Nonprofit Organizations & Religious Institutions

Representative Experience

Religious Institutions

• Guided the Archdiocese of Milwaukee through a multiyear restructuring process involving questions of first impression under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
• Represented numerous denominations in issues as varied as real estate, church pension plans, tax issues involving clergy, planned giving, litigation and employment counseling.
• Represented large church organization in updating retirement plan documents, retirement plan administration and correcting past errors with the Internal Revenue Service.
• Advised the self-insured health plan of a large religious organization on navigating new contraception rules under the Affordable Care Act.
• Prepared use restrictions in real estate conveyance documents to ensure building’s continued use as a church after its sale.
• Represented a congregation in its acquisition of two apartment buildings for use in prison ministry.
• Developed and implemented a for-profit subsidiary and commercial enterprise that is controlled by a faith-based organization and provides funding and employment for the organization’s constituents.

Museums

• Serve as general counsel for major art institutions, offering guidance on governance, charitable giving, employment matters, intellectual property, tax issues, litigation, construction, employee benefits and public finance.
• Advised the Saint Louis Art Museum on all aspects of a $150 million building expansion.
• Counseled museum on labor negotiations involving three bargaining units.

Colleges, Universities and Schools

• Authored an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a nonprofit serving the largest urban school districts in America.
• Advised universities on structuring for-profit and nonprofit joint venture to maximize potential while protecting tax-exempt status.
• Served as general counsel to the Kansas City Public Schools in its efforts to sell, lease and repurpose vacant school buildings.

Hospitals and Healthcare Systems

• Successfully reorganized multiple nonprofit public hospitals through Chapter 11 bankruptcies.
• Obtained federal tax-exempt status as a charitable organization for medical service and research organizations spearheaded by private physicians.
• Assisted a hospital with the decision to augment its audit committee membership and charter.

Community Foundations and Other Nonprofits

• Defended numerous tax-exempt organizations in connection with IRS audits.
• Created employee benefits and executive compensation plans for nonprofit cultural institutions.
• Successfully advocated on behalf of political groups to place measures on statewide ballots.
• Provided real estate contract drafting and review for a local watershed conservation nonprofit.
• Designed cash balance retention plans for two top executives of a cultural institution;
• Advised foundation, from contract negotiation through closing, on purchase of real estate from a church.
• Represented two foundations on the purchase and subsequent lease of several buildings that were redeveloped as an animal shelter.
• Advised nonprofit arts organization on all aspects of the development and management of a public garden.
• Represented nonprofit organization that provides employment for blind individuals in all its labor and employment matters nationwide.
• Served as general counsel to a national nonprofit, handling all of its governance and corporate issues, employment matters, litigation, general contract review, board counsel and tax advice.