Bates Wells

Charity and social enterprise.

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.

Trained Allen & Overy, qualified March 1999 Allen & Overy's private client team, 1999 to 2001 Solicitor, RadcliffesLeBrasseur, 2002 Joined Bates Wells, 2002 to 2004 Worked at the National Pro Bono Resource Centre in Sydney, Australia, 2004 Re-joined Bates Wells in 2005 Partner, Charity and Social Enterprise team, 2012 Contributor to new edition of "The Charities Acts Handbook: A Practical Guide" (Jordans)

Charity Law Association External member of the Art Fund's risk and reputation group. Former trustee of LawWorks

Nonsuch High School for Girls Exeter University, LLB Hons (1st) 1995 Guildford College of Law (Distinction), 1996

Visiting art galleries, yoga, hiking and cycling