Housing governance

The team at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP provides outstanding customer service.

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Social Housing

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With a proven track record across social housing groups of all sizes, the housing corporate and governance team at Penningtons Manches Cooper offers expert advice on mergers, group restructures and regulatory, charity law and governance issues alongside a comprehensive range of housing corporate services.

Whether you are looking to incorporate as a social housing provider or a long-established housing group, our team can help, delivering a seamless, solutions-focused approach. We advise on some of the largest and most innovative mergers the housing sector has seen and on numerous occasions act as joint legal advisers to both merging housing associations.

We provide a variety of general and bespoke training to boards and executive teams. Topics include duties and responsibilities, governance, charity law and regulation, legal compliance, corporate manslaughter, operating common boards and strategic projects. Alongside this, we offer strategic guidance and facilitate away days and business planning sessions.

Members of our team are specialists in charity law, co-operative and community benefit society law, company law and social housing regulation. This level of technical expertise ensures that our advice takes account of all legal factors relevant to your organisation.

We understand that good governance is the cornerstone of every strong operation and the subject of ongoing regulatory scrutiny. Recognising that each client is unique, we will work with you to deliver the most appropriate and practical governance framework for your organisation. We offer cost-effective proposals alongside tailored governance documentation including policies and procedures.

Our lawyers are well versed in corporate structures and have implemented first-of-their-kind arrangements. We advise on establishing new group structures for growth and diversification and consolidating existing structures for efficiency. Alongside this, we consider and advise on the optimal governance arrangements, including common and partially-common boards.

We have excellent connections with key intermediaries including the Regulator of Social Housing, the Charity Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority. Our breadth of expertise combined with our immersion in the sector mean that we can pro-actively keep you up to date with the latest developments in law, policy, strategy and best practice.

We offer expert advice on:

  • project management
  • regulatory requirements and compliance
  • charity law
  • governance reviews and updating documentation
  • internal policies and procedures
  • mergers and consolidations
  • board member recruitment and training
  • strategic support for executive teams
  • group and corporate structures

Recent work highlights

Far-reaching strategic governance review

Working with the executive team of a North West based housing association on a strategic governance review, including advising on regulatory expectations and requirements. Following this, we implemented a significant group restructure involving conversions from a company to a community benefit society.


Multiple perspectives on housing association mergers

Acting as joint legal adviser on several housing association mergers including providing guidance at each stage of the process and over-arching project management of a cross-disciplinary team with sector specific knowledge covering competition law, employment, pensions and funders’ consent requirements.


Establishment of groundbreaking group structure

Advising on the set-up of the first charitable non-registered housing association to receive large-scale stock from a private registered provider. This involved the incorporation of commercial entities accommodating diverse development activities in order to meet regulatory and charity law requirements.

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Related expertise

Latest tweets by @Penn_housing

  • Our team is at the NHF Housing Finance Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool. Make sure to come and visit us at st… https://t.co/46pfwLwM5T

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Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC311575 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP