Bates Wells

Charity & Social Enterprise

Laura is a Partner in the Charity and Social Enterprise team at Bates Wells and is the head of the firm’s expert charitable trusts special interest group and joint head of the firm’s Legacies cross-departmental team.

She advises on charity law, governance and structuring issues, with particular specialism in advising on technical charity law issues and complex structures including charitable trusts, endowments, Royal Charter bodies, statutory charities and property holding structures.

Laura was also closely involved in the Law Commission’s consultation and subsequent stages which led to the Charities Act 2022 both as a member of the Charity Law Association working party and for Bates Wells. This included making a submission to and appearing before the House of Lords committee considering the draft Bill.

Her recent work includes assisting a Royal Charter body with significant changes to its charter and bylaws, working on a governance review and restructuring of a charity network, assisting a University with several major gifts and endowments and supporting a local community group with challenging a scheme made by the Charity Commission relating to charity land in the Tribunal.

Contributor to new edition of "The Charities Acts Handbook: A Practical Guide" (Jordans)

Partner, Bates Wells, 2012

Re-joined Bates Wells, 2005

Worked at the National Pro Bono Resource Centre in Sydney, Australia, 2004

Joined Bates Wells, 2002-2004

Solicitor, RadcliffesLeBrasseur, 2002

Allen & Overy's private client team, 1999-2001

Trained Allen & Overy, qualified March 1999

Charity Law Association

External member of the Art Fund's risk and reputation group

Co-chair, Bates Wells’ Diversity and Inclusion Forum

Former trustee of LawWorks

Guildford College of Law (Distinction), 1996

Exeter University, LLB Hons (1st) 1995

Nonsuch High School for Girls

Visiting art galleries, yoga, hiking and cycling