Jennifer is a Senior Associate in our Charities Team and the firm’s lead for school academy matters. She is based in the Ipswich office.
Specialising in providing clear, pragmatic legal advice, Jennifer has experience of working with a wide range of organisations including large national and international charities, ecclesiastical charities, educational organisations (including Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), independent schools and Oxbridge Colleges), corporate foundations, granting-making charities, community interest companies and other not-for-profit entities.
Jennifer has also previously assisted with contentious matters involving charities (including contentious probates and trustee disputes), serious incident management and assisting charities/trustees involved in Charity Commission Statutory Inquiries, and has a particular interest in helping clients to navigate these difficult situations.
Jennifer previously worked as Senior Legal Counsel at The British Red Cross Society and prior to that was in the charities team at a number of large national firms in the Oxford area. She has a bachelor’s degree (LL.B) in Law with European Legal Systems and a master’s degree (LL.M) specialising in International Law..
Recent work highlights
Undertaking a detailed governance review of a charity and reporting to the trustees on current governance arrangements, conflicts of interest, trustee/connected person benefit issues, the relationship between the charity and its trading subsidiary, and options for regularising the governance position going forward (including obtaining Charity Commission orders where needed).
Advising a Multi-Academy Trust on transferring all of its schools prior to winding-up. The schools were transferred to multiple incoming MATs and there were a number of complexities relating to property arrangements and potential liabilities that needed to be resolved as part of the process.
Advising on the transfer of a not-for-profit entity and its numerous subsidiaries and affiliated entities to a Royal Charter body.
Experience & education
Qualified as Solicitor 2016.
Joined Birketts in April 2022.
We were a small charity struggling with an issue which had perplexed other law firms. Jen Marley and the team at Birketts were brilliant at getting to the crux of the matter and sorting it efficiently and expertly. They solved problems before they arose and guided us through the issue every step of the way. We can’t recommend the charities team highly enough.
Ed Perkins, Charities client
Insights
-
Charity trustee disputes and the importance of resilient governancelegal updateCharity trustee disputes and the importance of resilient governance
Jennifer Marley24 Oct 20249 min read115
