Charities provide key services and add colour and value to communities. The Aaron & Partners team has a specific focus in this sector with Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners ranked Partner Simon Ellis linking quality of specialist knowledge with the firm’s depth of experience.
The specialist expertise provides the foundation for advice to client charities and trusts in a full spectrum of legal areas. Simon Ellis sits within the firm’s Real Estate team and deals in particular with property matters.
The Wills Trusts & Taxes Team provides advice on the establishment, registration and ongoing administration of Will Trusts. Click here for more information.
Charity incorporation or the establishment of trading companies and other structures is handled by Stuart Scott-Goldstone and the firm’s Corporate Team. They can also advise on constitutional matters and amendments to governing documents, as well as mergers and amalgamations. Click here to contact Stuart.
An area of increasing activity relates to employment law and the employment rights of volunteers and charity workers and this has been the subject of case law development in recent years. Jane Hilyer and Claire Brook from the firm’s Employment Team provide client advice on the drafting of contracts up to Chief Executive level appointments for charities as well as advice prior to and including Tribunal attendance for a range of clients. Head of Employment Team, Helen Watson, is a Trustee at Claire House Children’s Hospice. Click here to contact Helen.
As charities develop they can require advice on contractual matters and commercial disputes. Litigation Partner Emyr Kerfoot has particular experience in charity litigation. Head of the Commercial Litigation Team John Devoy is a Trustee/Director of specialist arts and drama provider The Hammond School (http://www NULL.thehammondschool NULL.co NULL.uk/). As part of charity asset protection the Litigation Team provides debt recovery advice but has the understanding to deal with charity matters with empathy and care and Partner, Trefor Jones has acted in conjunction with Simon Ellis in charity land possession proceedings. Click here to contact Trefor.
The requirement for specialist advice when things go wrong is vital but it is better to take advice early to try to prevent problems arising. The majority of Simon Ellis’s case load involves non-contentious property transactions for charities and the “not for profit” sector including Charities Act compliance on freehold and leasehold transactions and on other property dealings such as grants of rights and options. Getting the most out of a charities land holdings has included asset protection by way of the voluntary registration of land and buildings on behalf of clients including ecclesiastical charities and Chester Diocese.
