Joseph Harris

Senior Associate

Joseph is an experienced charity law and governance specialist, advising regularly on contentious, transactional, and standalone advisory matters. He works with charities and other non-profits on governance, mergers and other forms of restructuring, regulatory compliance and tax, with a particular focus on complex issues that raise unusual or novel points of law and regulatory practice.

Joseph's practice spans the UK and international charity sectors, including schools and higher education institutions, cultural organisations, livery companies, grant-making charities, sports governing bodies, membership associations, UK operating charities and international NGOs.

He advises these organisations on a wide range of charity law, tax and governance matters, including day-to-day and contentious governance issues, transactional work (including significant charity mergers), standalone technical questions (often involving novel or unusual points of law), and regulatory compliance.

Joseph has extensive experience supporting organisations in their engagement with the Charity Commission and other regulators, including on registration and in the context of regulatory investigations. He has a particular focus on dealing with complex points of law and regulatory practice, including consent applications for property disposals (including in the context of the development of charity land) and applications made under the ex gratia payments regime. He also has experience engaging with HMRC, both in the context of recognition applications and investigations into clients' tax affairs.

Joseph adopts a creative, collaborative approach to working with charities and non-profits, delivering advice thoughtfully and in a timely manner, always bearing in mind the particular pressures faced by purpose-driven organisations.

Expertise

Charities

Joseph advises charities on both day-to-day and contentious governance matters, and supports them in their engagement with regulators. He also has experience in transactional matters. A particular focus of Joseph's work is delivering complex technical advice to charities with unusual or novel charitable purposes, including advice on registration and ongoing regulatory compliance.

Schools

Joseph advises schools on transactional matters (including significant mergers and other forms of restructuring), as well as complex, often sensitive governance and charity law advice, including in the context of school closures and the terms of fundraising appeals.

Philanthropists

Joseph advises philanthropists on their charitable activity, including on the structure of founder-led grant making charities, alternatives to the establishment of new charities, and on novel questions concerning ethical investment.

Livery companies

Joseph advises a number of livery companies, including in relation to potential changes to their governing documents and the restructuring of historic charitable trusts. He has experience in helping livery companies engage with the Charity Commission on complex, often centuries-old charitable structures.

Membership organisations

Joseph advises membership associations (including professional bodies and organisations governed by Royal Charter) on governance and disciplinary matters.