The firm provides legal services to private foundations, operating foundations, public charities, trade associations, health care providers and other nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations with respect to a wide variety of matters – from routine to unique. Areas of focus include:
- Counseling clients on compliance issues, including applying for and maintaining tax exempt status, filing applicable tax returns, and meeting state registration requirements
- Assisting clients with developing Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, Board and employee policies, investment policies, management compensation, grant-making procedures, contracts and annual meeting minutes
- Providing grantee and program partner due diligence
- Advising clients regarding related tax exempt and for profit organizations and unrelated business income tax issues
- Training Boards of Directors, officers and staff
- Preparing property and sales tax exemption applications
- Representing organizations responding to Internal Revenue Service and state agency inquiries and in federal and state audits and administrative appeals
- Preparing legal opinion letters on a variety of legal issues
- Advising on charitable gambling
- Representing clients seeking private letter rulings
Because tax planning plays an integral role in foundations’ ability to act on their missions, we provide tax counsel for a wide variety of strategies regarding formation, acquisition, disposition and financing transactions involving such entities, including maintaining their status as exempt from federal and state taxation, compensation structures, and state and municipal taxation minimization.