Aisha is a Senior Associate in the Immigration Department and specialises in corporate immigration. Aisha advises clients on sponsor licence applications, mergers or acquisitions and sponsor licence compliance, as well as assisting with Representative of Overseas Business applications. Aisha works with clients from a variety of sectors such as wealth management, tech, media, charity and faith based.
Alex specialises in commercial, charity and media disputes - helping clients to avoid, settle and, when necessary, fight them. With 20 years' experience, Alex understands the financial, commercial and reputational impact a dispute can have and gives clear, pragmatic advice to help manage risk.
Alistair is a senior associate in the Public & Regulatory team. Alistair works with public bodies, regulators, charities, social enterprises and private sector bodies to help with the full range of public law issues. He advises on the powers and duties of public bodies, statutory interpretation and public law litigation. He also advises on professional discipline, local government law (with a particular interest in local audit), and information law (particularly Freedom of Information).
Partner. Advises acharities and not-for profits on a range of commercial and charity law matters, including advising on constitutional and governance issues, structures and restructures, mergers, operating overseas and spinning out from local and central government. Works across a range of sectors and in particular faith-based organisations, public sector services, trade associations and membership organisations, and international not-for-profit organisations.
Catharina is a Partner and has been with Bates Wells since 2014. As a specialist trade mark lawyer Catharina helps charities and socially responsible businesses protect and enforce their brands. Additionally, Catharina advises on other Intellectual Property rights such as copyright, designs and patents, as well as the overlap with company names and dealing with Companies House. Her background in Chemical Engineering and a love of languages is particularly helpful when dealing with technological sectors and matters abroad.
Chetal is Head of Immigration at Bates Wells. She is recognised as a leader in UK business related immigration matters and provides pragmatic solutions to complex matters. Chetal's clients operate in a number of sectors including charity, creative, finance, media and IT. The nature of Chetal's work has also meant that she has plenty of experience advising a broad range of clients from high-net-worth individuals and start-up companies to multinational companies. Chetal regularly advises on sponsor related matters, including compliance issues and global talent applications, entry to the UK as visitors and options for investors and entrepreneurs. Chetal is regularly involved in policy work and actively lobbies on behalf of organisations. Chetal regularly delivers training sessions on business immigration related topics to fellow practitioners and organisations and frequently speaks at international events. Chetal also contributes commentary and know-how to journalists.
Eleanor is a Partner and our Head of Data & Privacy, having a plethora of experience in GDPR and privacy law. Before moving into private practice, Eleonor was the UK Government's lead lawyer in negotiations on the GDPR. Eleanor represented the UK in meetings in Brussels, drafted text for inclusion in the GDPR legislation, and worked with the European Commission, representatives from other EU Member States, regulators and stakeholders to develop the regime. Since moving into private practice, Eleonor has advised clients on a wide range of privacy laws including tracking or monitoring of data subjects, collection, use and retention of personal data, data sharing, data protection in the context of commercial contracts, data breaches, international data transfers, and the impact of Brexit on data protection and the privacy aspects of emerging technologies.
Hannah is a Partner and advises charities and not for profit organisations on a range of charity law issues, including governance, grants, contracts and mergers and incorporations. She specialises in fundraising law, including in relation to corporate partnerships, challenge events, lotteries and regulatory compliance. Hannah also regularly advises charities on data protection matters in relation to direct marketing and fundraising campaigns.
Jamie is a partner in the Real Estate department acting for commercial, charity and private clients in all aspects of transactions involving commercial property, having extensive experience of advising on technical aspects of charity property law, including legacies and trusts. Additionally, Jamie has corporate property transaction experience including amalgamations, mergers and asset sales and purchases, as well as residential property experience. Jamie also advises residential tenancies and public sector spin out transactions.
Jean is our Head of Education and provides legal and strategic advice to charities, social businesses and educational institutions on a variety of commercial, charity law, governance, education law and safeguarding issues. Jean regularly provides training on charity, safeguarding and education law, participating in internal and external events.
Joe leads the Bates Wells' Development Finance practice, specialising in impact investment and financing transactions with a focus on the Global South and emerging markets. With more than 25 years' experience leading on a wide range of complex cross border transactions across a number of sectors, Joe provides proactive, pragmatic, commercial and solutions-oriented advice for investing and operating in some of the most challenging jurisdictions.
Karli has over 10 years’ experience in all aspects of commercial property transactions and her work includes acquisitions and disposals for a range of clients including charities and investors as well as dealing with all aspects of landlord and tenant and property management work. Karli also deals with secured lending transactions advising both borrowers and lenders and has also advised developers on the acquisition of sites subject to planning permission.
Partner in the charity and social enterprise team and head of the firm’s expert charitable trusts special interest group and joint head of the firm’s Legacies cross-departmental team. Advises charities on charity law, governance and structuring issues, with particular specialism in advising on technical charity law issues and complex structures including charitable trusts, endowments, Royal Charter bodies, statutory charities and property holding structures. Laura was closely involved in the Law Commission’s consultation and subsequent stages which led to the Charities Act 2022 both as a member of the Charity Law Association working party and for Bates Wells, including making a submission to and appearing before the House of Lords committee considering the draft Bill. Recent work includes assisting a Royal Charter body with significant changes to its charter and byelaws, working on a governance review and restructuring of a charity network, assisting a University with several major gifts and endowments and supporting a local community group with challenging a scheme made by the Charity Commission relating to charity land in the Tribunal.
Specialist in advising UK and international charities, and arts and media organisations, not-for-profits and social enterprises including their establishment, regulation (including regulatory investigations), campaigning, governance, mergers and incorporations, fundraising and financing and commercial agreements. Current and past advice work includes advice RSPCA on governance and reorganisation of 160 branches, several major UK clients on their funding agreements with public authorities and corporate partners, statutory inquiries by the Charity Commission, charity mergers including two residential care charities forming a single significant entity its space, establishing the Elders Foundation as a UK charity and advising on its international structure and key strategic and legal issues. UK external counsel to several of the largest US not for profit organisations. Additional areas of expertise include data protection and information law, intellectual property and IT – advising clients on rebranding, licensing and assigning copyright and trade mark rights (including a recent rebrand of major international aid and development charity and advising leading national disability charity on dispute over ownership of its database).
Lucy is a Senior Associate and charity law specialist with a broad practice covering general charity services including charity registrations, mergers and other restructures, governance and constitutional advice and specialist expertise in inquiry and regulatory compliance cases and complex charity law issues and structures. Advises a range of charities and social enterprises including armed forces charities, and individuals and companies engaging in philanthropy.
Partner. Luke specialises in charity law and social enterprise. As well as advising on the full range of activities carried out by charities and social enterprises, Luke co-leads the firm’s work on social finance and in the wider ‘impact economy’. Recent work includes advising a leading think tank in relation to a high-profile regulatory review by the Charity Commission, advising a leading independent school in relation to a complex statutory inquiry and advising a household name multinational firm on its adoption of a new purpose to benefit society as well as its shareholders.
Malcom is a Partner with Bates Wells and helps clients with their real estate requirements, whether they are acquiring, developing, leasing, managing, disposing or financing. When handling real estate transactions Malcom understands the commercial drivers, manages the process and delivers within challenging timescales. As part of his role, Malcom advises occupiers, investors and developers and banks on real estate and financing matters.
Partner in the property team acting for commercial, charity and private clients in all aspects of commercial property, including sales and purchases, landlord and tenant work, lending and property management. Recent deals include the acquisition of a development site for the BFI, refinancing of the Eden project, taking a lease of London headquarters for an international energy company at an annual rent of £1.5m and acting in connection with leases of offices at 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin) and the Shard.
Martin is Bates Wells’ Managing Partner and has been a practising employment lawyer since 1996. In his role as Managing Partner Martin works closely with the firm’s Management Board and Senior Management Team to develop and deliver the firm’s strategy and business activities. During his leadership he has overseen the firm’s certification as a B Corp and spearheaded a number of firm-wide initiatives to advance the responsible agenda; steering Bates Wells into the purpose & impact space, narrowing the firm’s gender salary gap, and taking practical action to promote inclusion and diversity. Together with his daily management responsibilities, Martin stays close to clients through his employment law practice, not only because he enjoys legal client work but because it’s vital to keep our clients’ interests and needs at the heart of everything we do as a firm. Martin also frequently visit clients as part of our firm’s wider client-listening programme. Martin is an experienced advocate in the Employment Tribunal and an accredited CEDR mediator. He works in all areas of employment law with a particular focus on TUPE issues arising out of mergers and acquisitions, and the protection of confidential information and other confidential property by the enforcement of contractual covenants. Martin also provides contentious and non-contentious advice to clients ranging from large commercial clients to charities and individuals.
Matthew is an Associate in the Immigration Department. His work bridges personal and business immigration, advising on applications based on gamily relationships alongside Global Talent, investor, entrepreneur and innovator applications. Matthew has built up a particular expertise in advising employers and individuals on the implications of Brexit and the EU Settlement Scheme. Matthew has also spoken at a number of events for the Creative Industries Federation and the Immigration Industry Association and provided training for ILPA. He has provided commentary for LexisNexis and the wider media.
Having previously been a trainee with Bates Wells, Molly is now a Senior Associate with us and advises charities, not for profit organisations and business with a social purpose across a range of issues. This includes advising on charity formation and registration, commercial contracts, governance, intellectual property advice, regulatory compliance and investigations as well as general charity law. Molly has particular expertise in advising organisations working in the creative and cultural industries, including museums, theatres and galleries. Additionally, Molly advises on fundraising law including arrangements with commercial participators, professional fundraising, corporate sponsorship and society lottery regulation.
Oliver is a Partner and advises charities, social enterprises and impact driven businesses on a wide range of legal issues, including establishment, governance and financing. Oliver particularly enjoys helping clients to structure new projects and bringing together commercial and non-profit enterprises, whether that be corporation foundations, new trading ventures, impact investment, or community finance projects.
Paul is a specialist employment and discrimination lawyer. He advises employers and senior executives on the full range of legal issues connected with employment, including the formation and termination of the employment relationship, litigation, large-scale redundancies, TUPE, share options, and bonus disputes. His corporate and institutional clients include media organisations, financial institutions, charities (including schools), technology companies, and professional firms (including other law firms and barristers chambers). His litigation experience includes pursuing and defending cases in the Employment Tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. Examples of recent work include: conducting a successful appeal in the case of Charm Offensive Productions v Lazarov and ors a test case concerning the employment status of actors; advising an organisation in respect of contractual changes, achieving savings in excess of £5m; successfully defending a household name business facing class action litigation worth in excess of £1.5m; advising a senior director at a global technology company on contractual terms, bonus provisions and share options; successfully defending an international airline facing claims of sex discrimination and unfair dismissal (before the Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal); successfully acting as advocate for an education institution facing claims of religion or belief discrimination in Shaikh v Tribal Education Ltd (ET/2201677/12); and defending a national charity against a serial litigant and acting as advocate in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal.
Contentious and non-contentious employment work, including transactional advice. Particular interest in disability discrimination, TUPE and data protection. Regular advocate in the Employment Tribunal.
Deputy managing partner and joint head of charity and social enterprise team, specialising in charity law and acting for a wide range of charities and other not-for-profit organisations; main areas of work are constitutional and governance, collaborative working and mergers, Charity Commission and investigations and inquiries, social finance, commercial ventures, fundraising, internal disputes.
Rachel is a Partner specialising in employment law. She advises household name corporates and charities on complex discrimination and whistleblowing matters, worker status issues, handling breach of restrictive covenants including enforcement action and managing boardroom disputes. She also advises senior executives in the financial sector on new contracts including bonus provisions as well as negotiating favourable exit packages.
Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution / Litigation Department. Case load includes contractual and other business disputes, tortious claims, fraud claims, intellectual property disputes, contentious trusts and legacy / probate disputes, procurement challenges, construction disputes. Experienced at dealing with litigation, adjudication, arbitration and mediation. An experienced Supervising Solicitor of Search and other orders. Represents commercial organisations, regulatory bodies, charities and individuals.
Safia is an Associate in the Real Estate department at Bates Wells and deals with a wide variety of property transactions, ranging from the acquisition and disposal of both freehold and leasehold properties, the granting and letting of leases, assignments, underlettings, alterations and refinances acting for both borrower and lender. 'I find all the members of the team at Bates Wells great to work with including... Safia Daud.'
Smruti is a UK immigration and nationality law specialist with over 17 years' experience advising corporate and private clients on complex business and personal immigration matters. Smruti has significant experience in delivering strategic solutions-focused advice to employers on sponsor licence applications and employer compliance support, with clients ranging from small, newly established businesses to multinational organisations spanning the finance, legal, sporting, technology and entertainment sectors.
Partner. Advises on establishing new charities and social enterprises, and assists charities with mergers, reorganisations and constitutional reviews. Regularly advises on governance, grant-making, fundraising, equality and discrimination issues, corporate philanthropy and regulatory action by the Charity Commission, with a particular interest in advising faith-based charities and international non-profit organisations. Recent work includes advising on two mergers each involving two charities in the health and medical research sector; advising CAFOD the official international development agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales on its incorporation; advising the McCall MacBain Foundation, a grant-making organisation, on a £75m donation to the Rhodes Trust; advising on the registration of the Marriage Foundation as a charity and the conversion of StreetBank CIC to a charity (both of which had previously were initially refused charitable status); and acting as specialist advisor to the pre-legislative scrutiny committee (a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament) on what became the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016.
Tim is a Partner in the Immigration Department advising clients across the full range of personal, and family-based immigration, and human rights and refugee based claims. More than 25 years qualified, he started his practice in the Legal Aid sector, moving on to work for 10 years within a highly regarded niche immigration firm: Wesley Gryk LLP, before joining Bates Wells. Tim led the Immigration Team as Head of Department for 5 years from 2018 to 2023. In addition to leading on the department's personal and human rights immigration practice, Tim is Bates Wells' LGBT+ Ambassador. He is equally at ease working with high-net-worth individuals and their families, organisations and businesses, couples and family groups, and vulnerable applicants.
Tom provides a wide range of contractual, commercial and governance advice to charities, social enterprises, commercial organisations and creative businesses and individuals. Tom advises on a variety of commercial and charity law matters, including in relation to start ups, collaborative working and (re)structuring, funding, contractual arrangements, intellectual property (including copyright) and governance and constitutional issues. Tom has a particular focus on working with cultural and creative clients (a former trustee of Dance United) and is a core member of BWB’s Culture + Creative team.