Mishcon de Reya is proud to announce the appointment of Aarti Thakor as a Partner in its Charities and Social Ventures team, within the Impact department, effective June 2024.
Aarti, who most recently worked as Director of Legal and Accountancy Services at the Charity Commission for England and Wales, will be based in the firm's London office. She brings with her a wealth of experience and a unique perspective gained from her extensive work with major international NGOs, charities, and philanthropic foundations.
Aarti specialises in multi-stakeholder projects, major and high-risk investigations, complex operational implementation across countries, governance, incident response, and general compliance or reviews as well as technical consulting on financial crime and terrorist financing risks. Her expertise extends internationally to advising governments, regulators, and other global institutions on developing and improving legislation, regulatory systems, and policies for NGOs and civil society. She also has extensive experience in capacity building at local and national levels.
With over 20 years of experience, Aarti's background as a civil law barrister and accredited mediator, coupled with her role as a senior leader and chief lawyer at the Charity Commission, has equipped her with unparalleled insights into the charity sector. She has played a pivotal role in reviewing and influencing laws, policies and operational implementation across multiple countries, engaging at the highest Government levels.
Before her tenure at the Charity Commission, Aarti's career included serving as in-house counsel for the United Nations in Rwanda and at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, as well as practising as a barrister in chambers on civil and criminal matters.
Aarti's addition to the Charities and Social Ventures team underscores Mishcon de Reya's commitment to providing top-tier legal, governance, consultancy, and investigation services to the non-profit sector. Her specialist Charity Commission expertise will enhance the firm's ability to navigate the complex regulatory and operating landscape for charities and non-profits and offer comprehensive support to clients.
Aarti commented: "I am thrilled to be joining Mishcon de Reya's Charities and Social Ventures team. The firm's commitment to delivering positive environmental and social impact resonates deeply with my own professional ethos, as does its international outlook and ambition to address global challenges. I look forward to contributing my expertise to our clients' meaningful work in shaping a vibrant, healthy civil society and driving public benefit on a global scale."
Chris Willis Pickup, a Partner in the Impact department who heads up the Charities and Social Ventures team, commented: "We are thrilled to welcome Aarti to the team. She is widely known and highly respected across the charity sector in the UK and beyond and will be an invaluable asset to our clients. Her unparalleled expertise from the Charity Commission and her track record of delivering strategic, policy and operational leadership will provide our clients with pragmatic, effective and robust solutions, to provide a unique governance, regulatory and technical consulting service for charities and non-profits. "
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