We're thrilled to welcome Matthew Newick as our new Chair
8 June 2026
Matthew joins us at a time when demand for free legal support continues to rise and the case for investment in advice has never been clearer.
Matthew has a distinguished career in commercial dispute resolution and brings legal leadership alongside deep experience in strategy, governance, risk, and how institutions can work together to deliver lasting change.
He was, until December 2025, Global Head of Disputes at Clifford Chance and a member of its Executive Leadership Group. He remains a partner at the firm.
Matthew’s appointment comes at an important moment for the Foundation. Demand at our funded partners has risen by over 40% in five years, against a backdrop of £728 million in real-term cuts to legal aid since 2012. The people hit hardest are those who need help most; people in poverty, those with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities, who are least able to pay for legal advice yet most likely to need it for life-altering issues.
As the UK’s only funder dedicated solely to free legal advice, we work to build sustainable structures to fund free legal support, advice, and representation across the UK, and work with funders, legal professionals and advice organisations to get resources where they are needed most.
Our Interim Chair, Andrew Seager said
I am thrilled to welcome Matthew to the Foundation, his passion and commitment to access to justice shone through in the recruitment process and myself and my fellow Trustees are looking forward to him starting in his new role.
As Chair, Matthew will support our position as the prescribed charity in statute to receive undistributed damages from opt-out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal and continue our work which has resulted in us distributing over £80 million across more than 1,000 grants to organisations helping people resolve housing, employment, family, debt, and welfare issues since we were established in 2008.
Matthew’s insight and expertise will support the Foundation’s strategic direction as we work with the government, legal profession, funders, and the free legal advice sector to secure and grow additional funding streams to support free legal advice services.
Matthew Newick said:
It is a huge privilege to be entrusted with leading the Foundation at this important moment in its growth. I have been truly struck by the professionalism and commitment of the Foundation and its people. And, through pro bono work over many years, I have seen up close how much difference free legal advice makes to people’s lives – outcomes achieved with free legal advice far outweigh outcomes achieved without it.
We’re delighted to be working with Matthew to bring both his strategic insight and proactive approach to delivering our mission and improving people’s lives through increasing access to justice.
We’re grateful to our Interim Chair Andrew Seager for his leadership, and to Anderson Quigley for their support in making this appointment.
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