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 [email protected]

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 > Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity

Bates Wells is differentiated by its standout know-how in relation to the charity and not-for-profit sector – where Lawrence Simanowitz and Hannah Lyons are just some of the key contacts – and its expertise in matters relating to electoral data use. Practice head Eleonor Duhs, whom clients regard as being ‘amazingly experienced and well connected‘, is regularly involved with legislation drafting, and is consequently well placed to advise on emerging technologies, including AI.

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

(Hall of Fame)

Lawrence Simanowitz – Bates Wells

The large and specialist team at Bates Wells has a ‘wonderful combination of expertise in the law, deep experience in the sector, and an inherently practical outlook’. Thea Longley heads the practice, which is adept at handling day-to-day issues for its non-profit clients, through to the most complex charity law matters. Philip Kirkpatrick advises many major charities, as well as foundations. Lawrence Simanowitz’s areas of specialisation span charity formations and governance, through to spinouts and campaigning. Stephanie Biden leads the work for faith-based charities, while Laura Soley has a broad charity practice, and covers niche areas such as royal charter bodies and statutory charities. Erica Crump acts for a range of large charities and spearheads the culture and creative cross-departmental offering. Oliver Hunt frequently advises on the structuring and promotion of crowdfunded projects, particularly for renewable energy projects. In April 2024, Jean Tsang and Lucy Rhodes were promoted to the partnership. Suhan Rajkumar is another name to note.

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