Nonprofits today increasingly operate as well-run businesses. Boards demand it. Funders require it. At the same time, nonprofits face tougher legal expectations in such areas as corporate governance, employee relations and tax. Moreover, they now venture into once unfamiliar areas such as mergers and acquisitions and real estate.
The Challenge
Indeed, the range of legal issues facing nonprofits are increasingly as complicated as those facing for-profit businesses. Nonprofits, however, exist at the complex intersection of business law and their special status as tax-exempt organizations each with an important community mission.
However, like many smaller for-profit companies, nonprofits usually do not have the in-house legal expertise to provide the counsel and direction they need.
The Solution
In response to this changing and challenging legal environment, Ulmer & Berne, which represents more than 100 nonprofits throughout Ohio, has brought together its attorneys and practice areas who have long served nonprofits into a new statewide Nonprofit Group.
The group’s clients range from social service agencies and arts groups, to health organizations, philanthropic foundations, schools, governmental entities and neighborhood development corporations.
Because of our broad experience in business law and management issues, we can call on our combined legal expertise for whatever legal matter may come up — from licensing intellectual property and developing land, to merging with another agency, negotiating with a county or state agency, or resolving tax matters.
For example, we:
- Provide business counseling and tax planning
- Counsel clients on corporate governance matters
- Provide counsel on planned giving and Internet fundraising issues
- Assist clients with real estate acquisition, development and construction projects
- Handle litigation relating to real estate, employment and benefits issues and general litigation matters