We advise not-for-profit and tax-exempt organizations, charities and foundations on legal matters relating to formation, tax-exemption, governance, grants and endowments, corporate sponsorships, policies and procedures, and general operations. We are regularly engaged to review contracts, negotiate transactions and address employment matters for such entities. Many of our not-for-profit clients retain us as their outside general counsel.
In addition to professional experience serving as legal counsel, a number of our partners and of counsel have many years of experience personally volunteering and serving on the boards, committees and advisory boards of a number not-for-profits in the New York area.
Our services include:
- forming not-for-profit entities.
- preparing federal and state filings relating to tax-exempt status.
- advising and representing not-for-profits in connection with corporate matters, governance matters and socially responsible investments.
- negotiating and reviewing agreements with sponsors and donors, grant agreements, commercial contracts and employment matters.
- advising on director and officer engagements and service agreements (e.g. event planning contracts and related vendor agreements, insurance and social media agreements).
- dispute, advocacy and counselling relating to a number of litigation and employment matters.
- advising on specific matters relating to taxation, donor solicitation and re-organization and restructuring.
Representative matters include:
- acting as outside general counsel for a New York not-for-profit that provides tennis and academic instruction to underserved youth.
- advising not-for-profit clients on furlough, reductions-in-force, and salary reductions during coronavirus pandemic.
- representing a women’s sports foundation in its grant agreements, agreements with donors and corporate sponsors, endowments and commercial contracts.
- representing various Dutch clients in donations, green tech investments and other socially responsible investments.
- serving as outside general counsel for a New York not-for-profit that provides soccer instruction to at-risk youth.
- advising clients on donor solicitation relating to NY Attorney General-Charities Bureau registration and applicable law relating to lottery and sweepstakes.
- advising a private family and foundation on donation agreement with a major European-American museum and a major Israeli museum.
- acting as outside general counsel for a Geneva-based NGO, focused on cross-border investment.
- advising producer on restructuring and joint ventures relating to national radio programming affiliates content associated with prominent radio show host.
- advising client founding a children’s weekend language and cultural affinity school.
- forming and representing a 501(c)(4) organization focused on women’s rights and the related 501(c)(3) women’s rights think tank.
- representing an instructor in a dispute with a music school.
- forming of an urban agriculture collective.
- advising client on establishing an arts collective.
- assisting a foundation in reviewing and executing on socially responsible investment transactions relating to mortgage foreclosure relief and sustainable lending.
- representing not-for-profit entities in program-related investments (PRIs).
- advising senior executive in dispute and litigation relating to exit from film industry not-for-profit.
- drafting the policies and procedures (employment, investment and otherwise) for foundations.
- advising start-up in connection with negotiation with a film industry non-profit incubator.
- representing doctors and scientists in reviewing and negotiating conflict-of-interest policies and procedures established by universities and hospitals relating to outside business activities.
- advising founder of a prominent hedge fund on tax and estate-planning matters relating to forming a family foundation.