Charities Senior Associate​/Legal Director ’ PQE

Overview

This private practice law firm in Bristol is looking to grow its Charities and not-for-profit practice and is therefore recruiting a Charities Senior Associate/Legal Director with 5 or more years’ PQE. The team is particularly known for advising charities and other not-for-profits in the health and social care and education sectors. However, the team has a broad client base which reflects the diverse nature of the charities and not-for-profit sector.

The team acts for household names and are noted for combining a commercial and pragmatic outlook with a genuine understanding of the individual objectives of our charity and not-for-profit clients.

The successful candidate will be expected to handle their own caseload and support the lead partner on larger projects, encompassing the full range of charity law and governance issues alongside contributing to business development initiatives and supervising junior members of the team.

Specific matters which you are likely to be involved with include:

• Advising charity trustees on their duties and responsibilities
• Advising on charity start‑ups and registrations (including the appropriate structure for a new charity)
• Advising charities on all types of legal structure
• Advising on constitutional reviews ensuring that charity clients are operating with a modern and appropriate legal structure and governing instrument
• Advising on all types of governance issues
• Advising on strategic issues for charities, including the wide range of commercial issues they face
• Advising on transactions including mergers between charities and other types of acquisition and disposal
• Advising on grant agreements and fundraising matters
• Advising on endowments and restricted funds
• Advising on the serious incident reporting regime and drafting appropriate reports to the Charity Commission

You will also have excellent relationship and client handling skills as well as being able to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day‑to‑day issues. Strong technical skills and an ability to understand and work through complex issues are essential. You will be team orientated and collegiate with experience of, and a willingness to mentor, coach and supervise less experienced members of the team.

You will also be a key player in the business development activities and marketing initiatives of the team.