Emma leads the charities team having joined the firm in 2007 from a leading London charity practice. The team spends 100% of its time supporting charities and not for profit organisations.
She specialises in governance and constitutional issues for charities and advises trustees and directors on their legal duties and responsibilities, ensuring compliance with the law and regulation.
Main areas of work include the establishment of new charities, incorporations and governance reviews, restructuring, mergers, collaborations and partnerships, trading, fundraising and tax, commercial contracts affecting charities and compliance issues, including Charity Commission regulatory action. Emma is also on the panel of Charity Commission approved Interim Managers.
Emma is down to earth and straightforward in her approach, believing clients in this sector benefit from practical advice which is tailored to achieve their aims; supporting clients to deliver their objectives for the benefit of the communities they serve.
Emma is immersed in the sector through her work with umbrella bodies, she is a trustee and regular contributor to legal journals and publications and is also a member of the Charity Law Association.
Experience
Examples of experience include:
- A leading UK investment management firm, on its establishment of its corporate foundation, enabling it to achieve its philanthropic aspirations
- Acting as Interim Manager to Cardiff Sixth Form College, one of the leading colleges in the country by results, and selling the business of that College to Dukes Education Group
- Advising a number of colleges across the country on their mergers, from due diligence and investigation of risk, through to the successful transfer of assets and undertaking
- Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, on its commercial and trading activities and the creation of a new joint venture vehicle which will maximise revenue for the benefit of the museum and archive services
- Mental Health Matters, a large regional charity operating nationally, on a variety of its contractual arrangements with its clinical commissioners and sub-contractors.
"Her strengths are the breadth and strategic nature of her connections and that she is able to pitch her advice appropriately, whoever she is talking to."
"She is a knowledgeable and supportive lawyer who really cares."
Chambers and Partners 2021
"Emma Moody is extremely efficient, very easy to talk to and has a vast understanding of all areas we are involved in. I would not deal with another team. The best thing we did was to employ WBD."
Legal 500 2021
"An efficient, caring, well-qualified team. The lawyers are able to deal with all aspects of our charity. I recommend them highly, particularly Emma Moody."
Legal 500 2021
"Forensic, thorough and a good communicator."
"She has an ability to get things done and cut through noise in such a way as to not alienate people."
Chambers and Partners 2020
“Her responses are immediate."
“Great understanding of the sector as a whole which adds value to her work."
Chambers
