Bates Wells Braithwaite

Bates Wells is a UK top 100 law firm. Andrew Phillips (Lord of Sudbury), co-founder of "trans-Europe" lawyers network, the Parlex Group and UK's Legal Action Group, founded Bates Wells in 1970.[1][2] The London-based firm employs more than 200 people with specialists covering all areas of law.[3]

Bates Wells
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
No. of offices1
No. of lawyers120
Major practice areasCommercial, charity
Date founded1970
FounderAndrew Phillips (Lord of Sudbury)
Company typeLimited liability partnership
Websitewww.bateswells.co.uk

Overview

Bates Wells helped in the development of Big Society Capital, the social investment bank founded by Sir Ronald Cohen in 2012. The firm also had a major role in establishing Charity Bank, a financial institution that lends to charities and social enterprises, as well as in helping to develop the definition of a Community Interest Company.[3]

Bates Wells is acknowledged by the United Kingdom’s two independent directories, Legal 500 and Chambers UK in 21 areas.[4]

Notable clients

According to Charity Financials, Bates Wells is listed as an adviser in the accounts of 368 of the United Kingdom’s 5,000 largest charities.[5] High profile charities that the firm represents total £7.6bn and include Cancer Research UK, Arts Council England and Oxfam GB. In 2013, the firm won the business of United Learning Trust and Home Farm Trust.[5] Additional clients include Action Aid, the British Red Cross, Friends of the Earth and Shelter, the firm's first charity client.[6]

Bates Wells also represents clients in the entertainment sector such as Sean Combs (P Diddy), 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg.[7]

Alternative business structure

In June 2014, Bates Wells became the first City of London-based law firm to be granted an alternative business structure (ABS) licence specifically to provide a unified service to its clients.[8]

B Corporation certification

In August 2015, Bates Wells became the first UK law firm to certify as a B Corporation.[9] "B Corp" status is awarded to "socially conscious businesses that meet externally audited rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency".[10]

Equivalent means

Bates Wells employed the first paralegal to qualify as a solicitor through equivalent means.[11] Equivalent means was introduced in 2014 as a reform by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as part of the Training for Tomorrow programme to recognise experience obtained in the workplace to fulfil the requirements of a formal period of recognised training or a training contract to become a solicitor.[11][12]

References
  1. Andy Ricketts (25 September 2009). "Andrew Phillips wins Luke FitzHerbert Lifetime Achievement Award". Third Sector. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  2. Jonathan Ames (31 May 2012). "Lord Phillips: law has become tool for rich". The Times. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  3. Manu Mair (4 March 2015). "Meet the London law firm taking action for both charity and commerce". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  4. Howard Lake (9 December 2013). "Striking series of donations totalling more than £100m show British universities are a big draw for philanthropists, says BWB". UK Fundraising. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  5. Gareth Jones (29 October 2013). "Bates Wells named as UK's leading legal advise". Charity Financials. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  6. "Bates Wells tops charity client table for fifth consecutive year". The Lawyer. 8 March 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  7. Victoria Bates (16 March 2010). "Celebrity lawyer cements his status". Ad Exchanger. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  8. Catherine Baksi (13 June 2014). "City firm Bates Wells Braithwaite becomes ABS " Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. The Law Society Gazette.
  9. "Charity governance and trustee news - Bates Wells Braithwaite among the UK's first benefit corporations". Civil Society | Governance. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  10. "What are B Corps? | B Corporation". bcorporation.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  11. Laura Clenshaw (15 April 2015). "First solicitor to qualify through equivalent means speaks to SJ". Solicitors Journal. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  12. John Hyde (15 April 2015). "Paralegal first to qualify as solicitor through equivalent means". The Law Society Gazette. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
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