Founded in 1970, Bates Wells is a UK-based law firm recognized as a market leader for its work with charities and purpose-driven organisations. The firm has built its reputation on combining commercial legal practice with a genuine commitment to social impact, a principle embedded in its governing documents. Its high-profile caseload includes winning the ground-breaking Uber Supreme Court case on worker status and representing the former trustees of Kids Company.
In 2015, Bates Wells became the first UK law firm to achieve B Corp certification, a status it maintains with a score of 140.2. This framework requires the firm to formally consider its impact on its people, clients, suppliers, community, and the environment. The practice operates with a geographic presence that covers the UK and extends globally, serving clients within the legal services sector with a focus on the charity and social enterprise verticals.
