technology
Trethowans LLP
With a dedicated charities team that ‘always works to a very high standard’, Trethowans LLP is well equipped to advise on a broad range of matters, including governance and regulatory issues, incorporation and trustee duties. Sarah Humphrey leads the charities sector group, bringing particular expertise in charitable property matters, while Kirsteen Hook heads the specialised governance team, focused on supporting clients across the full spectrum of governance-related issues. Hook has additional expertise in advising educational bodies as well as managing academic conversions.
Responsables de la pratique:
Kirsteen Hook; Sarah Humphrey
Autres avocats clés:
Sarah Wheado
Les références
‘I only worked with one individual at the firm and was impressed with their work. I was also included quickly in the BD programme and invited to forums and events.’
‘I worked with Partner, Kirsteen Hook, who was responsive, friendly and knowledgeable.’
‘Trethowans now host one of the only specialist charity teams on the South Coast. In most other practices, it is an adjunct, but they have created a repository of excellence in their people, and it shows. Without a doubt, they have repeatedly provided excellent service, identified issues and found ways to tackle issues that require a deep knowledge and understanding of charity law and best practice. ’
Principaux clients
The Girls’ Day School Trust
Army Air Corps Charity
RSPCA
The Wetwheels Foundation
Rowans Hospice
Jane Austen’s House Museum
De La Rue Charitable Trust
The Army Museums Ogilby Trust
Stewardship Services (UKET) Limited
Royal Navy Winter Sports Association
Home Start Portsmouth
The F. Glenister Woodger Trust
Paint Pots Nurseries and Pre-Schools
MyTime Young Carers
Hawk Conservancy Trust
The Wilverley Association
Principaux dossiers
- Advised Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery on their restructuring, conversion to a not-for-profit organisation and registration as a charity.
- Advised the RSPCA in a complex regulatory case involving veterinary and DNA experts, leading to a suspended 52-week prison sentence and a 20-year animal disqualification order.
- Providing Rowans Hospice with a full service and legal support for all of the charity’s legal needs, from the heart of the charity governance requirements through to their wider legal needs, including property, employment and regulatory.