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Jonathan Fowles

Year of Call: 2004

"Jonathan Fowles is absolutely brilliant. His technical knowledge of charity law is unsurpassed."

 

Chambers & Partners
Portrait of Jonathan Fowles
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    Practice Overview

    Jonathan is a specialist in charity law, but also has supporting expertise in related areas of law, particularly trusts and probate, real property, and company law so far as it relates to charities. His practice encompasses both contentious and non-contentious work in the law of charities. He has given charity law advice to the Charity Commission, ministerial government departments, and the charity trustees of some of England’s best-known charities, among others. He is co-editor of the leading textbook, Tudor on Charities, 11th ed. (Sweet & Maxwell)

    • Areas of Expertise
      • Expertise Shortlist Charities

          Jonathan is the co-editor of the leading textbook, Tudor on Charities, 11th ed. (Sweet & Maxwell). He has written numerous articles on charity law, and has spoken a number of times at the Charity Law Association, including at their flagship annual conference.

          (Much of Jonathan’s work in this area is non-contentious and has not been before the court in public hearings. Accordingly, it has been necessary to make a number of the case references anonymous for reasons of confidentiality.)

          Mohammed v Daji [2023] EWHC 2761: acting for successful claimants in dispute about charitable trusts of extensive site in East London; judgment contains important analysis of trusts arising from charity appeals.

          Merton LBC v Nuffield Health [2023] UKSC 18: landmark case on public benefit and charitable relief from non-domestic rates

          Re NGO (2023): Advising internationally renowned organisation about charitable status

          Re Legacies (2021-23): Advising major English charity about proper approach to hundreds of historic bequests and donations

          Re educational charity (2020): Advising Charity Commission about complex questions in relation to history of school charitable trust

          Naik v Charity Commission (2020): Acted for internationally renowned Islamic preacher in appeal from disqualification by the Charity Commission. 

          Re RSPCA (2018-19): Advising RSPCA on governance reform, led by Shaheed Fatima QC (Blackstone Chambers)

          B v Interim Managers (2018): Advising individual on dispute with Interim Managers of religious charity. 

          Charity Commission v A (2018): Advising the charity commission on potential proceedings by the commission for wide-ranging breaches of trust. 

          Re X Trust (2017): Advice to major offshore charitable trust on constitutional matters. 

          Re AB (2016): Advising Interim Managers of Charity.

          Re Jehovah's Witnesses (2014-2018): Providing ongoing advice to relevant charitable insitutions in the UK. 

          Re L Trusts (2016): Advising trustees as to potential charitable conditions on ownership of land transferred to their predecessors in 16th century (with William Henderson).

          N v B&T (2015), Chancery Division: Acting with Christopher Stoner QC for charities claiming rectification of multi-million pound land transaction; the claim has unusually involved the joinder of the Official Custodian for Charities.

          Re Allotments for the Labouring Poor (2014): Advising Hughenden Parish Council as to historic charitable trusts arising under the Inclosure Acts (subsequently the subject of litigation in Densham v Charity Commission [2018] UKUT 402 (TCC). 

      • Chancery
    • Recommendations

        Charities (Chambers & Partners) - Band 1
        Charities (The Legal 500) - Tier 1
        Private Client: Trusts and Probate (Legal 500) - Tier 3
        Property Litigation (The Legal 500) - Tier 3

    • What the directories say

        ‘One of the very best charity juniors at the Bar. He has an incredible depth of charity law knowledge and produces clear, authoritative advice in a style that clients are able to easily digest.’ (Legal 500, 2024)

        "Jonathan provides excellent and prompt advice in terms that can be easily shared with and understood by clients." (Chambers & Partners, 2024)

        "He is fantastically user-friendly, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject." (Chambers & Partners, 2024)

        "Jonathan Fowles is absolutely brilliant. His technical knowledge of charity law is unsurpassed." Chambers and Partners, 2023

        "Jonathan’s technical expertise in charity law is superb." Legal 500 2023

        "Particularly knowledgeable and responsive, Jonathan’s advocacy is conducted skilfully and professionally." Legal 500 2023

        ‘"Excellent analytical mind. Good on paper and a persuasive advocate." Legal 500 2022

        "He is accessible, incredibly clear, and thorough in his advice on complex issues, and is also very alive to the practicalities of a matter." Legal 500 2022

        "He is very well respected in the charities field and is one of the few experienced juniors who genuinely works across the charities sector, a genuine charity specialist. I have found him particularly strong on complex technical matters." Chambers and Partners, 2022

        "He's very user-friendly, very approachable and has an incredibly incisive mind. He's totally on top of all the details and very responsive. He is also practical in his advice." Chambers and Partners, 2022

        "Hugely bright and superb attention to detail." Legal 500, 2021

        "For his intellectual rigour and incredible responsiveness – he is affable and pragmatic and is a very creative and innovative thinker who finds solutions." Legal 500, 2021

        "He is technically fantastic, very responsive and provides robust advice." Legal 500, 2021

        "He is incredibly knowledgeable about charity matters generally, gives very good practical advice and is a terribly likeable man." "His advice is clear and pragmatic on complex issues and he is a pleasure to instruct and work with." Chambers and Partners, 2021

        "He is someone who goes down very well with clients and has a common sense streak. You can put faith in his technical skill and breadth of knowledge. He has dedicated time and effort to the area, and it shows in the confidence of the opinions you can get from him. He is deeply immersed in the charity law world and is an exceptionally bright and user-friendly senior junior." Chambers & Partners, 2020

        "Has the ability to distil very complex concepts and make them accessible and understood by a lay client." The Legal 500, 2020

        "Has a deft and practical touch." The Legal 500, 2020

        “Engaging, incisive and enthusiastic…His advice was very authoritative and provided in a clear manner which the lay clients found particularly helpful." Chambers & Partners, 2019 

        "Leaves no stone unturned, strong attention to detail, clear and pragmatic advice." The Legal 500, 2019 

        "A man steeped in charity law...He's down to earth, pragmatic and commercial. He knows charity law inside out, but he doesn't allow his esoteric knowledge of the law to cloud his decision making."  Chambers & Partners, 2018

        Exceptionally thorough, very bright and technically superb" "He is absolutely meticulous and lovely to work with" "A true academic who dives right in to knotty issues" The Legal 500, 2017

        "Able to get to the crux of the issues incredibly quickly, spotting things others may miss - a real joy to work with." The Legal 500, 2015

        "He is extremely bright, very easy to work with, and has an excellent rapport with clients" The Legal 500, 2014

    • Publications

        "A fine balance" article for the Governance & Leadership, March 2023 

        Tudor on Charities, 11th Ed. (2022, Sweet & Maxwell), co-author with William Henderson and Gregor Hogan 

        "Making an exception: the general superintendence of all charitable uses", Trust & Trustees, 11 November 2020

        "The charitable trust: not so special after all?", Trusts & Trustees (OUP), vol. 25, issue 4, May 2019, pp.382-390

        Tudor on Charities, First Supplement to 10th Ed. (2018, Sweet & Maxwell), co-author with William Henderson 

        Tudor on Charities, 10th Ed. (2015, Sweet & Maxwell), co-author with William Henderson

        Former contributor to Francis, Inheritance Act Claims: Law, Practice and Procedure (Jordans, looseleaf)

        "How to assess the risk of contesting a legacy", Charity Finance, October 2017 

        "Charity begins with the law", Estates Gazette, 26/6/17 (Charities Act requirements for land transactions)

        "A work in progress", New Law Journal, 24/6/16 (on the Pallant v Morgan equity)

        “The Removal of Trustees”, Practical Law Company

        “Charity Litigation: The role of the Charity Commission”: Practical Law Company

    News & Events

    • News

      Mohammed v Daji [2023] EWHC 2761 (Ch)

      Jonathan Fowles, led by Mark Sefton KC of Falcon Chambers and instructed by Mishcon de Reya LLP, acted for the... Read More

      News

      Chambers UK Bar 2024 - “exceptional across the board”

      Serle Court is delighted to announce that chambers has been ranked in 11 practice areas in this year's Chambers UK... Read More

    • Events

      Nuffield Health – Public benefit gets a workout

      Location: Charity Law Association
      Read More

      Events

      Property in Practice Series 2023 / 2024

      Location: Serle Court, 6 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London, WC2A 3QS
      Read More

    View all news & events

    • ‘One of the very best charity juniors at the Bar. He has an incredible depth of charity law knowledge and produces clear, authoritative advice in a style that clients are able to easily digest.’ 

      Legal 500, 2024

    • "Jonathan provides excellent and prompt advice in terms that can be easily shared with and understood by clients."

      Chambers & Partners, 2024

    • “He is fantastically user-friendly, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject.”

      Chambers & Partners, 2024

    Education & Qualifications

    New College, Oxford: - MA, Literae Humaniores

    City University, London - Postgraduate Diploma in Law

    Karmel and Bedingfield Scholar (Gray’s Inn)

    Memberships

    Chancery Bar Association

    Charity Law Association

    Property Bar Association

    BSB Registration

    Jonathan Fowles appears on the Bar Standards Board Register as Jonathan James Fowles

    VAT Number

    863546990

    Public Access

    Jonathan accepts public access instructions in the field of charity law. 

    In the Press

    Comments in The Times "Margaret Thatcher library money is spent before a brick is laid" 28 February 2019

    News & Events

    • News

      Mohammed v Daji [2023] EWHC 2761 (Ch)

      Jonathan Fowles, led by Mark Sefton KC of Falcon Chambers and instructed by Mishcon de Reya LLP, acted for the... Read More

      News

      Chambers UK Bar 2024 - “exceptional across the board”

      Serle Court is delighted to announce that chambers has been ranked in 11 practice areas in this year's Chambers UK... Read More

    • Events

      Nuffield Health – Public benefit gets a workout

      Location: Charity Law Association Read More

      Events

      Property in Practice Series 2023 / 2024

      Location: Serle Court, 6 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London, WC2A 3QS Read More

    View all related news & events