England - London • Private client
1

Charities and not-for-profit

Farrer & Co

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The outstanding team at Farrer & Co has a ‘deep knowledge of the charity sector and fantastic expertise’. It has an impressive client base of leading UK and international charitable organisations, and a long track record of advising on some of the most complex, ground -breaking and high-profile work in the sector. Under the joint leadership of James Maloney and Elizabeth Jones, the nimble team covers the full range of issues from charity mergers and restructuring work, to advising on corporate foundations and partnerships. Other core areas of expertise include handling disputes and managing reputational issues. In addition, it continues to be busy advising on various safeguarding issues, and innovative charity finance matters. Anne-Marie Piper is particularly known for her skilful handling of difficult regulatory cases, as well as other issues relating to mergers, reorganisations and governance. Julian Smith acts for a wide range of foundations and functional charities, and is well regarded in the charity investment sphere. Sam Macdonald has a broad practice; he advises philanthropists on their charitable giving as well as advising overseas organisations.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is well established and highly knowledgeable with many combined years of experience in dealing with charities and not-for-profits as well as the regulators they work with. Anne-Marie Piper along with James Maloney - both provide exceptional knowledge and candid advice'.

  • ‘The practice is strong in charity law and company law which are the two areas where we seek advice. I have found them to be very responsive and eager to find solutions. James Maloney is always available and responsive’.

  • ‘Throughout all our dealings with Farrer & Co, they are always incredibly diligent, clear and swift in their advice. We trust their incredible expertise and technical knowledge on complex cases which is communicated to us clearly and in a manner that is easy to digest and forward on to our clients where necessary'.

  • ‘We have worked closely with James Maloney who has gone above and beyond to get to know myself and my colleagues, but more importantly, our charitable organisation, product and client base. This is evident in his communications with us and willingness to go above and beyond so that we can respond swiftly to our clients'.

  • ‘Farrers are the market leaders in advising Royal Charter charities. They have a strong sense of the drivers within the organisation and how that interacts with Charity law’.

  • ‘Principally we work with Elizabeth Jones and to a lesser extent with Anne-Marie Piper and Sam Macdonald. It is a genuinely partner led service with access to the individual flair and experience each has. Sara van der Pas gives steady support’.

  • 'The team sits at the heart of the firm and so is able to draw on the expertise of other teams to provide a full service. Sam Macdonald is not only an expert in charity law he truly understands us and the context in which we operate, tailoring his advice accordingly, meaning it is more impactful and cost effective.’

  • ‘Sam Macdonald and Hannah Whyatt -  Universally, I would describe the lawyers at Farrers as having a good technical knowledge but an ability to apply it in a practical way in the support they give us'.

Key clients

  • Age UK
  • Motability
  • The Prince’s Trust
  • Samaritans
  • The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
  • Home-Start UK
  • The Rhodes Trust
  • Save the Children
  • Care4Calais
  • Cycling UK
  • Sweaty Betty Foundation

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Sam Macdonald
Hall of fameFarrer & Co
Sam is the Head of the Schools Group. He advises charities and other not-for-profit institutions on all aspects of UK charity law and related tax law. He also advises philanthropists on structures for giving and the establishment of charities, and overseas organisations on their engagement with the British and European charitable sectors. Sam represents the firm on the Charity Tax Group and the Charities' Property Association, and is a member of the Charity Law Association.
Julian Smith
Hall of fameFarrer & Co
Julian has specialised in advising charities since 1994, and acts for a wide range of foundations and functional charities, including organisations established by statute or by Royal charter. He has particular expertise in the areas of governance, tax, investment, re-organisation and merger. He co-authored "The Charities Act 2006, a Practical Guide" and contributes to the  current edition of Tudor on "Charities”. Julian is the current Chair of the Charity law Association, and lectures on charity law at the Cass Business School. He is also a trustee of six charities.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Elizabeth Jones
Farrer & Co
Elizabeth is the practice head for Charities at Farrer & Co. Elizabeth has extensive experience advising charities on governance and constitutional issues, re-structuring, fundraising, equality law (in relation to charitable trusts), charity mergers and regulatory matters. She also advises on grant-making, trading subsidiaries and endowment trusts. Elizabeth is a member of the Charity Law Association's taxation sub-committee and co-authored 'Structuring-not-for-profits in the UK'. In May 2015, she was named as one of Charity Finance's Top 25 Rising Stars in the charity sector.
James Maloney
Farrer & Co
James advises a broad range of charities and other organisations, including grant-making charities, museums, higher education institutions, faith-based organisations, sports governing bodies and livery companies. He gives advice on issues such as the formation and registration of new charities, charity mergers, constitutional matters, governance, fundraising and trading. James is a regular member of CLA working parties responding to Charity Commission consultations, most recently on charities and investment (for which he acted as secretary) and on the advancement of amateur sport. He is a charity trustee and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars on issues affecting the sector.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

James Maloney, Elizabeth Jones

Other key lawyers

Anne-Marie Piper, Sam Macdonald, Julian Smith, Sara van der Pas, Hannah Whyatt

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