Qualification and experience
• LLB, University of Nottingham (1999-2003)
• University of Texas (2001-2002)
• Scholarship Placement – Clifford Chance New York (Summer 2002)
• Legal Practice Course, Nottingham Law School (2003-2004)
• Legal Aid Internship – CLEAR International in Kenya (2004-2005)
• Trainee Solicitor, White & Case (Seconded to Singapore in 2006) (2005-2007)
• Admitted Solicitor, Bates Wells & Braithwaite (2007)
• Part-time secondment to the Social Investment Team at the Cabinet Office (2011)
Type of work
• General commercial, charity and transactional advice to civil society organisations
• Advising on regulatory, constitutional and governance issues and arrangements
• Preparing and negotiating loan and security documentation
• Advising on equity investment in social enterprises and shareholders’ agreements
• Advising on investment fund structures and establishment
• Advising managers and investees in relation to social investments
• Advising on the charity law aspects of social finance activity
• Designing quasi-equity instruments, including revenue participation and royalties
• Advising on the dividend and interest caps of community interest companies
• Advising on intermediary activity, including deal arranging and crowd-funding
• Preparing share and loan issue documentation for public and local offers
• Managing the financial services aspects of transactions, including in relation to the Prospectus Directive, financial promotions, regulated activities and collective investment schemes
• Co-ordinating the BWB Social Finance Group
Examples of Recent Work
• Advising on the structure and establishment of the Big Society Capital group
• Advice to NESTA and Panahpur on the Big Society Finance Fund
• Establishment of Bridges Social Entrepreneurs Fund, Social Finance, Social Stock Exchange and BuzzBnk
• Advice to Energy4All, Water Power Enterprises and The Green Valleys CIC on community finance
• Advising leading NGOs on the establishment of an international impact fund
• Advising on the establishment of a new community development finance institution
• Advice to investors and issuers in relation to pilot and proposed social impact bonds
• Secretary to the Expert Group on Responsible Investment in response to the Charity Commission CC14 consultation
• Convening the UK Working Group on the EU Social Business Initiative
Publications
• Author of “Investing in Civil Society: A Framework for a Bespoke Regulatory Regime” published by NESTA
• Author of the legal issues section of “Funding Revolution: A Guide to Establishing and Running Low Carbon Community Revolving Funds” published by Forum for the Future for the Department of Energy and Climate Change
Articles and Talks
• Articles for the Guardian, Third Sector, Charity Finance, Social Enterprise Liveand other publications
• “Social investment – time to Occupy the mainstream?” for Social Enterprise Live
• “We must rebalance the financial system in favour of civil society” for the Guardian
• Speaks regularly at conferences and seminars on civil society and social finance
Pro bono and Appointments
• Trustee of the Wales Millennium Centre
• Trustee of Stewardship
• Company Secretary of the Social Stock Exchange
• Six-month internship doing legal aid in prisons in Kenya with CLEAR International
• Member of the Charity Law Association
