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Charities & Philanthropy

We advise a broad range of charities on all the legal and commercial issues that can arise during their lifetime. These include the process of creating and registering a charity; fundraising, tax and commercial questions, intellectual property issues and helping to resolve disputes.

If you are thinking about creating a new charity we advise you on your options and guide you through the process; helping you to deal with the Charity Commission. Later in the life cycle of charitable organisations, our advice extends to questions of governance, as well as mergers and reorganisations. We have particular expertise with animal welfare, medical, religious and educational bodies.

We work closely with our real estate team when it comes to property work: they are highly experienced in dealing with the special rules which apply to charities’ real estate transactions.

Our team is also regularly asked to advise individual donors and families on their personal philanthropic projects. We will guide you as to the best, most tax efficient ways to structure your giving and achieve your philanthropic goals. As part of this work, we create and run a number of family grant-making charities.

Legal 500 commentary

Druces’ charities practice is recognised in the Legal 500:

“The team has great experience over a wide range of areas within charity and not-for-profit law. The lawyers work within the UK and internationally.”

“Excellent team. Very professional advice. Great availability and promptness in response.

Recent work

We act for one of the UK’s largest animal welfare charities across a range of property, governance and commercial issues.
We advised a charity protecting the elderly on an employment dispute. We successfully sought to resolve a potentially complex problem within a very small team in the most constructive and least damaging manner for the charity.
We advised on the formation of a new charity for overseas clients who anticipate significant funding from the USA which required advice on complex cross-border tax considerations.
We advised a religious order in relation to the revision of its constitution.

Who to Contact

CAROLINE CROPLEY

Head Of Corporate Restructuring

Caroline is the Head of Corporate Restructuring in the Corporate and Commercial Team. Her focus is corporate restructuring and insolvency, and she regularly advises international group companies, investors, high net worth individuals and charities on corporate law issues, including those arising from mergers, acquisitions, disposals, internal group changes and charitable governance. She has particular expertise in advising charity clients and philanthropic organisations on structuring, compliance and legal strategy.