Specialists from Midland solicitors Higgs & Sons have been appointed to a list of practitioners who work to ensure public confidence in UK charities.

The Higgs team, led by the firm’s head of charities & not for profit Kirsty McEwen, has been appointed to the Charity Commission’s approved list of interim managers for 2015/16 after a nationwide application process.

The application required Higgs & Sons to identify individuals who would demonstrate suitable experience and expertise in key areas including insolvency and transferring business entities, corporate governance, financial management and charity law expertise.

Alongside Ms McEwen, the team includes head of insolvency David Ellis, insolvency lawyer Sunil Abbi and Geoff Kettle from Higgs’ corporate team

Ms McEwen, a specialist in advising charitable and not-for-profit organisations, said: “The Charity Commission has the power to appoint an interim manager (IM) to act in the administration of a charity if it considers there has been misconduct or mismanagement.

“The power to appoint is a quasi-judicial one and can be used only after a statutory inquiry, so we are delighted that the commission felt the Higgs team had the requisite level of skill and expertise to undertake this vital function.”

The Charity Commission is responsible for registering and regulating approximately 165,000 registered charities in England and Wales and a similar number of excepted charities.

It usually appoints an IM to manage a charity to the exclusion of the existing trustees as a temporary and protective step.

Appointments are made only after careful consideration of alternative solutions to the problems faced by the charity in question.

Mr Ellis, a partner at Higgs & Sons, said: “We are delighted with this prestigious appointment, which recognises the strength and depth of Higgs & Sons in the charitable sector across a wide range of specialisms.

“We are delighted to be working with the commission in this capacity and are looking forward to supporting the valuable work it does ensuring public confidence in the charitable sector.”