On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. It is difficult to predict how or when the formal exit will actually occur and what legal and constitutional arrangements will be agreed between the UK and the EU. What is clear however is that Brexit, whatever its ultimate form, will have an impact on the legal rights and obligations of charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, as well as on their ability to perform their operations and to sustain themselves both in the UK and internationally. This Brexit Note provides an overview of some of the legal implications of Brexit. It deals with the potential impact of Brexit on issues including: employment and workersà¢â‚¬â„¢ rights, EU funding and finance, contractual terms, insurance, data protection, intellectual property, competition, trade, public procurement, tax, environment and human rights.

In December 2014, UnLtd, the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, worked with the international law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP to produce a report titled “Balancing Purpose With Profit.” The report, published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, fed into the deliberations of the Mission Alignment Working Group of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the United Kingdom’s Presidency of the G8. It was published in
the context of the Taskforce’s recommendation that all governments should “provide appropriate legal forms or provisions for entrepreneurs and investors who wish to secure social mission into the future.”
This report is an update on the developments of corporate structures for profit-with-purpose businesses” (“PPBs”) over the past 18 months. The report observes significant innovations in Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.