Lawrence Simanowitz > Bates Wells > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Bates Wells Offices

Bates Wells
10 QUEEN STREET PLACE
LONDON
EC4R 1BE
England
Visit website 020 7551 7777 020 7551 7800

Lawrence Simanowitz

Lawrence Simanowitz photo
020 7551 7796 l.simanowitz@bwbllp.com

Work Department

Charity and social enterprise.

Position

Specialist in advising UK and international charities, and arts and media organisations, not-for-profits and social enterprises including their establishment, regulation (including regulatory investigations), campaigning, governance, mergers and incorporations, fundraising and financing and commercial agreements.  Current and past advice work includes advice RSPCA on governance and reorganisation of 160 branches,  several major UK clients on their funding agreements with public authorities and corporate partners,  statutory inquiries by the Charity Commission,   charity mergers including two residential care charities forming a single significant entity its space, establishing the Elders Foundation as a UK charity and advising on its international structure and key strategic and legal issues. UK external counsel to several of the largest US not for profit organisations. Additional areas of expertise include data protection and information law, intellectual property and IT – advising clients on rebranding, licensing and assigning copyright and trade mark rights (including a recent rebrand of major international aid and development charity and advising leading national disability charity on dispute over ownership of its database).

Career

  • Parliamentary researcher, 1986-1988
  • Television researcher, 1988-1991
  • Producer and Director television documentaries (BBC and C4), 1991-1996
  • Trained as a solicitor Lewis Silkin, qualified 2000
  • Solicitor, Bates Wells, 2000-2006
  • Partner, Bates Wells, 2006-Present
  • Contributor to:  ‘Jordan’s Charities Administration Service’; ‘Cultural Giving’; ‘Charities, Trading and the Law’; ‘Business Law: a guide for entrepreneurs’; ‘The Charities Act Handbook: A Practical Guide’; and ‘Data Protection for voluntary organisations’.

Languages

French.

Memberships

  • The Law Society
  • Charity Law Association
  • Board member, World Land Trust
  • Chair, 38 degrees Trust

Education

  • Sylvan High School
  • John Ruskin High School
  • St Peter’s College, Oxford (1986, Politics, Philosophy and Economics)
  • College of Law (1997 CPE; 1998 LPC)

Lawyer Rankings

London > Private client > Charities and not-for-profit

(Hall of Fame)

Lawrence Simanowitz – Bates Wells

Bates Wells ‘has unrivalled knowledge of the charity sector and is the go-to firm in the space of social investment and blended finance’. It is ably led by the vastly experienced Thea Longley, and clients appreciate that the practice is’ big enough to have individuals who specialise in particular sub-sets of charity practice, while also having a broad knowledge of key legal and governance issues for charities‘. Philip Kirkpatrick advises a whole host of major charities and foundations, and Lawrence Simanowitz’s specialisms include advising on charity formations and governance, as well as UK and international structuring and fundraising issues. Stephanie Biden leads on the firm’s work for faith-based charities, while Laura Soley advises on a myriad of complex technical issues relating to statutory charities, royal charter bodies and trusts. Erica Crump acts for a variety of cultural institutions and large international charities. Other recent highlights include the recent promotion of Oliver Hunt and Hannah Lyons to the partnership. Augustus Della-Porta works with many Muslim organisations and other well-known charities, and Luke Fletcher acts for various prestigious and household name charities. At associate level, Lucy Rhodes plays a pivotal role in the department.

Lawyer Rankings

Top Tier Firm Rankings

Firm Rankings