Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown is a charity law expert and the founder of Sarah Brown Charity Law WS, a Scottish law firm dedicated to serving charities and voluntary organisations. Sarah is one of only eight solicitors in Scotland accredited as a specialist in charity law by the Law Society of Scotland.
Prior to establishing her own firm, Sarah was a partner at J & H Mitchell WS, where she led the Charities and Communities Team. Sarah has a proven track record in setting up, modernising, and reorganising charity structures, providing clear and practical advice tailored to each charity’s needs. Sarah has built a significant portfolio of charity clients across various sectors and has extensive experience in charity governance.
Beyond her legal practice, Sarah is actively involved in the charity sector. She frequently delivers training sessions for charity trustees, speaks at industry events, and leads webinars. Sarah also serves on the Board of three charities and contributes to working parties on charity law issues.
Governance, Legal, Training
Arts, culture, heritage, Community development, Disability, Environment and climate crisis, Rural, Women
Clients
Sarah works with a wide range of clients across Scotland, from grassroots charities and community groups to emerging social enterprises and international organisations. Her clients are typically small to medium-sized organisations engaged in a diverse array of charitable activities, including:
• Managing community-owned assets such as village halls and local hubs
• Advancing education and lifelong learning
• Promoting health and wellbeing
• Supporting vulnerable groups and tackling social inequality
• Environmental protection and nature conservation
• Arts, culture, and heritage
Qualifications
LLB (Scots) Law
Diploma in Legal Practice
Experience
Governing Document Review and amendment
Charity Law and Governance Training for Charity Trustees and Charity Leaders
Development and Review of Governance Policies and Procedures
Changing the structure of an existing organisation
Applications to regulatory bodies
New charity set-up
New CIC set-up
CIC to charity transfer
Advice on non-charitable trading
Dissolution of an organisation
Drafting and reviewing agreements
