Ballot 1 – Ordinary Directors

Sarah Burrows, Edwards & Co. Solicitors

Sarah has 25+ years’ experience in company/corporate law and leads the Charities and Social Enterprises Department. She is a lecturer and tutor in charity, commercial and company law at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queens University, Belfast and NI editor of Jordan’s Charities Administration Service. She has significant experience advising schools and other educational establishments in respect of education legislation, schemes of management and good corporate governance in general. Sarah has been a governance trainer for the Boardroom Apprentice Programme since its inception and is a recipient of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service through NI Hospice.

Malky Chaloner, DMH Stallard LLP 

A Partner in the Private Client Team at DMH Stallard, my knowledge of Charity Law has developed as more of my Trusts and Estates work relates to setting up and running of charities. I have grown to love the complexities and variety of the work and coming from South America I particularly enjoy multi-jurisdictional issues and UK governance matters. Having attended past CLA events, I am keen to help develop the Association and support its’ work, unique in this field. In my personal life, I am a mother of three, an active charity supporter and a governor of a school.

Gavin McEwan, Partner, Turcan Connell

Gavin McEwan is a Partner and Head of Charities at Turcan Connell. He is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in charity law and chairs the specialist accreditation panel on charity law in Scotland. Gavin is co-author of Tolley’s Charities Manual. He serves on several charity boards as a trustee including the Edinburgh International Festival Endowment Fund and is legal assessor to the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Gavin has chaired a number of CLA working parties and is a member of the CLA Standing Tax Committee.

Clare Lawrence, Wrigleys Solicitors LLP

I’m Joint Head of the Charities team at Wrigleys and have been advising charity clients for nearly 20 years. My background in trust law is useful when dealing with the many knotty trust matters that we encounter! I admire the work of the CLA in developing and influencing improvements in charity legislation and guidance for the greater good of the sector. I would love to play an impactful role in that work through a position on the executive committee. Outside of work I’m a trustee of the Sylvie Nunn Trust and honorary Company Secretary for Leeds Community Foundation.

Matthew Mills, Radcliffe Chambers

I’m a barrister at Radcliffe Chambers specialising in charity law and related private client areas. I have had the privilege of working with CLA colleagues on a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious matters relating to charities new and old, big and small. I’m also a member of the Risk, Audit and Governance Committee of an Oxford College. I’ve gained a lot from the CLA, and I’d like to give something back. I’m a fan of committees (I’ve served on three in chambers), numbered action plans, and corny jokes. I’ll let you decide if that helps or hurts my case.

Catherine Rustomji, Partner, Shakespeare Martineau LLP

Catherine Rustomji is a partner and head of charities at Shakespeare Martineau with 25 years’ experience of specialising in charity law and governance.  Catherine acts for a wide range of clients across the country, but particularly across the North.  She was co-chair of the CLA Conference last year and is co-chair again this year. She is also a charity trustee of a number of charities.  Having been involved in the work of the CLA for a number of years, Catherine is keen to support its work going forward.

Simon Steeden, Partner, Bates Wells

I have enormously enjoyed my time on the CLA committee and would love to continue contributing.  I am Vice-Chair of the committee, have co-chaired two CLA conferences and chaired numerous working parties.  My current priority is leading the committee’s equality, diversity and inclusion group, which has recently developed an EDI strategy intended to ensure that the CLA is an inclusive association for all charity lawyers and to encourage individuals from all backgrounds to pursue a career in charity law.  I am a charity partner at Bates Wells with a wide interest in charity law and previously co-chaired our EDI forum.

Amy Carter, Withers LLP

I’m a Senior Associate in the Charities team at Withers, qualifying in 2015. My broad and varied practice includes establishment, governance, restructuring and regulatory work – much of which is international or complex. I’ve sat on two CLA working parties, did a fundraising internship at Macmillan and was seconded to the RSPB’s legal team. I became a trustee at 23 and I am now on my third trusteeship – a large disability charity. I live in Cambridgeshire with my family and labrador. A key focus for me is broadening access to the CLA amongst those outside London, inhouse teams and junior colleagues.