Governance
Our clients are local authorities, other public bodies, and voluntary sector organisations. nplaw’s specialist governance lawyers provide them all with expert advice on their constitutions, governance and ethics.
Constitutions
Our clients come in a variety of legal forms. Local authorities are “corporations aggregate”. Their subsidiary undertakings may be companies limited by shares or by guarantee, or community interest companies (CICs). Many charities are also companies limited by guarantee, CICs or charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs). Other charities take the form of trusts. All will have a founding document – a constitution, memorandum and articles of association or trust deed. nplaw can prepare and advise on all these types of constitution, as well as on standing orders and internal governance documents.
Ethics and standards
We advise members, officers and employees on ethics and standards, and prepare and review codes of conduct.
We work with standards committees and Independent Persons on code of conduct cases.
We can also offer an independent investigator to compile reports on standards complaints against councillors on behalf of local authorities.
Advice
Our governance lawyers also advise on:
- elections, petitions and local polls;
- community governance reviews and their implementation;
- public law matters such as assets of community value, coastal protection and common land;
- the use of wholly-owned local authority companies, charitable bodies and other project vehicles for specific purposes;
- information law;
- pending legislative change and how it might affect our clients.