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James Maloney charity lawyer

James is a charity law specialist. He advises a wide spectrum of charities, and those who fund, work with and regulate them, on the full range of charity law issues. He is a recognised authority on advising philanthropists on the legal aspects of their giving and recently chaired the STEP Philanthropy Advisors Global SIG Steering Committee.

James helps clients with constitutional and governance matters, incorporations, mergers and restructuring projects. James ensures charities navigate the law on fundraising (including trading and commercial partnerships), investment, grant-making and charity property transactions. He also has extensive experience of dealing with the Charity Commission on regulatory matters.

James's clients span a wide range of charities, including grant-making and operational charities, cultural organisations, sports organisations, faith-based organisations and businesses establishing corporate foundations. His work is often international in nature.

Philanthropy is a key area of focus for James. He advises individuals and families, including through the formation of charities and alternatives. He advises on donor tax reliefs and on regulatory requirements. Recent work includes advice on complex cross-border issues and advising both donors and recipients on gifts of complex assets.

James takes a collaborative approach with clients and their other advisers. He enjoys both the technical and interpersonal aspects of his role. He relishes really getting to understand a client and what matters most to them. He is pragmatic and ensures that advice is tailored for the client's specific circumstances and needs. Helping clients to use legal advice to achieve their goals is the most satisfying part of his working life.

Recognitions

Chambers UK 2026

Charities

Band 3

The Legal 500 2026

Charities and not-for-profit

Leading Partner

Memberships & Accolades

James is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and recently served as chair of STEP's Philanthropy Advisors Global SIG Steering Committee. He also sits on Philanthropy Impact's Public Affairs Committee.

He is a member of the Charity Law Association and is a trustee of two charities. He lectures on charity law at Bayes Business School and regularly speaks on legal issues affecting the sector.

James co-authored a chapter in the Family Philanthropy Special Report on choosing a legal structure for philanthropic endeavours.

He contributes the chapter on charitable structures for sports entities in Lewis & Taylor's leading textbook Sport: Law and Practice.

Testimonials

"James Maloney is really methodical, incredibly calm and very responsive. You feel you are in very good hands, technically and practically." (Chambers UK 2026)

"We really enjoyed working with James, he brings a solid understanding of the work and issues, a keen interest in the shifts and changes in the charity sector. He is very personable and approachable." (Chambers UK 2026)

"James Maloney is outstanding. He provides timely and attentive service. He makes himself available at times to suit the client and responds quickly to requests for advice." (The Legal 500 2026)

"James is very thoughtful and ensures he understands the full depth of a question and what the charity would like to achieve, before advising." (Chambers UK 2025)

"James is calmly confident and brought us through a project that we had really no background knowledge of. He really brought us through what needed to be done and was easy to follow." (Chambers UK 2025)

"We have worked closely with James Maloney who has gone above and beyond to get to know myself and my colleagues, but more importantly, our charitable organisation, product and client base. This is evident in his communications with us and willingness to go above and beyond so that we can respond swiftly to our clients." (The Legal 500 2024)

"James is incredibly detail-oriented and gets to know his clients very well. He is very thorough and brings great experience to his work." (Chambers UK 2024)

"James has a very holistic understanding of the charities sector and has a can-do attitude." (Chambers UK 2024)

"He is a superb lawyer who is technically excellent. James' calm and unflappable manner means one feels that he can deal with any scenario." (Chambers UK 2024)

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