Tom Murdoch

Tom specialises in charity law and has a particular interest in charitable purposes. With key clients, he has developed a charitable definition of ‘public interest news’ which is accepted by the Charity Commission. As well as working with many organisations which provide public information, Tom acts for charities and social enterprises on recognition and registration, spin-offs from the state, structural re-organisations, governance, mergers and closures and charity campaigning. Sub-sectors in which he is particularly active include learned societies, professional membership bodies, arts and heritage organisations, scientific and natural history charities, royal charter bodies and international NGOs.

He is known for his expertise in charitable status, the development of novel charitable purposes and the governance and control of complex charity structure. He is increasingly requested to assist charities deal with high-profile disputes and cases with potential for significant reputational damage. Tom also has extensive experience of Interim Manager (IM) work, both being appointed by the Charity Commission as IM in several recent high-profile cases.

Tom is a member of the Charity Law Association and various charities; he is also a trustee of the Stone King Foundation and has recently served as member of the Audit Committee of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Appointments Panel of IMPRESS, the Independent Monitor of the Press.