Charities: London

Bates Wells & Braithwaite is home to the UK's premier charity and social enterprise group. Its dedicated charity law specialists work with an incredibly broad range of third sector clients, from small local charities and start-up social enterprises right through to the major national and international charities. One peer conceded that "I would have to say they are the top firm in the sector. I can't think of anyone else who has this breadth of understanding." Another added: "It is a very well-oiled enterprise; I take my hat off to the depth of knowledge that they collectively have as charities lawyers." The team is blessed with market-leading senior lawyers - what some commentators refer to as "a golden generation" of charities lawyers - but also remarkable strength throughout its ranks. As one source noted, "there is a real culture of leadership and integrity at the heart of what they do. It's a well-led organisation where talent is allowed to develop and thrive."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Julian Blake is one of the joint leaders of the charity and social enterprise department at Bates Wells & Braithwaite. He works with a range of third sector clients, predominantly assisting them with corporate and commercial issues. Sources note that "Julian is characterised by prompt and clear advice and an incisive mind backed by plenty of experience of this sector."

Philip Kirkpatrick co-chairs the charity and social enterprise group alongside Blake. He works with clients on their concerns relating to constitutional matters, on fund-raising, and on the formation of business ventures, amongst many other issues. Sources note that "he has an intellectual understanding of the brief, he's a really bright man - and a very decent man as well."

Stephen Lloyd is the firm's senior partner, and one of the leading lights of charities law; sources pay homage to his "first-rate advice and his sharp, enquiring mind." Clients highlight him as a practitioner who provides "lots of lateral thinking and lots of creative solutions; he tries to keep things out of court, which is right for charities. He's the best charities solicitor I have come across."

Rosamund McCarthy works with a number of charities, from small, local concerns to major national and international charitable brands. As one source stated, "she's exceptionally professional, incredibly prompt at dealing with issues, especially in our environment - you need to be responsive and agile." Another commentator noted that "she is able to help us achieve our aims and objectives as a campaigning organisation, while also ensuring we don't expose ourselves to unnecessary risks - she's really exceptional."

Lawrence Simanowitz works with third sector clients across the full spectrum of their legal needs. In common with the team's commercial and practical ethos, there is a certain pragmatism to his advice, which impresses clients: "I think he's great; he's not been a lawyer all his career, so he recognises that there is a world outside of the law."

Abbie Rumbold is recognised for her skill at assisting grant-making and fund-raising charities clients. Clients suggest that "she is easy as pie to work with; she talks clearly, explains things really simply and comes at things with the right perspective. She's not a lawyer who will try and bamboozle you."

Thea Longley receives regular instructions from a range of third sector organisations, including charities, social enterprises and local authorities. She is best known for advising charities involved in the sports sector.

Bircham Dyson Bell has a deep and experienced group of charity practitioners who remain at the forefront of charity law. The team is extensively praised by clients: "We get the legalities of things made simple, they don't raise our hopes, they tell us the strengths and weaknesses - they demystify the law for us, which is exactly what we need." The group handles the full gamut of charity issues, but maintains a clear focus on the high end, and more complex charity-related arrangements. The team has been heavily involved in the creation, registration and ongoing success of World Book Night. Other key clients include St John Ambulance, the BBC Children in Need Appeal and Relate.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jonathan Brinsden is highly regarded for his work assisting international third sector clients, and has particular experience in working with foreign charities seeking to establish operations in the UK. He was central to the team's work in the creation and charity registration of The Big Society Network, and has since continued to advise the charity.

Penny Chapman heads the firm's third sector group. She maintains a broad charities practice, which focuses on the creation of, and providing ongoing advice to, charitable organisations. She led the team's work on the creation and registration of the World Book Night organisation, and has subsequently provided key advice in relation to the 2011 and 2012 World Book Night events. Clients state that "she's been an excellent lead for us; she's very quick at assessing a situation, getting right into the heart of things, and coming up with a solution."

Simon Weil is a member of the firm's charities and private wealth teams. He is best recognised in the third sector for his work assisting charitable clients with disputes relating to wills and trusts. He works closely with The Pennies Foundation, providing commercial advice.

Farrer & Co has a tremendous reputation in the charities sector, and is especially highly regarded for its work advising charity clients which have more complex group and trading structures. Other areas where this team stands out are its market-leading expertise in advising Royal Charter organisations, and its work with prominent high net worth individuals and their grant-making foundations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Other key clients include Age UK, Save the Children and the Royal British Legion. The team was central to the Independent Schools Council's judicial review and the Attorney General's Reference on independent schools, which was arguably one of the most significant charity law cases of the year.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Anne-Marie Piper is the head of the charities team. She is very highly regarded for her experience in assisting third sector clients with complex regulatory cases, and she also works with clients across mergers and joint ventures, fund-raising and reorganisations. She is viewed by peers as "a clear leading light of the third sector," while clients "just think she's fantastic; she really doesn't mess around with the intricacies, she likes to deliver results for clients, to get things done - and she does."

Julian Smith leads the firm's higher education practice group. He is a charity law specialist of some considerable experience, and peers note that "the depth and breadth of his knowledge of charity law is very impressive." He works with a broad range of third sector clients, providing advice across governance, tax and merger work.

Sam Macdonald was the lead partner working with the Independent Schools Council in relation to the judicial review and the Attorney General's Reference on independent schools.

A commitment to the third sector is at the very core of Stone King, and the market fully endorses it as a genuine full-service charities offering: "A charity can go to them with any problem they might have, be it 'hard' charity law, or 'soft' charity law." The firm's London office may have become the de facto centre of its charity law practice, but clients are quick to attest to the high calibre of practitioner in the firm's Cambridge and Bath offices as well: "To me they bring personality - law firms can be grey, but with Stone King, it's all about the individuals." Its individual practitioners "have a fantastic knowledge and understanding of the sector," and work with a number of prominent clients, including The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy and The Age England Association. A key recent highlight was the team's work in successfully registering Wikimedia UK, a charitable enterprise which promotes open content such as Wikipedia, as a charity. Clients appreciate that the firm "makes things simple for us; they allow us to achieve what we want to achieve, and fulfil our aims and objectives."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jonathan Burchfield is the head of the Stone King charity team. "He has wide experience of non-profit structures and is always willing to assist people in understanding the current issues in the charity marketplace." He maintains a broad brief, and advises clients across the full range of charity law issues, as well as related corporate governance concerns.  

Michael King is senior partner and chairman of the firm, as well as the head of its charity and education practice group. He continues to work with long-standing clients such as Bearwood College and Nazareth Care.

Ann Phillips is held by commentators to be "clearly one of the leading practitioners in charity law in the UK." Her clients "really value the help and advice she's given us, both nationally and locally - she's always keen to help and assist." She regularly works with charity clients, providing advice across constitutional and governance issues.

Stephen Ravenscroft is highly regarded for his work with third sector clients. He works with a broad range of charities across a wide spectrum of issues, including charity registrations, governance, mergers and trustee issues.

Withers' tremendous strength in wealth management has ensured that the firm has become a go-to charity law group, with clients keen to benefit from its extensive expertise in structuring and legacy work. Commentators are quick to recommend the group for its work with donors and philanthropic organisations on tax-efficient structuring of donations to charities. Clients are delighted with the service they receive: "They go beyond the call of duty - responsive, creative in their answers, I feel as though they care. They are not just our legal advisers, they are part of our family." The group works for a number of leading national and international charities, and has been reappointed at competitive tenders as advisers to the British Red Cross Society, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Alison Paines leads the firm's charities and philanthropy group. Clients are quick with their praise, with one stating that "she's exceptional, that's the only way to put it - not just her knowledge, but the way she is able to convey that knowledge to us." Another source stated that "I've worked with her for many years; you cannot do better - I have been impressed with her commitment to clients, her considerable expertise and her enormous network of contacts." Paines works with a broad range of clients, and is noted for aiding them in negotiations with regulatory bodies, including the Charity Commission.  

Chris Priestley works with third sector clients on both national and international commercial ventures. He has continued to work with Cancer Research UK on its cutting-edge development of a joint venture charitable organisation to handle the operation of The Francis Crick Institute.

Paul Hewitt leads the group's work with charities clients on legacy incomes. Clients say: "He is as sharp as a razor, very quick at assessing a situation. I always feel he is doing the best that he can for us."

Clive Cutbill is the head of the firm's philanthropy practice group, and his practice is predominantly concentrated on working with both donors and charities to ensure that donations are tax-efficient.

Emma Flower works with charities on governance and other commercial concerns. She works alongside Chris Priestley with key client Cancer Research UK.  

Berwin Leighton Paisner has a long-held reputation for strength in charities law. The firm is able to provide broad coverage for third sector clients, although there are a number of areas where it particularly excels. BLP has a tremendous trusts and personal tax group, and the firm is consequently a top pick for charity taxation work. The group is also renowned for its work with major grant-making organisations, including the Wolfson Foundation, and the Maurice & Vivienne Wohl Charitable Foundation. Clients value working with a "highly professional firm with a human and caring touch."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Martin Paisner is highly praised by clients for his creative approach, and regularly works with a number of prominent charities in relation to estate planning and trusts issues. He has recently been working with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a charitable trust, in re-registering its trust as a charity.

Neasa Coen works with charities across a broad range of areas, including charity formation and registration, taxation, governance and taxation. She has considerable expertise in representing clients in dealing with the Charity Commission. Commentators note that "she's extremely good - just incredibly sensible in her approach and extremely good with clients."

Janet Turner QC recently joined BLP from Taylor Vinters, where she was the head of the firm's non-profit practice.

Charles Russell's third sector practice group works with a broad range of charities, although it is especially highly regarded for its work with charities in the education, religious, health, armed forces and sports sectors. The team provides a genuine full service to its charity clients, drawing on the firm's experts in employment, property, IP and dispute resolution teams, amongst many others. Clients are quick to praise a group which "goes the extra mile to learn, and improve the service - we can't fault them at all." The firm has an impressive charities client roster, including major names such as Eton College, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Marie Curie Cancer Care.  

KEY INDIVIDUALS Michael Scott heads Charles Russell's charity law group. He is "someone who can carry a real weight of authority," and is praised by clients, who value the fact that "he doesn't just bring technical knowledge, but also knowledge of a huge number of other charities. That benchmarking is really useful - he sees all the pros and cons."

This third sector practice group advises clients across the full range of charity law, drawing on the firm's broader expertise to ensure that the team can act as a one-stop shop for charities. Commentators note the group's particular expertise in working with NHS charities, especially in terms of creating new third sector spin-outs from the NHS. The team has recently been working closely with Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, firstly in providing training to the board, and latterly in advising the client on taking in-house the secretarial function for all related companies. Other key clients include Arthritis Research UK, the Zoological Society of London and the Royal British Legion.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Ian Hempseed is head of the firm's third sector practice group. He is the key contact for a number of the team's major clients, including Arthritis Research UK, the Royal British Legion and the Zoological Society of London. He is praised by commentators for his ability to make complex charity law points easily accessible to his clients.

Russell-Cooke's charity and social business practice group works with a range of third sector clients, but is best known for the work it does with charities in the health and social care sectors. This team is also increasingly recognised for its expertise in the international development sphere, due in part to its work with major charities such as UNICEF UK and Voluntary Service Overseas. The group works with charity clients across a broad range of legal issues, including governance, property, employment and commercial concerns.

KEY INDIVIDUALS James Sinclair Taylor is head of the charity and social business team. He is acknowledged for his expertise in advising third sector clients on governance and constitutional issues. Clients note that "he is extremely supportive in terms of giving me the true legal position, but also he supports us in achieving our aims in negotiating with others." He has recently been advising Brook Advisory in relation to the reorganisation of its charity network throughout the UK.

Andrew Studd works with a range of charitable organisations across a broad spectrum of charity law issues, including constitutional and governance issues, mergers, joint ventures and general commercial concerns. He is praised for his ability to explain charity law in layman's terms: "He is particularly good at working with non-legal people; he is very good at distilling complex arguments into plain English."

Wilsons' charities practice group works with a broad spectrum of local and national charitable organisations across a wide range of issues, in particular governance and constitutional-related work and contentious probate issues. Its members receive considerable praise from commentators, who note that "they are very thorough, very knowledgeable, and work with some tremendous blue-chip clients." Examples of the latter include the RNLI, the PDSA, the RSPCA and Macmillan Cancer Support.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Moira Protani is head of the charities team. She regularly assists with the creation and registration of charities, as well as advising on trustee powers and duties.

Fiona Campbell-White is highly recommended for her expertise in contentious probate work.

Edwin Coe offers clients the benefits of a specialist charity law group within a full-service firm, ensuring that its third sector clients are able to turn to the firm for the full gamut of their legal needs. A particular area of expertise for the team is working with high net worth individuals in helping to create new philanthropic entities. Clients include the Hoopers Africa Trust, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Prostate Research Campaign UK.

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Goepel heads up the firm's charity group.

Harbottle & Lewis works with a broad range of local and national charities, advising them across a wide range of issues, encompassing core charitable formation and constitutional issues, charity commission inquiries, and fund-raising and marketing campaigns. The team is perhaps best known for its long-standing relationship with Comic Relief, which includes both fund-raising and broadcasting advice, although the group also works with a number of other prominent charities, including The Prince's Trust, Virgin Unite and Room to Read (UK). Clients are quick to praise it as an "absolutely brilliant group, which goes beyond the call of duty."

KEY INDIVIDUALS The team is led by David Scott.

Macfarlanes' charity law group works with a broad range of clients, from local to brand-name charities, and its expert charity law practitioners are highly regarded for their expertise in managing charity mergers and joint ventures. The team has been advising Legacy10, a significant independent campaign seeking to persuade British citizens to leave 10% of their estate to charity.

KEY INDIVIDUALS The team is headed up by Helen Darling.

This boutique law firm has quickly and impressively built up a considerable reputation for its expertise in the charity sector, principally in relation to private wealth and philanthropy-related work. The team works with a number of charities to assist with their constitutional and governance-related issues, while also working with financial institutions in relation to their investment and services in the charity space. Clients value the group's expertise, stating that "what you find at the firm is a balance between solid legal advice and practical commercial implications."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Ceris Gardner is noted for her expertise in tax and estate planning expertise, which is valued by her charity and other philanthropic clients.

Emma-Jane Weider focuses her practice on advising wealthy families and trusts in relation to tax, wealth planning and trust structures. Clients praise her as "fantastically hard-working and responsive."

Speechly Bircham works with a wide range of different third sector clients, although it is best recognised for its work with educational, health and social care-related charities. The team provides its charitable clients with advice across the board; it covers the traditional side of charity law, but also works with charities in relation to their employment, pensions and property issues. The team works with a number of big-name charities, including Barnardo's, the RSPB and Cancer Research UK.

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Ward heads the private client practice group at Speechly Bircham, as well as leading its third sector team. He is principally recognised in the charities sphere for his work advising individual clients on philanthropic endeavours.

Trowers & Hamlins has combined its leading local authority and public sector expertise, as well as its strength in tax and employment, to form a strong third sector offering. It has recently been working with the Guinness Trust on its significant restructuring of the Guinness Trust and the Guinness Partnership.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Ian Davis heads the firm's third sector team. He is highly regarded for his expertise in advising charity clients on governance issues and mergers.

This firm maintains a broad charities practice, working with a tremendous range of third sector clients, including religious charities and ecclesiastical trusts, educational charities and charitable housing associations, amongst many others. The group is especially well known for its work with ecclesiastical charitable bodies, and it works with major clients such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the London Diocesan Fund, St Paul's Cathedral and Diocese in Europe.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Joanna Bussell and Simon Randall are the key contacts within the charities group.