Alison Paines > Withers LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Withers LLP Offices
20 Old Bailey
LONDON
EC4M 7AN
England
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Alison Paines
Work Department
Charities and philanthropy
Position
Alison is a partner in the charities team. She has over 25 years of experience in advising charities and other non-profit bodies, and those who contract with or donate to them.
Her clients include an eclectic mix of service providers, grant-makers, educational bodies, aid agencies and research institutes, as well as individual and corporate philanthropists.
She advises on all aspects of charities’ activities but specialises in strategic and governance advice. She is particularly well known for her expertise on medical charities (especially those linked with the National Health Service), educational charities, charities associated with government and international charity issues.
Alison is well used to negotiating for clients with the Charity Commission and other regulators. She is the past Chairman of the Charity Law Association and the current Chair of Governors at a leading school.
Career
Qualified in 1981. Solicitor with Crossman, Block & Keith 1981-87; joined Withers 1988 and became a partner in 1991.
Contributor to ‘Charities Manual’ (Tolley’s) ‘Practical Trust Precedents’; ‘Revenue Law’ (Tolley). Editorial board and contributor ‘International Charitable Giving; OUP.
Languages
English
Memberships
Charity Law Association; Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners; International Institute of Foundation and Association Lawyers; Law Society.
Education
Notting Hill & Ealing High School; Girton College, Cambridge (MA Classics and Law); Lancaster Gate College of Law.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Public sector > Education: institutions
Withers LLP‘s higher education team provides strong advice on matters related to charity law and also displays strong multinational expertise, with its team of lawyers across the US and UK regularly assisting clients with cross-border educational partnerships and arrangements. The London team is led by charity experts Philip Reed, Alison Paines, and Chris Priestley, who have advised on the establishment of multijurisdictional educational charities, joint ventures, and strategically important governance matters. Advice on research initiatives is a further area of expertise for the team, which has provided commercial and IP support to clients in connection with large-scale research projects.
London > Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
(Hall of Fame)Clients of Withers LLP remark that ‘the partners in the practice are among the leading lights of charity law’ and notably single out Alison Paines and practice head Chris Priestley for praise. The ‘extremely professional and knowledgeable’ team acts for a significant proportion of the top 50 charities in the UK, and a key strength of the first-rate practice is its expertise in strategy and governance matters, as well as its regulatory engagement at a senior level with the Charity Commission. In addition, given the firm’s international reach, the practice is regularly instructed on charity matters that span different jurisdictions. Paul Hewitt heads up the firm’s work for charities on legacy income and trustee disputes, while Philip Reed advises charities, not-for-profit organisations and philanthropists on a wide range of issues. The senior associates in the department also receive a lot of plaudits; Roger Waite acts for some of the UK’s largest charities and has considerable experience of advising many of the most substantial NHS charities, Emma Flower garners praise for her wide-ranging experience in areas as diverse as mergers, constitutional matters and fundraising law, and Amy Carter advises charities, philanthropists and businesses on a broad range of matters.
Lawyer Rankings
- Charities and not-for-profit London > Private client
- Hall of Fame London > Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Education: institutions London > Public sector
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Court of protection
- Private client > Family
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Employment > Senior executives
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Private client > Family: mediation
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Real estate > Residential property
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Public sector > Education: institutions
- Public sector > Education: schools
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Employment > Immigration
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Employment > Employers
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)