Associations and Member Organisations

An introduction to Associations

There are myriad associations, institutes, federations, and societies in the UK. Trade associations are a vital part of the UK economy, representing their sector to the Government, driving standards and sharing best practice.

Associations face an ever-growing list of challenges. As well as routine policy engagement to keep sector trade routes going and creating meaningful industry-wide collaborations, associations must also consider how they stand against the expectations of society and their members, addressing sustainability, diversity & inclusion and ESG.

Associations have not been immune to the global pressures in recent years, following the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, causing disruption to supply chains. Associations’ leaders must ensure that if they are to manage these multiple concurrent issues, they are thinking strategically and have a robust project delivery plan in place, coupled with adequate crisis management responses.

The role of the Association Senior Executive or CEO can sometimes be a short-term post, coupled with differences in leadership styles this can mean an increasing requirement to re-evaluate governance and strategy, be on top of technological advances and future trends, and manage the board/staff relationship all within a compressed timespan.

What sets our Association & Member Organisation expertise apart?

We understand that responding to challenges and delivering successful initiatives can make the difference for an association’s short-term and long-term viability and we collaborate closely with our clients to provide a full service offering to meet their needs.

We have a reputation for building long term client relationships, clients trust in us as a key strategic and operational partner.

An award-winning law firm, Freeths are recognised for delivering excellent client service and offer the complete range of services needed for those that manage and operate associations, institutes, societies, and federations in the UK.

Several of our team have committee and board member positions at Associations. We are affiliate members of several others, that strengthen and demonstrate our commitment to those sectors including delivering presentations, events and best practice in industry.

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How can we help your Association?

We know that being the driving force of an association brings great responsibility to deliver on time and on budget. It also requires a partnership that has expertise and experience of your business model. At Freeths we have a resolute team of lawyers who provide integrated support, offering the complimentary services associations need to be successful, including:

• Advertising and Marketing advice in relation to ASA standards
• Centralisation of working practices
• Commercial agreements
• Corporate advice, structure and membership terms
• Data breaches and Cyber resilience
• Data Protection and Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs)
• Dispute resolution and complaints handling
• Employment advice and claims
• Intellectual property licensing and monetisation
• IT Solutions, Supply and Frameworks
• Leadership & governance
• Legalities and Ethics
• Member terms, rights, and requests to the Board
• Negotiating and drafting licensing and sponsorship deals
• Real estate
• Regulatory and compliance, e.g., Health and Safety
• Reputation and Brand Management
• Tax