Biography

Marion is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Charity Law.

Marion is experienced in governance, regulation, policy and contract matters. She acts for a broad range of clients including registered social landlords (RSLs), charities of all sizesfrom an international network to small local bodies, registered social landlords (RSLs), urban regeneration companies, partnerships and large national companies. Her experience also includes planning law and compulsory purchase orders. She also advises on property transactions, planning matters, data protection issues, other regulatory regimes and funding.

Marion is familiar with housing and charity and housing legislation, as well as the requirements of the regulators: the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), the Scottish Housing Regulator and (where they have a separate role) the Scottish Governmentand the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), with whom she has built up strong working relationships. Marion undertook a 6 month secondment working part-time with OSCR while continuing to work for her BTO clients. This has given her enviable insight into the operation of the charity regulator and key issues for charities active in Scotland and her clients benefit greatly from her background in this area.

For RSLs, Marion’s work includes advising, through options appraisals, on incorporation and structures. She puts in place the chosen structure, relevant policies, governance documentation and tenancy agreements. She also advises clients on governance, policy and tenancy issues. For new and existing bodies, Marion gives advice on the potential adoption of charitable status and assists in achieving charitable registration. She provides advice on European Union procurement regulations, an area of law that is becoming extremely important to RSLs. With increasing numbers of RSLs being charities, Marion’s charity law knowledge and experience are also invaluable to her RSL clients.

For charities, as well as giving advice on setting up, Marion advises on the implications of charity law on governance and regulatory issues and on contract matters. She has also advised many charities on work that is, or should be, carried out by trading subsidiaries. She has advised in relation to use of the, only recently available, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) constitutional form, registered with as well as regulated by OSCR. In relation to OSCR, Marion can give in depth advice in relation to consents required from OSCR, applications to OSCR for reorganisation, inquiries and intervention by OSCR, and all other matters relating to regulation of charities with her secondment experience to inform that advice. More unusually, Marion assisted a charity constituted by an Act of Parliament in the promotion of an Act of the Scottish Parliament, from drafting the Bill and associated ancillary documentation to assisting the client when giving evidence to the relevant Parliamentary committee before the Act was passed.

Regularly, Marion gives seminars and runs training and workshop sessions, generally related to charity law, regulation and governance matters. She has done this for BTO clients and for otherorganisations such as SHARE (Scottish Housing Associations Resource for Education) and the Legal Services Agency. These sessions have a wide audience including both staff and governing body members, as well as their advisers.

A “well thought-of associate”, with her areas of strength including “advising at the apex of housing and charity law”, Marion’s clients have noted that she is "conscientious, approachable, enthusiastic and direct” and “excellent to deal with and good at explaining legal jargon." (Chambers UK)

External Appointments

Marion is a board member and charity trustee of Edinburgh International Festival Society.

After Hours

Reading, hill walking, cinema and eating out with friends.