Bill Skirrow (Executive Director)
is a senior manager and business development executive with experience in the not-for-profit, digital media and communications sectors. Prior to joining Pro Bono Community, Bill was sales & marketing director of Localgiving.com, the UK’s leading online fundraising platform for small charities and community groups. Before that, he set up his own digital communications company, BigStream Interactive, in 2005 and was managing director of media services provider Intelfax.
Livia Velicu (Chair of Trustees)
is a solicitor in the charity and social enterprise team at Bates Wells, a charity specialist law firm. Livia read law at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge and studied the LPC at BPP Cambridge. She was previously a volunteer adviser at Waterloo Legal Advice Service, providing pro bono advice on a range of issues.
Adam Johnson (Trustee)
qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and was then an associate and partner at Herbert Smith (later Herbert Smith Freehills) until 2020. During his time in the firm he had a number of roles including as Corporate Responsibility Partner. He was appointed silk in 2017 and became a Deputy High Court Judge in 2018. He was appointed as a full time High Court Judge in October 2020 and assigned to the Chancery Division
Daniel Laking (Trustee)
is a barrister at Temple Garden Chambers where he specialises in civil and public law. He sits as a member of the Personal Injuries Bar Association Executive Committee and volunteers for the Battersea Law Centre (part of the South West London Law Centres Network). He is a sincere supporter of access to justice, having previously undertaken pro bono work for Greenwich Housing Rights and the Free Representation Unit. Whilst studying the GDL at City University, Daniel undertook a Pro Bono Community course and has therefore experienced first-hand the benefits that such training provides.
Omar Qadir (Trustee)
is a Principal FP&A Analyst at S&P Global. He has experience across a number of areas of finance and accounting, including audit, financial reporting, internal controls and compliance, and financial planning and analysis. He started his career as an external auditor at Ernst and Young (EY), before joining IHS Markit (merged with S&P Global). Omar is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
Claire Marsh (Trustee)
Claire is a Financial Capability Lead at the Royal British Legion, specialising in Social Welfare Law encompassing debt, welfare benefits and armed forces compensation.
Previously, Claire served in the Royal Navy and went on to read law at the University of Northumbria where she discovered a passion for social welfare law.
With over 15 years’ experience delivering advice services to the most vulnerable in society, she has first-hand experience of the challenges and pressures faced by the not-for-profit advice sector and is passionate about supporting organisations to adapt and deliver high-quality services that are sustainable for future generations.
Kanav Kothari (Trustee)
Kanav is a solicitor in the Financial Institutions Disputes Group at a global law firm. He read law at King’s College London before completing his LPC and LLM at The University of Law. Prior to starting his training contract, Kanav participated in Pro Bono Community’s training programme and completed a volunteer placement with Justice for Tenants, where he provided advice on housing law issues.
Mollie Hesketh (Training and Volunteer Coordinator)
Mollie oversees the training and support of volunteers, working closely with advice agencies to ensure they have the skills and confidence to make a real difference. Mollie previously worked as an advisor with Citizens Advice and a face-to-face service user support with Causeway, giving her first-hand insight into the challenges people face when seeking advice. With a background in volunteer coordination, recruitment and workforce management, she is passionate about creating opportunities that connect people with meaningful ways to give back and support access to justice.
