London-based full-service commercial law firm working in employment, charity, corporate and impact law, and the first UK law firm to become a B Corp.
Bates Wells is a full-service commercial law firm based in London, active across the United Kingdom. Its practice spans employment and worker status law, charity law and governance, litigation and dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, and social enterprise and impact law. The firm acts for clients in the legal services, gig economy and employment, charity and non-profit, and social enterprise sectors.
The firm is known for litigation aimed at societal change. It brought the worker status case that reached the Supreme Court against Uber, a decision with implications for an estimated 5.5 million gig economy workers, and has defended charity trustees among other landmark matters. Alongside this impact and social change work, it provides general legal advisory services to commercial and non-profit clients.
Bates Wells was the first UK law firm to achieve B Corp certification. Its commitment to impact is set out in its governing document, and the firm places profit and purpose on equal footing, weighing the effect of its decisions on people, clients, suppliers, community and the environment. It takes the view that the classic profit-maximising model is unsustainable and that corporate social responsibility is only a starting point.