Bates Wells

Bates Wells is a London-based law firm recognised for its values-driven approach and commitment to making a positive impact across society, business, and the environment. The firm was the first in the UK to achieve B Corporation certification and is noted for its willingness to challenge the status quo through landmark cases, regulatory change, and socially focused initiatives.

The client base includes global household names, public bodies, start-ups, charities, and social enterprises, with particular recognition as a leading firm for the charity and social enterprise sector. The practice also has a significant international presence, reflecting the global scope of its work, and is a founder member of esela – The legal network for social impact, as well as the Parlex Group of European firms.

Bates Wells advises across a wide range of practice areas, including corporate and commercial law, employment, real estate, arts and media, immigration, litigation, and public and regulatory law. The firm’s charity and social enterprise team is regarded as one of the leading practices in the country, noted for its work on social impact bonds, its role in the Butler-Sloss case on investment powers for charities, and its High Court victory in defending former trustees and the CEO of Kids Company. Other notable matters include the successful worker status case against Uber in the Supreme Court, and representation of The Times in a Supreme Court appeal establishing a common law right to information from public authorities.

The firm’s specialist departments include:

• Charity and social enterprise, with expertise in charitable status applications, social enterprise structures, and sector-defining cases.
• Corporate and commercial, with strength in M&A, joint ventures, and commercial contracts, particularly in the technology sector.
• Culture and creative, advising across theatre, dance, opera, digital media, and other creative industries.
• Employment, covering contentious and non-contentious matters, discrimination law, and in-house representation before tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
• Immigration, handling all aspects of immigration and nationality law.
• Dispute resolution and litigation, with expertise in commercial litigation, administrative law, civil liberties, media disputes, and intellectual property.
• Politics, elections and campaigning law, advising on high-profile political campaigns and election matters.
• Public and regulatory, acting for regulators, charities, educational institutions, and government bodies.
• Real estate, with experience in commercial property, planning, construction, and insolvency.

Through its broad expertise and values-led ethos, Bates Wells continues to stand out in the legal market for combining technical excellence with a strong commitment to social impact and innovation.

Staffing

• 37 UK partners
• 115 other UK fee-earners