Bates, Wells and Braithwaite has been named the top law firm for charities in the 2011 Legal 500 list.

The list ranks the best UK law firms in a variety of sectors in three tiers. BWB was the only firm ranked in the top tier in the charity sector.

The second tier was held alone by Farrer & Co, while 29 charity law firms shared a place in the third tier.

The Legal 500 report describes BWB as “synonymous with charity work”. It also stated: “The firm fields the largest dedicated charity and social enterprise team in the UK, with a strong grasp of the law and a pragmatism which results in the best outcome for clients."