James Sinclair Taylor
UK Guide 2025
Senior Statespeople : Charities
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+44 (0)20 8394 6480Share profile
Senior Statespeople
About
Provided by James Sinclair Taylor
Practice Areas
Partner in the Charity and Social Business Team. Specialises in advising charities, social enterprises, housing associations, schools and public bodies.
Main area of practice is governance, the Commission and regulatory compliance, strategy, charity formation, company law, solvency, collaborative working, trading and contracts with funders. Currently involved in facilitating and delivering a number of mergers. Advises a broad range of charities including Chain of Hope, international bodies (UNICEF), learned societies, professional bodies and campaigning bodies (CAPG).
Much of his work is with organisations providing social care including Choice Support and Hestia. He has particular experience advising membership bodies including British Society for Counselling and Psychotherapy and YHA and a range of international membership bodies including Consumers International and Hostelling International.
He both advises grant makers such as Barrow Cadbury and Tudor Trust. He chairs grant maker, Reside Housing Association and ShelterBox and Vice Chair of Islington Play Association, Swanage & Purbeck Development Trust and is Protector of NESTA.
Career
Qualified in 1975. Founded Sinclair Taylor & Martin in 1981. Joined Russell-Cooke as lead of the Charity Team in 2004.
Professional Memberships
Charity Law Association.
Publications
Author of the 'Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook', 'Company Handbook and Registers for Voluntary Organizations' and numerous articles.
Articles, highlights and press releases
3 items provided by Russell-Cooke
Shifting sands: safeguarding and serious incident reports
The obligation on charities to report serious incidents to the Charity Commission is not new but the approach to reporting in the safeguarding arena has developed quite significantly following the events at Oxfam and elsewhere, which came to light earlier this year.
Fiduciary duties - the Court of Appeal fudged it
The Court of Appeal confirmed in the case of The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (UK) v Attorney General and others that members of a charitable company limited by guarantee do owe a fiduciary duty to act in the interests of the charity.
New Charity Commission guidance for charities connected to non-charitable organisations
The guidance recognises that charities often work with organisations that aren't charities, in order to help the charities to achieve their mission. There are associated risks and challenges and the guidance aims to help charities maximise the benefit of their connections and minimise the risks.
Shifting sands: safeguarding and serious incident reports
The obligation on charities to report serious incidents to the Charity Commission is not new but the approach to reporting in the safeguarding arena has developed quite significantly following the events at Oxfam and elsewhere, which came to light earlier this year.
Fiduciary duties - the Court of Appeal fudged it
The Court of Appeal confirmed in the case of The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (UK) v Attorney General and others that members of a charitable company limited by guarantee do owe a fiduciary duty to act in the interests of the charity.
New Charity Commission guidance for charities connected to non-charitable organisations
The guidance recognises that charities often work with organisations that aren't charities, in order to help the charities to achieve their mission. There are associated risks and challenges and the guidance aims to help charities maximise the benefit of their connections and minimise the risks.