Bates Wells

Charity & Social Enterprise

Stephanie is a Partner in the Charity and Social Enterprise team at Bates Wells and is the joint lead on all the firm’s work with faith-based organisations, with a particular interest in working with International NGOs and environmental organisations.

Stephanie’s day-to-day work involves dealing with the Charity Commission on registrations, consents and regulatory compliance cases, governance advice, supporting charities with collaborative working and mergers. She also advises on contracts, grant-making (including overseas), fundraising and trading, intellectual property, social franchising, equality and discrimination, and corporate philanthropy.

Her recent work includes advising CAFOD, the official international development agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, on its incorporation; advising the McCall MacBain Foundation, a grant-making organisation, on a £75m donation to the Rhodes Trust; and advising on the registration of the Marriage Foundation as a charity and the conversion of StreetBank CIC to a charity (both of which had previously were initially refused charitable status).

Acted as a specialist advisor to the pre-legislative scrutiny committee (a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament) on what became the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016Contributor to Jordan's 'Charities - The New Law 2006 - A Practical Guide to the Charities Acts'

Partner, Bates Wells 2013

Admitted as a solicitor, 2005

Trainee, Bates Wells, 2003

Legal Fellow, International Justice Mission, 2003

Trustee of Tearfund

Chair of Bates Wells Foundation

Co-ordinating BWB’s pro bono advice with Advocates for International Development

Member of Charity Law Association working groups on the Equality Act and reviewing Charity Commission guidance on trustee remuneration

Former trustee of several other charities including Breaking Barriers and Stewardship

Former secretary and founding committee member of the Solicitors' International Human Rights Group (2005-2007), co-ordinating its work on human trafficking, including evidence to Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry

Experience of voluntary work in the UK, Ukraine, China, France and Thailand

Oxford Institute of Legal Practice, Legal Practice Course, 2002

Oxford Brookes University, Post-graduate Diploma in Law, 2001

Pembroke College, Oxford University, BA (Hons) English Language & Literature, 2000

Travel, theatre, film, hosting an occasional supperclub raising funds for small charities, skiing.