Public benefit specialist lawyer - Social Enterprise & Business; Public Services; CharityMoving to Stone King, with its national structure, leading public benefit , education and care specialisations and distinctive socially-engaged ethos, has enabled me to focus more especially and strategically on my personal specialisations in: mature social enterprise; purpose-driven business; and innovation and reform in public services, consolidating linkage with the progressive disciplines of: Social Finance and Investment; Social Value; Social Impact; purposive Commissioning and Procurement; and the development of multi-stakeholder Community Partnerships. This work is rooted in 30 years experience of applying a combination of specialist charity law and general commercial law across the public benefit spectrum. "The Art of the Possible in Public Procurement", co-authored with Frank Villeneuve-Smith of HCT Group and my promotion of Innovation Partnerships and of a proper reading of facilitative State Aid regulation have been influential in these areas, so that I am increasingly working with public authorities and social investors, as well as service-providing social enterprises and social businesses, for example in relation to Social Impact Bonds and similar and broader initiatives. I am dedicated to partnership working with groups of pioneering social enterprise CEOs and "Bold Commissioners" and Social Business International, through E3M (see www.e3m.org.uk)

I led a specialist team of 30 charity and social enterprise lawyers at Bates Wells & Braithwaite (now re-branded Bates Wells). The work may be described as applying commercial disciplines, with expert sector knowledge, to public benefit organisations. I joined BWB as a trainee in 1989 because of the firm’s distinctive public benefit ethos. I left BWB because in my view it was taking a commercial rather than a purpose-driven direction, undermining the ethos that had attracted me to the firm. Specific work areas included: establishing, developing and working with social purpose clients; operational, commercial and regulatory advice; collaborations; consolidations; social franchises and funding schemes, prospectuses and promotions. I have been closely involved with pioneering areas, including: Fair Trade; Microcredit; Renewable Energy; Social Investment and Social Finance; and the engagement between Social Enterprise and the public sector, including public service contracts (and public procurement); public sector grants (and state aid); public service re-organisation and reform and the implementation of public policy. I established BWB’s range of cross-departmental sector focussed teams, continuing to lead the Education Group. I have produced and contributed to many charity and social enterprise publications and have delivered many seminars around the country. I am currently particularly engaged in the idea of excellence in Social Enterprise being duly recognised and given enhanced mainstream recognition, which I believe to have transformative potential.

• Author of the chapter on UK charities in "Investment Management Law and Practice" published by Oxford University Press• Contributor to "Unlocking Socially Responsible Investment" published by the Charity Finance Directors' Group• Guidance on public procurement for the Compact Commission and for ACEVO• "Charitable Status: A Practical Handbook" 6th Edition (original author Andrew Phillips - Lord Phillips of Sudbury) - 2008. Publisher: Directory of Social Change• "Getting it Right Legally: (2005)” and “Getting it Right Legally (2) (2010) for Playwork Partnerships with associated national programme of seminars in England and Wales (2006-2010) • Contributions to: "Keeping it Legal - Legal Forms for Social Enterprises" for Social Enterprise London• Contributions to "Charities Administration Service" and "Charity Trading and the Law" for Jordans • Seminars for BWB/Directory of Social Change Annual Charity Law Conference; Jordan's Charity Conference; Charity Fair; Independent Schools' Council (ISC); Independent Schools' Bursar's Association (ISBA); Institute of Fundraising; other client and public events