Charities
We advise charities, philanthropists, public institutions and bodies, and other not-for-profit organisations on all legal issues including constitutional arrangements, governance, investments, fundraising and tax. We are particularly experienced, in conjunction with our Dispute Resolution, Regulatory, and Reputation Management teams, in advising on the management of charity disputes and helping charities facing regulatory intervention. Our track record in this field relates to our commitment to our clients, our ability to manage complex and fast-moving situations, and our attention to detail.
Our work includes:
- The creation and registration of charitable vehicles (including charitable trusts, companies and charitable incorporated associations) as well as non-charitable vehicles (including Community Interest Companies and B Corps);
- Structuring relationships between charitable and non-charitable vehicles, including with trading subsidiaries;
- Charity mergers and restructuring of charitable trusts, to include dealing with endowment funds and special trusts;
- Governance advice including in relation to trustee benefit, conflicts of interest, delegatory processes, investment and compliance;
- Advice to corporates on their dealings with charities, including in respect of Charity of the Year arrangements, commercial participation and the establishment of corporation foundations;
- Advice on investment matters, particularly social investment and ethical investments
- Complex grant making advice, particularly around overseas grants, grants to fund major capital projects, matched funding arrangements and naming rights;
- Advice to charities on real estate matters, including major development projects, sales of land and dealings with designated land;
- Advice on all aspects of charity dispute resolution, including in respect of disputes within a trustee body, charity litigation at the Charity Tribunal, and legacy disputes;
- Dealing with regulatory inquiries and investigations, including from the Charity Commission, HMRC and other regulators;
- Advice to heritage and art-related charities on both art and charity law;
- Advice to charities on data protection and the management of data breaches;
- Employment law advice to charities to include advice on HR policies, employment disputes and contractual arrangements;
- Advice to charities on crisis management and reputation, particularly in the context of disputes and investigations.
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