Withers LLP

Charities and philanthropy

Amy advises charities, philanthropists and businesses on charity law and commercial matters, as well as advising a range of not-for-profit and for-profit educational institutions.

Amy works with all types of charity, including charitable trusts, charitable companies, Royal Charter bodies and unincorporated associations. She advises many of the UK’s most loved charities in relation to grant-making, fundraising (including society lotteries and major gifts), disposals of land and commercial contracts, as well as governance, corporate and trust advice. She also advises charities, including in the education sector, on mergers and restructurings.

Amy advises on engagement with the Charity Commission both at the regulatory engagement stage and the permissions stage. She regularly works alongside our property team to advise on the charity aspects of complex property developments involving charities and their subsidiary companies.

Amy regularly advises on the establishment of new charities – both operational charities and grant-making foundations.  She is involved in the structuring of private foundations to take account of donors’ complex tax profiles and works closely with the firm’s leading private client and tax team to provide integrated advice. She advises on major gifts to UK charities, as well as commercial fundraising partnerships benefiting UK charities.

Her advice regularly includes an international element, such as the recognition by HMRC of European charities for UK tax reliefs or the creation of dual qualified US-UK charities. She has recently advised on a large complex cross-border restructuring which saw a significant offshore grant making trust migrate to England and Wales.

She is passionate about the charity sector and its role within society. She regularly responds to sector consultations on behalf of the firm or as part of the Charity Law Association; most recently, Amy coordinated the firm's response to the Charity Commission's consultation on changes to the Annual Return.

Amy spent 5 months on secondment to the in-house legal team at one of the firm’s clients, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). She advised on a range of issues including fundraising regulation, data protection, gambling law, commercial contracts, licensing and corporate governance.

She is currently a trustee of a leading disability charity which provides a range of support to disabled and disadvantaged people, their families and carers, including care services and accommodation. As well as being a trustee, she is a member of the Governance and Compliance Committee and the Culture and Remuneration Committee. She has previously been a trustee for two charities in the mental health space: one supporting children and families across Luton, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire and the other supporting student mental health.

Senior Associate

Charity Law Association