Private client
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP’s specialist charities practice advises a diverse client base on complex constitutional, governance, transactional and regulatory matters. The team supports clients throughout the full lifecycle of their operations, from formation to mergers and wind-downs, with particular expertise across the religion, education, grant-making, care and membership organisation spaces. Emma Moody leads the Newcastle team and is highly regarded for advising trustees and directors on legal duties and governance. Sally Cooper specialises in constitutional matters, particularly for grant-making charities.
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Profile
Work Department
Charities and Not for Proft
Position
Emma is a partner and head of the firm's charities and not for profit team.
Emma’s clients are both national (Addaction, Katie Piper Foundation, Children in Need, Crisis UK) and regional (Mental Health Matters, Gateshead College, St John of God Hospitaller Services); and she has provided support to trustees and senior management on a variety of legal issues ranging from governance reviews and restructuring exercises, incorporations and mergers, fundraising trading and tax, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Emma is also an approved Interim Manager, appointed by the Charity Commission on cases where there are regulatory concerns relating to a charity.
Emma's clients benefit from comprehensive advice in areas such as employment and pensions, data protection, property and health and safety.
Emma's approach is to understand what her clients wish to achieve, so she can deliver excellent technical advice, but in a straightforward and commercial manner, focusing on solutions and outcomes.
Emma has worked on a number of college mergers resulting from a consolidation of the FE sector, she has acted as Interim Manager for a charity in relation to high profile safeguarding concerns, and is Interim Manager for a charity with internal governance issues to resolve. Emma is supporting a large membership body in its move to independence (creating an entirely new constitutional and governance framework) and is working with a significant national charity looking to develop its partnership arrangements with commercial fundraising partners.
Emma is immersed in the sector through her trustee roles, through her interaction with umbrella bodies and regulators. She is a regular speaker at events on issues affecting the sector, and is a member of bodies including ACEVO, CFG and AoC.
Career
Trained and qualified at Farrer & Co 2002-07; solicitor, Dickinson Dees 2007; associate, Dickinson Dees 2009; director Dickinson Dees 2011; (head of team from 2012); Bond Dickinson on merger 2013; partner, Bond Dickinson 2014; partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP on combination 2017. Trustee of Melete Foundation, Clerk Gateshead College.
Memberships
Charity Law Association, Association of Colleges, ACEVO, CFG.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Emma Moody and her team are much more than a standard law team, they will listen, work with what the client requires in a particular situation, and be empathetic to existing relationships and sensitivities. I cannot recommend this team highly enough, they are the best team that I have ever worked with.’
‘Emma Moody has the depth of character and knowledge that leaves you knowing that you are in safe and competent hands. The attention to detail and additional advice are wonderful.’
‘We have been supported by Womble Bond Dickinson for all legal matters relating to the charity's operation. They have provided consistently high-quality legal advice across charity governance, contracts, employment and TUPE, property and other matters in my experience.'
'We have been well-supported by WBD to deliver a charity merger/acquisition, which involved several members of the team across the above matters. The WBD team were instrumental in delivering the merger, keeping us on track and in line with relevant legislation.’‘Emma Moody has provided excellent advice and leadership across important legal matters impacting the charity. She has drawn in additional advice from experts in other areas of practice. Emma responds to our queries effectively and is excellent at rooting our queries in relevant legislation to reduce organisational risk.'
'Sally Cooper has been very effective in supporting us in our merger. She is particularly effective in keeping us on track, establishing critical deadlines and supporting the development of our legal agreements, which have been essential in progressing the merger.’‘Emma Moody is an outstanding charities lawyer and our first port of call in any trustee or regulatory governance issue.’
‘Emma Moody has a depth of knowledge around charities that we've not found anywhere else. She is the first call that we make when we have a question on anything to do with running a charity, and because Womble Bond Dickinson is a large international firm, there is always expertise to tap into.'
Key clients
- BBC Children in Need Royal Academy of Engineering Dogs Trust Mental Health Matters Everyturn Archbishops' Council York Diocesan Board of Finance National Energy Action Church of England Central Services Humankind Charity (now trading as Waythrough) NCFE Zoe's Place Saint John of God Hospitaller Services Percy Hedley Foundation St Mary Magdalene and Holy Jesus Trust Durham Cathedral York Minster Great North Air Ambulance Service
Work highlights
Supported Everyturn, a national provider of mental health and wellbeing services, on its acquisition of regional charity Streetwise Young People's Project.