Hempsons appoints Stephen O’Reilly as new head of charities and social enterprise
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Stephen O’Reilly as the new head of charities and social enterprise. Stephen joined us on Tuesday 18 June in a move from Eversheds Sutherland, where he has been heading up the charities team for the past several years. He brings with him a wealth of experience, expertise, and a proven track record of success in the charity, education, and social enterprise sectors. Some of his most recent notable work includes establishing a number of charitable foundations for large multi-national corporates, advising on the establishment of research institutes as charities (including in the health sector) and advising grant-making foundations on international giving initiatives and governance matters.
Stephen joins Hempsons as a junior equity partner, a newly created role within the firm designed to channel the entrepreneurial spirit and talents of its most promising solicitors and help the firm in its next stage of development. The first 11 junior equity partners were promoted on 1 April 2024, and Stephen is the first lateral hire at this level. He will take over as head of team from Ian Hempseed, whom we’re delighted is staying with us to continue supporting our clients and partners as he prepares to retire.
Stephen says: “I’m delighted to be joining one of the leading charities and social enterprise firms in the country and am really excited by this opportunity. I have worked closely with Ian on a number of matters and have been very impressed with his detailed knowledge and his pragmatic approach to problem solving. Hempsons is clearly a market leader and has successfully carved a niche for itself providing advice to some of the most important organisations operating in the charity and social enterprise sectors. I look forward to being able to contribute to the firm’s continued success in these areas.”
Ian says: “I’m very much looking forward to introducing Stephen to our clients. I’ve worked with Stephen in the past and have first hand experience of his clear and incisive approach, understanding strategic imperatives and their pragmatic implementation in complex situations. These are exactly the attributes clients need to plot their way through the challenges and opportunities currently confronting charities and social enterprises.”
Managing partner, Graham Lea, says: “Hempsons have a long standing commitment to our charities and social enterprise clients, who remain central to our vision of the future. We are enormously excited about Stephen’s arrival at Hempsons. He is a highly regarded charities and social enterprise lawyer and his arrival represents a further significant step forward for Hempsons as we continue to grow our work in these sectors.”