Legal Perspective - A Winckworth Sherwood Podcast Winckworth Sherwood

In our new charities and social enterprise conversation, Senior Associate Ruo Wu had an insightful conversation with Aarti Thakor, Director of Legal and Accounting Services and Stuart Wood, Head of Registrations at the Charity Commission for England and Wales:
They discuss:
Aarti and Stuart’s personal journeys into the world of charities;what Aarti and Stuart both enjoy most about working at the Charity Commission;notable changes Aarti and Stuart have seen over the past decade;what advice they would give to someone wanting to work at the Charity Commission;current trends in the charities sector;the use and role of Artificial Intelligence;what they would do if they could wave a magic wand and get all charity trustees to do two or three things consistently; andexciting projects they are currently working on.

In our new charities and social enterprise conversation Senior Associate Ruo Wu had an engaging conversation with colleague and Employment and Data Protection Partner Chris Garrett on the impact Artificial Intelligence has for charities and in the workplace. 
Ruo and Chris discuss:
the inspiration and key themes from Chris’ recent webinar on  Data Protection: AI in the Workplace;whether the processing of personal data using AI tools can be problematic;what Chris and his team are doing to help clients in the wake of AI;opportunities and threats in the use of AI; andthe upcoming Charity Law Association annual conference on the 12th October 2023 where Ruo will chair a panel discussion on charities and AI. 

In our new charities and social enterprise conversation Senior Associate Ruo Wu had a delightful conversation with philanthropy expert, researcher and commentor Rhodri Davies. Rhodri is a well-known thinker and commentator on philanthropy and civil society. He is the founding Director of the think-tank Why Philanthropy Matters, and a Pears Research Fellow at the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent. He is also the host of the Philanthropisms podcast. Rhodri was formerly the Head of Policy at the Charities Aid Foundation where he created and led the in house think tank Giving Thought, and hosted their popular Giving Thought podcasts.
 Ruo and Rhodri discuss:
 Rhodri’s personal journey into the world of philanthropy, his work at Why Philanthropy Matters and his popular Philanthropisms podcasts;
Rhodri’s new book “What is philanthropy for?” examining the relationship between charity, justice, state, democracy, and the market and philanthropy;current big trends in philanthropy, including debates around tainted donations and examining the role of power in philanthropy and the value of participatory grant-making;crypto-philanthropy and its usage in the UK and the Charity Commission’s Cryptocurrency blog;the role of AI in charity and philanthropy, citing challenges, failures and opportunities. Specifically looking at issues of discrimination, privacy, and accountability. Revisiting Winckworth Sherwood employment team’s recent webinar on Data Protection: AI in the Workplace;the positive work of Charity Excellence Framework and the various free AI services and training they offer;Rhodri’s own personal favourite podcast interviews, including his recent interview with Dr Ewan Kirk on  “Philanthropy & giving ‘permission to fail” and some of Ruo’s personal favourite reads: “Decolonising Wealth” by Edgar Villanueva, “The Givers” by David Callahan and “Winners Take All” by Anand Giridharadas; andI.G Book Club’s upcoming book discussion and signing event with Rhodri in London on the 10 July 2023. 

In our new charities and social enterprise conversation series, Senior Associate Ruo Wu had an insightful conversation with barrister William Hopkin of New Square Chambers to discuss latest updates in the charities sector.
Ruo and Will discuss:
how Will became a barrister specialising in the charities field and Will’s advice to aspiring barristers wanting to work and specialise in this niche area of law;a round up of key changes brought in so far by the Charities Act 2022 and a glimpse ahead to some of the further changes that will come into force;updates in the charities sector, including:the new charity trustee “My Charity Commission Account” road-testing the new Charity Commission investment guidance CAF’s cost of living Charity Resource Hubinteresting legal cases that Will has worked on recently; andwhat to expect when attending New Square Chamber’s annual charities conference. 

Winckworth Sherwood Partner and Head of Education, Andrea Squires explains the legal implications of the British national strike action announced by the NEU. She addresses some of the challenges facing schools and answers some practical questions that have been raised by school leaders trying to make appropriate preparations for the strike days.

When it comes to giving references, it's important to be truthful about your ex-employees. Winckworth Sherwood Partner Blair Adams, and Associate Daniel Parker explain a recent case of a woman suing her previous employer for malicious falsehood and defamation, and discuss when, what and where it is appropriate for employers to talk about their current and past employees.