Mishcon de Reya welcomes new Partner Aarti Thakor to its Charities and Social Ventures team

Aarti Thakor brings a wealth of experience to Mishcon de Reya, having worked extensively with major international NGOs, charities, and philanthropic foundations. Her expertise spans multi-stakeholder projects, major and high-risk investigations, complex operational implementation across countries, governance, incident response, and compliance reviews. She is also skilled in technical consulting on financial crime and terrorist financing risks. Thakor has advised governments, regulators, and global institutions on developing and enhancing legislation, regulatory systems, and policies for NGOs and civil society.

With over 20 years of experience as a civil law barrister and accredited mediator, Thakor’s career includes senior leadership and chief legal roles at the Charity Commission, where she influenced laws, policies, and operational practices across multiple countries. Her prior roles include working for the United Nations in Rwanda and the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, as well as practicing as a barrister in civil and criminal matters.

Thakor's appointment underlines Mishcon de Reya's dedication to providing top-tier legal, governance, consultancy, and investigation services to the non-profit sector. Her expertise from the Charity Commission will enhance the firm's ability to navigate the complex regulatory landscape for charities and non-profits, offering comprehensive support to clients.

Aarti Thakor expressed her enthusiasm about joining Mishcon de Reya: "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, Partner and head of 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, offering a unique governance, regulatory, and technical consulting service for charities and non-profits."

Thakor's addition to the team highlights Mishcon de Reya's ongoing commitment to supporting the non-profit sector with expert legal and consultancy services, aiming to drive positive social and environmental impact globally.