Edwin Coe LLP

Edwin Coe has provided legal advice to a significant number of charities and non-profit organisations for many years, including operational charities and grant-making foundations.

We have a mainstream charities practice which acts for charities operating in a diverse range of areas and are listed as a leading Charities firm in the Legal 500.

We have particular expertise in work connected with Africa (from education and development, to wildlife), and sports organisations - both areas in which historically the firm has enjoyed strong contacts. We advise on a full spectrum of charity law issues including:

Our Charities team has strong contacts with other professionals working in the charity/non-profit sector such as accountants, consultants and recruitment experts who specialise in this area. We have particular expertise in setting up charities and philanthropic structures for both high-net-worth philanthropists and major UK charities. We have advised many UK operational charities on trust, tax and general charity law matters and our charities team includes a partner who has contributed to the charity sections of a number of leading legal textbooks.

We also have considerable experience in advising charities and non-profit organisations on investment properties as well as charity premises, and are supported by a strong litigation team. Our employment law group is ranked in both the Legal 500 and Chambers Directory and is well versed in dealing with employment law issues for charity clients.

A critical aspect for many charities is the maintenance of their reputation - often one of their most valuable assets. The firm has a dedicated Intellectual Property team which has achieved some notable successes in the area of intellectual property, including acting for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in its dispute with the World Wrestling Federation over the use of the initials WWF.

Special rates are available to charities and non-profit organisations and we are happy to offer a free initial consultation to assess whether we are able to assist you with your legal needs. We are deeply committed to the charities and non-profit sector and have established a pro-bono programme which includes undertaking work for a number of charities and locally based projects.

For further details please do not hesitate to contact David Goepel

David Goepel
Partner, Head of Charities & Non-profit

t: +44 (0)20 7691 4185
f: +44 (0)20 7691 4170
e: david.goepel@edwincoe.com

David joined the Private Client department of Edwin Coe as a partner in January 2009 from Withers LLP. He heads Edwin Coe's Charity Group and acts for a wide range of private clients, including high net worth individuals, trustees and trust companies, and deals with a broad range of private client trust and tax work, both onshore and offshore.

David is particularly interested in the field of charities and philanthropy. He has advised a number of UK charities both national and local on a broad variety of legal issues, including the impact of the Charities Act 2006, the powers and duties of charity trustees, tax issues affecting charities and dealings with the Charity Commission and other regulators. David also has extensive experience of advising charitable donors, often in a cross-border context, in establishing and registering family charitable foundations and facilitating cross-border charitable gifts tax efficiently. He also works with colleagues in other practice areas across the firm to meet the full range of legal services which charities require.

David has lectured and written on a diverse range of legal topics affecting charities, including the changes introduced by the Charities Act 2006, the impact of the new substantial donor rules on charity fundraising, the uses of US/UK dual qualified charities in cross-border planning, and developments in the European context in facilitating international charitable giving.

David is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Charity Law Association. He has also been the joint editor of the Charities chapter in Tottel's "Revenue Law - Principles and Practice" and has contributed to "McCutcheon on Inheritance Tax".

Edwin Coe

Edwin Coe LLP is a commercial law firm based in the heart of London's historic legal district in Lincoln's Inn. Founded in 1913, we have grown from our litigation origins to become a thriving and modern practice, providing a comprehensive range of legal services to meet the needs of a wide variety of businesses, individuals and organisations based throughout the UK and overseas.

Our collegiate approach provides clients with efficiency and cross-disciplinary support where necessary to ensure that their needs and objectives are fully supported and met in a cost-effective manner. Legal advice is led by partners whose experience and expertise means that they are able to get to the heart of matters quickly and to come up with insightful, practical and commercial solutions in the shortest possible time frame. For most clients this is preferable and more cost-effective than if work is carried out by junior lawyers, however, we discuss this on an individual basis with clients to ensure the most suitable arrangements for them. Clients regularly rate us as "excellent" in terms of efficiency, understanding their business needs, and keeping them informed of progress and developments.

Ranked as a 'UK-200' law firm, we combine the personal and responsive service of a boutique, with 'big firm' expertise.