The dedicated not-for-profit practice of Vinci Law, a boutique firm in Remuera, Auckland.
Who We Are
Charities Lawyers exists to serve one part of the legal world well: the organisations working for the public good. We are the dedicated not-for-profit practice of Vinci Law, a boutique firm based in Remuera, Auckland, and we act for charitable and public-service organisations the length of the country.
Being boutique is deliberate. It means partners doing the work, relationships that last, and advice shaped to your organisation rather than pulled from a template. The people who do good work deserve lawyers who understand it.
Our Approach
Not-for-profit does not mean not commercial. Many of our clients run real operations, holding property, employing staff, entering contracts and building trading arms to fund their mission. We bring a commercial perspective to all of it, helping you act with confidence while staying true to your charitable purpose.
We also know that legal cost matters when every dollar is accountable to funders, members and the public. So we are practical. We resolve issues rather than prolong them, and most disputes we handle settle without ever reaching a courtroom.
Our Experience
Our work covers the full life of an organisation: incorporation and structure, constitutions and governance, regulatory compliance, contracts and property, mergers and collaborations, and dispute resolution. We advise boards on their obligations and keep constitutional documents current as the law changes, including the significant shifts under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and the 2023 amendments to the Charities Act.
We work across borders too, establishing international charities in New Zealand, advising overseas organisations on New Zealand's requirements, and working alongside lawyers in other jurisdictions.
Advising a leading corporate lobby group on creating a not-for-profit structure and achieving registration under the Charities Act.
Acting on a multi-million-dollar commercial property acquisition for a large not-for-profit, and on the sale of a landmark Auckland property for another.
Advising an international charitable trust on Schedule 32 of the Income Tax Act 2007 and Cabinet approval for tax exemptions.
Settling four mergers and amalgamations over the past two years.
Advising three related community trusts with a combined asset base of around $210m.
Our Team
When you work with Charities Lawyers, you work directly with experienced practitioners, not a rotating cast of juniors. We take the time to understand your organisation, your purpose and your constraints, and we stay with you for the long term.
A former commercial partner in two Auckland firms, Vincent advises boards, drafts and negotiates contracts, and guides corporate and not-for-profit clients through transactions, governance and compliance. Much of his work is with health and community trusts, charities, clubs, societies and religious institutions, many running multi-million-dollar ventures, and he advises regularly on strategic governance, trustee duties, conflict of interest and board authority. He has acted for clients across New Zealand and internationally, presented widely on governance and charities law, and serves on the ADLS Documents and Forms Committee.
Whether you're establishing something new, navigating a compliance question, or facing a dispute, we'd be glad to help.