I have a broad practice covering general charity law and governance matters. I have a particular focus on dealing with technical charity law issues and structures. I am often called on to help charities with more complex structures, such as charities governed by Royal Charter, Act of Parliament or scheme or charities with tricky property-holding structures. I also regularly advise on charitable trusts, restricted funds and endowments, including setting up new endowments and releasing out of date funds. I co-lead Bates Wells’ Charity Legacies group. We give practical guidance to clients on all aspects of legacies from fundraising and administration through to legacy disputes. I am also a member of our philanthropy group.

I have a deep interest in charities and charity law, having worked with the charity sector and charity clients for over 25 years. I started my career as a private client lawyer and have particular experience of advising on charity trust issues, including complicated constitutional structures and endowment funds, and philanthropy, as well as legacy giving. I’ve assisted with several tricky constitutional reviews involving charities governed by Royal Charter and Acts of Parliament. Alongside my client work, I am writing and co-editing a new edition of the Charities Acts Handbook, which takes account of the new Charities Act 2022 and is due to be published in summer 2024. I have experience of analysing the latest legal developments in the sector – contributing to our weekly Briefing for clients and social enterprises over many years. My focus is on using the law to provide pragmatic and accessible solutions. I am inspired by the extraordinary variety in the sector and have a particular interest in community action. I was part of the volunteer advice team at my local Citizens Advice between 2019 and 2023 and continue to volunteer on various projects in my local rural community in North Yorkshire.