Latest News

Announcing the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers

esela - The legal network for social impact is joining with the BCBA and RLAI to become the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers.

With thanks to our outgoing Board Members

The board of esela thanks outgoing board members, Anne Contreras and Luke Fletcher.

esela Online Series 2020: Summary

The esela Online Weekly Series in July and September - November 2020 focused on market developments with the potential to drive legal solutions.

First virtual meeting of Asia-Pacific Impact Lawyers

On 11 June 2020, lawyers joined the first online meeting of Asia-Pacific Impact Lawyers, hosted by esela - The legal network for social impact.

Invitation: esela Online, July 2020

Invitation | esela Online Weekly Series | July 2020

esela Newsletter – 21 May 2020

You are invited to the meeting of Asia-Pacific Impact Lawyers, 11 June 2020 - 9 am UK | 4 pm Singapore | 6 pm Sydney. #eselaOnline

esela Newsletter – 12 March 2020

Urgent update: COVID-19. The esela Annual Conference will not take place in London in April 2020.

esela Newsletter – 27 February 2020

Invitation | esela Annual Conference | 27-28 April 2020
Invitation to the next esela Annual Conference at the London School of Economics in April 2020

esela Newsletter – 9 Dec 2019

Save The Date | esela Annual Conference | 27-28 April 2020
We are delighted to announce the dates for the next esela Annual Conference in London.

esela Newsletter – 3 July 2019

ESELA Annual Conference 2019: Location and Accommodation

All the information you need to book your travel and accommodation to attend the ESELA Annual Conference 2019

ESELA Newsletter – 11 January 2019

ESELA Newsletter – 12 December 2018

Redefining esela – a New Direction

ESELA Newsletter – 13 November 2018

Executive Director announced

Grunin Center/IILWG Conference Goes from Strength to Strength

Statute proposed for social and solidarity-based enterprises – July 2018

ESELA Newsletter – 31 July 2018

Legal Frameworks and the Financial Sustainability of Non Profits

Comparing European Fundraising Regulation

The evolving ecosystem of Social Enterprises in Lebanon: An innovative approach towards a new legal framework

The Growing Influence of Social Commissioning

ESELA Members Event in Luxembourg, 24 October 2017

The Social Impact Company and the Social Economy Enterprise: A comparative analysis

OECD’s work on Social Entrepreneurship

New Book: Social Enterprise Law: Trust, Public Benefit, and Capital Markets (Oxford 2017)

Seminal Book on Benefit Corporation Law

Landmark Reform of the Third Sector in Italy

The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL)

First International Conference of B Lawyers

GIIN Legal Practitioners Track Legal Convening

Legal issues in Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing

EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise

Recent Development of the European Social Entrepreneurship Funds (“EuSEF”) Label

Conference on Legal issues in Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing in the US and Beyond

Social Enterprises – the Dutch landscape

Meet our expert – Josip Konjevod

Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship

ESELA Annual Conference 2017 – Teaming Up in the Middle: How do business and nonprofits jointly create social impact?

New Social Commissioning Group established

ESELA will be establishing a new Social Commissioning Group.

New European B Lawyers Group

We are pleased to announce that ESELA and B Lab Europe are forming a European B Lawyers Group.

Social Commissioning Group

The new Social Commissioning Group which will look at the relationship between the state and social enterprise under European public law.

New Working Group on Social Enterprise Policy

A new ESELA Working Group is being formed with the specific task of reviewing and providing input to national and European bodies.

Where next for Social Business?

Jonathan Bland, Managing Director of Social Business International, writes his opinions on what is next for social business.

European Social Enterprise Statute Proposed

Professor Antonio Fici has written a new study which proposes ‘A European Statute for Social and Solidarity-Based Enterprise'.

Meet the ESELA Team – Jenny Ebbage

UK Government explores benefit company status

A wave of social enterprise legal developments across Europe

Meet the ESELA Team – Marleen Denef

Marleen Denef is a board member of ESELA and a partner at Curia.

Concept of the new law on social entrepreneurship in Czech Republic

ESELA at Bulgarian Ministry Conference

The not-for-profit corporation: the ideal business model for social entrepreneurs in Switzerland?

ESELA spoke at European B Corp Summer Summit

ESELA Annual Conference 2016 – “The Future of Social Impact: Connecting Law and Practice”

Meet the Team – Anne Contreras

Future of Social Purpose Company in Belgium

Belgium is rethinking its Company Code as well as the law on non-profit organisations. The Belgian Centre on Company Law is proposing to abolish the

The First European Benefit Corporation: blurring the lines between ‘social’ and ‘business’

The First European Benefit Corporation has arrived!

French Social Impact Bonds (contrat à impact social)

On 16 March 2016, the French government submitted its first request for proposals for social impact bonds projects (contrat à impact social).

Draft Law on B Corps proposed in Argentina

In Latin America, the B Corp movement is expanding rapidly. With over 100 certified B Corps, Sistema B (B Lab South America) is gathering momentum.

ESELA invited to speak at the Impact Investing Legal Working Group conference

Meet the ESELA Team – Roberto Randazzo

Roberto Randazzo is a board member of ESELA and a partner at R&P Legal.

Benefit Corporation seminar – the new B Corp legislation and “doing business” in Italy today – February 2016

Italian specialist law firm R&P Legal contributes to Benefit Corporation seminar, alongside B Lab representatives and government ministers.

New statutory social investment power to be introduced in the UK – February 2016

The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill will give charities and social enterprises a statutory social investment power.

Social Finance seminar – the influence of the UK model on social finance in Finland – February 2016

Castrén & Snellman, ESELA's specialist law firm in Finland, host a social finance breakfast seminar in collaboration with Uusia Network Oy.

French Government introduces a bill to fund employment contracts for social enterprises – February 2016

A bill which proposes to provide funding to pay for full-time employment contracts for French social enterprises is being debated in the Senate.

New social enterprise law comes into effect in France – February 2016

As of 1 January 2016, a new law in France means that all legal forms are able to apply to receive the ESS Enterprise status.

Italy introduces landmark new law on B Corps – February 2016

Italy has become the first country outside the USA to approve the introduction of a new law allowing companies to register as B Corps.

ESELA invited to present at OECD/European Commission social economy seminar – February 2016

ESELA was invited to present at a capacity building seminar led by the OECD and the European Commission on 18 February in Brussels.

Meet the ESELA Team – Luke Fletcher

Luke Fletcher, Chair of ESELA and partner at UK law firm Bates Wells Braithwaite talks social enterprise.

ESELA publishes Europe-wide mapping study of social enterprise – December 2015

ESELA has published a Europe-wide report which maps the legal state of social enterprise in various jurisdictions.

European Commission-established expert group, the GECES, to make proposals for supporting social enterprise – January 2016

GECES Expert Group to make new proposals for promoting social enterprise.