Bond Dickinson appoints new Partner to Charities Team

Bond Dickinson appoints new Partner to Charities Team

Bond Dickinson has appointed Jo Coleman as a partner to its Charities team. A highly respected charities specialist, with a national profile and more than 17 years’ experience, Jo will be based in the firm’s London office. Recruited from IBB Solicitors, where she headed the Charities practice, Jo was previously a partner at specialist charities practice Farrer & Co.

Ranked nationally in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners for charities, and an elected member of the Charity Law Association Executive Committee (the only special interest group considering matters of charity law and practice), Jo is at the forefront of charity law and development.

Jo’s experience includes providing a full range of legal services for charities, in particular specialising in charity mergers and restructuring and the relationship between charities and corporate promoters.

She joins the Bond Dickinson Charities team which represents high profile charities including Addaction and Mental Health Matters.

Emma Moody, Head of the Charities, said: "I am delighted to have Jo on board. Her appointment strengthens our existing national charities practice, allowing us to nurture existing client relations and, very excitingly, opens up opportunities for us to support more charities in London and the South. Jo is not only a first-rate charities specialist, she is absolutely the right fit for our clients, which includes charities, philanthropists and those with interests in the sector.”

David Dale, Head of Business Group, confirms that: "Jo's appointment is wholly aligned with the firm's ambition for business growth."

Commenting on her appointment, Jo said: "Many charities are businesses that require a broad range of legal advice, and they operate in a highly regulated environment. The great thing about joining Bond Dickinson is that we can provide the very specialist charity governance advice, but also cater for all other areas of a charity's operations, including dispute resolution, data protection and FOI, employment, real estate and pensions. So, no matter what my client wants to achieve, the strength in depth and resource at Bond Dickinson will mean that we provide charities with exactly the right advice to achieve their objectives. I am joining a great team.”

Also joining the Charities team in London is Managing Associate, Eva Abeles, a highly regarded charities specialist, ranked as one of the Top 35 lawyers under 35 last year. Eva comes across with Jo from IBB having previously worked at Bates Wells Braithwaite LLP and trained at Herbert Smith. Jo is the third senior lateral hire for Bond Dickinson this year, the firm also promoted four new partners on the 1 May.