Bates Wells tops league of specialist charity firms

SURVEY: six practices account for half of the market share

Six law firms account for more than half of the market in legal work for charities, according to a new survey of leading institutions which puts City firm Bates Wells & Braithwaite at the head of the pack.

Bates Wells - with 80 clients and a 15% market share - came top according to statistics from the Charities Aid Foundation, which surveyed 250 of the UK's top 500 charities.

London firm Farrer & Co came second with 10% of the market and 52 clients, followed by Withers (8% and 43 clients), Bircham Dyson Bell (8% and 41 clients), Nabarro Nathanson (7% and 35 clients) and Sinclair Taylor & Martin (5% and 28 clients).

The other firms in the top ten were Berwin Leighton Paisner, Allen & Overy, Hempsons and Charles Russell.

Stephen Lloyd, Bates Wells' head of charity, said: 'I am delighted - this is very good news.

We were up against very stiff competition and our position is a tribute to the fact that we have - to my knowledge - the largest specialist charity department in the country.'

Meanwhile, Mr Lloyd took over as chairman of the Charity Law Association at its annual general meeting held last week at Nabarro Nathanson's offices.

He replaced Judith Hill of Farrer & Co, who was chairwoman for three years, while Jonathan Burchfield of Nabarros remained deputy chairman.

The association has more than 700 members, comprising solicitors, barristers, accountants, charities and others interested in charity law.

Jeremy Fleming