As part of our nationally recognised, top-tier Charity Sector Group, our Charity Property Team is recognised as a leader in this field and is involved in many of the most significant and highly publicised property transactions for charities and social enterprises, including:

  • Major development and restoration projects;

  • Large scale freehold and leasehold acquisitions and dispositions;

  • Property portfolio management;

  • Complex charity hive-offs;

  • Complex uplift, overage and clawback arrangements;

  • The property aspects charity or social enterprise mergers, acquisitions and restructuring;

  • Advice to major grant funders to the sector; and

  • Property financing and refinancing.

What we do

We understand and are involved daily in the technical legal requirements which relate specifically to Charity property ownership and transactions and other regulatory restrictions for a wide variety of charitable bodies and are able to apply our specialist expertise as part of the Charity Sector Group to help with the delivery of our clients’ missions. Being immersed in such work and working closely with the Charity Commission and other professionals within the sector enables us to recognise and empathise with what matters to charities and social enterprises, in relation to both their operational and investment property, which can cover a very wide variety of property types and related legal frameworks.

Our work has involved us in dealing with all manner of operational charity and trading subsidiary property. We also address all the property investment and management issues for charities and social enterprises with investment properties including portfolios containing residential, commercial and agricultural properties.

We have been closely involved in the development of law and regulation in the area, acting as a consultee to the Law Commission and Charity Commission and work closely with professional groups including the Charity Law Association, the Charities’ Property Association, the Ethical Property Federation and others in helping to ensure that developing law is drafted to take into account the specific requirements of the Charity Sector.

We have related specialist teams for Educational Property, Commercial Property, Construction and Private Investors.

What our clients say

“Hugh has offered exceptional, dependable and thorough service.”  “From inception to completion, we have been in competent, skilled and experienced hands.”

Chambers - 2023

What our clients say

“He is a highly knowledgeable and effective property solicitor.”

Chambers - 2023

What our clients say

"I've been very impressed by the team's expertise and determination to complete the projects despite some significant complications."

Client Feedback in Chambers, 2021

What our clients say

"Many thanks to you and the team for fantastic work and quite exceptional service!"

Colin Bailey, National Lottery Heritage Fund - 2019

What our clients say

"They take the time to really get to know the organisation; they offer proactive as well as reactive advice and support, they are incredibly knowledgeable and reliable, the quality of their work is exceptional and they always think things through from all angles."

Chambers - 2019

What our clients say

"Many interviewees are quick to laud the insight the firm offers, with one praising the team's expertise and in-depth knowledge of the charity sector, as well as its solution-orientated and pragmatic approach."

Chambers - 2019

What our clients say

"I'm very impressed by the service; they always seem to go the extra mile."

Client Feedback in Chambers - 2019

What our clients say

"They have strong client service, genuine expertise in the relevant areas of law and are practical in identifying solutions."

Chambers - 2019

What our clients say

"The team is lauded for its ‘well-presented advice’ and for the fact that there are ‘sufficient subject matter experts on hand to be able to tackle a wide range of questions’."

Legal 500 -  2019

What our clients say

"They were efficient and pleasant to deal with", "they're great charities and public sector lawyers".

Chambers - 2014

What our clients say

Stone King LLP’s ‘prompt and knowledgeable’ real estate team handles a steady flow of work for a host of longstanding clients and attracts praise for its ‘expertise in what are often quite niche areas of law’, and for its sector specialisms in charity and education.

Legal 500 - 2017

What our clients say

"The team provides excellent advice and the quality of service is extremely high."

Chambers - 2018

What our clients say

"The team is diligent and always available for any clarification of issues."

Chambers - 2018

The law and practice referred to in this article or webinar has been paraphrased or summarised. It might not be up-to-date with changes in the law and we do not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided at the time of reading. It should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice in relation to a specific set of circumstances.