Shakespeare Martineau

Helping you make even more of a difference.

Operating in the charity and not-for-profit sector has never been more challenging or more stimulating with social, economic and political upheavals, scarce resources and mounting needs and expectations. All these challenges call for practical, commercial and innovative advice and guidance.

Our team of charity and not-for-profit specialist lawyers and advisors have been brought together to provide you with market leading advice and creative solutions to help you focus on what matters most: the delivery of your organisation’s purposes.

Together, our experts act as your trusted advisors, with a unique mix of:

· Sector specialists: covering a broad range of advice from charity law and governance, legacy management and disputes, through to employment, funding and legal structures, commercial agreements, property, data protection and intellectual property

· Individuals who are truly passionate about helping charities achieve their aims: with many members of the team acting as trustees, volunteers and patrons of charities themselves

Our team find creative solutions, keeping your goals and objectives in mind…

· Trusted legal advisors to over 200 charities and not for profit organisations across the UK

· Proud to be on the Interim Manager legal panel for Charity Commission for England and Wales

· Multiple members of our team volunteer as trustees for a number of charities

· Proud members of the Charity Law Association and a member of the Executive Committee

· National team of over 50 charities specialists in locations across the UK

· Ranked as a leading law firm in The Legal 500 UK & Chambers & Partners

We are B Corp accredited which reflects the work we have done to become a truly purpose-led and responsible business. Now that we have this accreditation, we are recognised as a business for good; and through it we are part of a global movement of companies that meet the highest levels of social and environmental standards.

What does that mean for you? By being socially aware, we would attract talent to our firm. Many people prefer to work for firms that are socially aware and contribute to positive change. By having more talented and engaged individuals will positively impact the quality and delivery of our services to you.

We are more attuned to identifying potential environmental and social risks in the projects delivered by our clients, which can help us help you to mitigate and manage the challenges you may face.

As a firm that adopts and embraces sustainable business practices, this ensures our firm’s longevity and respected place in society, providing clients with the assurance that the business is here to stay.

By collaborating with clients in this area, we can be a greater force good regarding social and environmental change. This means that we have actively contributed to the social agenda and targets of our clients.

For more information on how we can help you to make even more of a difference, get in touch with Catherine Rustomji, our Head of Charities today: Catherine.Rustomji@shma.co.uk