Liz Brownsell

Liz is the Head of our Charities Team. Her expertise covers a wide range of matters affecting charities, including setting up and incorporation, mergers, corporate structuring and restructuring, governance (including constitutional and membership issues), commercial arrangements and contracts (including joint ventures and collaborative agreements), trading and charity retail (in particular Gift Aid for charity shops), fundraising, matters involving the Charity Commission (including investigations), releasing permanent endowment and other restricted funds, and general charity law.

Liz has further specific expertise advising on academy conversions, covering every type of conversion, including primary and secondary schools, special needs schools, sponsored conversions, Catholic schools, and Church of England schools. Liz also provides post-conversion support to academy schools on matters such as compliance with DfE and EFA requirements, governance, mergers with other academy trust companies and other commercial issues.

Liz leads the firm’s in-house training offering to our charity clients through Birketts’ Shaping Excellence Programme, and regularly delivers seminars on a variety of topics. Liz also delivers the firm’s rolling programme of Charity Trustee Induction and Refresher Training, which provides charity trustees and senior managers with essential training on the role and responsibilities of charity trustees.

Liz qualified as a Solicitor in March 2006. She is based in our Ipswich office.

Liz is a member of the Executive Committee of the Charity Law Association and has an active interest in the development of the sector. She has been involved in a number of CLA Working Parties, including Lord Hodgson’s review of the Charities Act 2006, the Law Commission’s consultation on technical issues in charity law, the new Charity Governance Code, and the Charity Commission’s updated CC14 guidance (on charities and investment matters). Liz is a member of the CLA Standing Committee on Model Documents for Charities. She will also be co-chair for the CLA Conference for 2023 and 2024.

Liz is also a member of the Education Law Association and the Charity Retail Association.

Liz regularly writes for sector media and has published a number of articles in publications such as Charities Management Magazine.

In her spare time, Liz enjoys crochet, walking her dog and family days out.

Liz is recommended and named as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by Legal 500 [UK 2024]. In this edition, a client notes “I have worked with Liz Brownsell for many years; she is very knowledgeable, abreast of the latest developments in charity law and regulation, and always on-hand to give quick, practical advice in a responsive and tailored manner. Her client care is exceptional.” Another adds “Liz Brownsell has also been very supportive and worked well to ensure a recent change in our structure went through as smoothly as possible.” Another says “Liz Brownsell is extremely astute and knowledgeable, and has a fabulous grasp of developments in the third sector. She also works very hard for her clients.”

In the previous edition, a source noted “Our point of contact and primary professional advisor has been Liz Brownsell who has provided exceptional work, is totally reliable and makes herself available beyond normal working hours – all of which we value very highly.” Another client said “I appreciated Liz Brownsell meeting me in person to find out what our vision is. She is good at communicating and thorough in her role.”

In an earlier edition, a client said “Liz Brownsell is engaged and responsive, and really gets invested in the client organisation and helping it succeed. Great at bringing together a team of colleagues with the right expertise to handle a matter from start to finish.”

Liz is also ranked in Chambers [UK 2024]. Clients in this edition say “Liz is always very professional but also empathetic. She has a firm grip on her subject area and is very solutions-focused.” Another adds “Liz has an extraordinary knowledge of charity law and is very innovative in getting to solutions for her clients.” Liz is also described as “a very impressive lawyer who is efective and efficient” and a “very dedicated lawyer”.

In the previous edition, a source noted “Liz has been an excellent client manager, building strong relationships and providing a wide range of support.” Another added “I am always impressed by her responsiveness, her clarity of advice and her practical approach, as well as her expert knowledge of charity law and ongoing legal and regulatory developments.”