Liz Brownsell > Birketts LLP > Ipswich, England > Lawyer Profile
Birketts LLP Offices
Providence House
141-145 Princes Street
IPSWICH
IP1 1QJ
England
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
Liz Brownsell
Work Department
Charities and Social Enterprise
Corporate
Position
Partner, Head of Charities
Career
Liz is the Head of our Charities Team. Her expertise covers a wide range of matters affecting charities, including setting up and incorporation, mergers, corporate structuring and restructuring, governance (including constitutional and membership issues), commercial arrangements and contracts (including joint ventures and collaborative agreements), trading and charity retail (in particular Gift Aid for charity shops), fundraising, matters involving the Charity Commission (including investigations), releasing permanent endowment and other restricted funds, and general charity law.
Liz has further specific expertise advising on academy conversions, covering every type of conversion, including primary and secondary schools, special needs schools, sponsored conversions, Catholic schools, and Church of England schools. Liz also provides post-conversion support to academy schools on matters such as compliance with DfE and EFA requirements, governance, mergers with other academy trust companies and other commercial issues.
Liz leads the firm’s in-house training offering to our charity clients through Birketts’ Shaping Excellence Programme, and regularly delivers seminars on a variety of topics. Liz also delivers the firm’s rolling programme of Charity Trustee Induction and Refresher Training, which provides charity trustees and senior managers with essential training on the role and responsibilities of charity trustees.
Memberships
Liz is a member of the Charity Law Association and has an active interest in the development of the sector. She has been involved in a number of CLA Working Parties, including Lord Hodgson’s review of the Charities Act 2006, the Law Commission’s consultation on technical issues in charity law, and the new Charity Governance Code. Liz is also a member of the CLA Standing Committee on Model Documents for Charities.
Liz is also a member of the Education Law Association and the Charity Retail Association.
Liz regularly writes for sector media and has published a number of articles in publications such as Charities Management Magazine.
Lawyer Rankings
East Anglia > Public sector > Public sector
(Next Generation Partners)Birketts LLP
has a multi-disciplinary team that acts for a diverse range of clients in the health and education sectors. ‘The employment team is always available to support and give advice and are very knowledgeable‘, remarks one client. Head of public sector and local government Ruth Neave works across all five of the firm’s offices, calling upon the expertise of head of education Abigail Trencher in Cambridge and head of health Matthew Newnham in Norwich. Charities partner Liz Brownsell in Ipswich takes the lead on matters concerning academies. Trencher and legal director Tom Sharpe in Norwich are ‘very helpful and their advice is always sound‘. Corporate partner Ed Savory, also based in Norwich, advised South Norfolk Council on a joint venture arrangement with five other local authorities in Norfolk and Anglian Water.
East Anglia > Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
(Next Generation Partners)Birketts LLP‘s team has ‘a great and growing charity law practice; the team is very responsive and knowledgeable’. The Ipswich office is the key hub of related expertise, and is home to charity law specialist and practice head Liz Brownsell, who is ‘always on hand to give quick, practical advice in a responsive and tailored manner’. Employment expert Sonya O’Reilly also plays a key role in the practice, as do senior associate Jennifer Marley and legal director Louisa Saunders, who both assist with incorporation, governance, commercial and land-related matters.
Lawyer Rankings
- Charities and not-for-profit East Anglia > Private client
- Next Generation Partners East Anglia > Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Next Generation Partners East Anglia > Public sector > Public sector
- Public sector East Anglia > Public sector
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Finance > Banking and finance
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: Cambridge
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Real estate > Commercial property: Cambridge
- Real estate > Commercial property: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Real estate > Commercial property: Norwich
- Real estate > Construction
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Cambridge
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Norwich
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Dispute resolution > Debt recovery
- Employment > Employment
- Private client > Family
- Crime, fraud and licensing > General crime and fraud
- Employment > Health and safety
- Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Licensing
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate: Norwich
- Real estate > Planning and environment
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Public sector > Public sector
- Real estate > Social housing
- Transport > Transport and shipping