Nonprofit Formation

Starting a nonprofit means more than filing for 501(c)(3) status. We help clients choose the right nonprofit structure, draft articles of incorporation, and prepare the federal and state applications needed to gain tax-exempt status. We also make sure the organization's founding documents (bylaws, conflict-of-interest policies, and organizational resolutions) are in place from the start.

Nonprofit Governance

Running a nonprofit comes with its own set of legal rules. Boards must meet, vote, and document decisions properly. Officers have fiduciary duties to the organization. We help nonprofits set up and maintain sound governance practices, including board policies, meeting procedures, officer roles, and record-keeping systems that keep the organization compliant and accountable.

Nonprofit Compliance and Reporting

Tax-exempt status comes with ongoing obligations. Nonprofits must file annual returns (like Form 990), follow state charitable solicitation rules, and meet specific requirements around fundraising, donor restrictions, and use of funds. We help clients understand these obligations and stay on top of them so they can focus on their mission instead of worrying about paperwork.

Fundraising and Donor Agreements

Raising money for a nonprofit brings legal questions that differ from for-profit fundraising. Grant agreements, donor-restricted gifts, sponsorship deals, and crowdfunding campaigns all come with terms that affect how funds can be used. We help nonprofits structure their fundraising efforts and draft agreements that protect both the organization and its donors.

Fiscal Sponsorship

Not every project needs its own 501(c)(3). Fiscal sponsorship lets an existing nonprofit serve as the legal and financial home for a project or group that hasn't yet formed its own entity, or doesn't need to. We advise both sponsors and sponsored projects on how to set up these arrangements properly, including the sponsorship agreement, fund management, and reporting responsibilities.

Nonprofit Conversions and Restructuring

Sometimes an organization outgrows its original structure, or a for-profit venture realizes it belongs in the nonprofit world (or vice versa). We advise on conversions between entity types, mergers between nonprofit organizations, and restructuring efforts that involve changes to mission, governance, or tax-exempt status.

Grant Agreements

Receiving a grant is exciting, but the grant agreement itself is a legal document with real obligations. Grant terms can restrict how funds are used, require specific reporting, impose deadlines, and affect ownership of work created with grant money. We review and negotiate grant agreements to make sure you understand what you're committing to before you accept the funds.

Artist Residency Agreements

Residency programs vary widely in what they offer and what they expect in return. Terms around housing, studio access, stipends, IP ownership of work created during the residency, exhibition commitments, and post-residency obligations are all negotiable and all worth reading carefully. We review residency agreements and advise artists on their rights before, during, and after the program.

Government Funding Compliance

State and federal arts funding, including grants from the NEA, state arts councils, and municipal programs, comes with compliance requirements that can trip up even experienced organizations. We advise on reporting obligations, eligible use of funds, documentation standards, and what to do if plans change after the money has been awarded.

Foundation and Private Grant Compliance

Private foundations and corporate funders often have their own rules around fund usage, branding requirements, progress reports, and audit rights. These terms can be just as detailed as government grants, but less standardized. We help clients review foundation grant agreements and stay compliant with funder expectations throughout the grant period.

Grant Writing

Strong grant applications require strong writing, a clear project narrative, a realistic budget, and an understanding of what funders are actually looking for. As your attorneys, we already know your story, your goals, your financials, and your legal structure. That puts us in a unique position to write grant applications that are accurate, compelling, and consistent with how your organization actually operates.

We offer grant writing as a standalone service or as part of an ongoing general counsel relationship. Our services include full application drafting, application review and editing, budget development, funder research and strategy, and post-award compliance support.

Because many IP laws are governed by federal statutes, including copyright and federal trademark law , we are able to advise clients on these matters located anywhere in the United States. For matters that involve state-specific IP issues, we coordinate with local counsel as needed.

Copyrights

Copyright law protects original creative works like music, writing, visual art, photography, video, software, and designs. We help clients register their copyrights, respond to infringement, draft usage agreements, and understand what rights they hold in the work they create. If you make things, copyright is likely your most valuable legal protection.

Trademarks

A trademark protects your brand: your name, logo, slogan, or anything else that tells the world who you are. We help clients choose strong marks, file trademark applications, monitor for conflicts, and enforce their rights when someone else uses a mark that's too close to theirs.

Trade Secrets

Trade secrets are the valuable information you keep private: recipes, client lists, business methods, formulas, or processes that give you a competitive edge. We help clients identify what qualifies as a trade secret, put protections in place (like NDAs and internal policies), and take action if a secret is misused or disclosed.

Licensing

Licensing is how you let someone else use your intellectual property on your terms. We draft and negotiate license agreements for music, art, software, content, brand partnerships, and more. Whether you're licensing your own work out or licensing someone else's work in, we make sure the deal reflects what you actually agreed to.

Moral Rights

Moral rights protect the personal connection between a creator and their work. In the U.S., this applies most directly to visual artists under the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA). We advise artists on their rights to attribution and integrity, and help resolve disputes when work is altered, destroyed, or misattributed.

Enforcing and Defending Your IP

Owning intellectual property only matters if you can protect it. We help clients respond when their copyrights, trademarks, or other IP rights are infringed, and we defend clients who have been accused of infringement themselves. Whether the right move is a demand letter, a negotiated resolution, or a formal claim, we help you weigh your options and choose the approach that fits your goals and your budget.

DMCA Takedowns

When someone posts your copyrighted work online without permission, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) gives you a fast, low-cost way to get it removed. We help clients prepare and send DMCA takedown notices to websites, platforms, and hosting providers, and we also help clients who have received a takedown notice respond appropriately, including filing counter-notices when a takedown is mistaken or improper.

Hiring and Worker Classification

Getting the worker relationship right from the start matters. We help clients draft offer letters, employment agreements, and independent contractor agreements, and we advise on the difference between employees and independent contractors, a distinction that carries real tax and liability consequences if you get it wrong.

Workplace Policies and Compliance

As your team grows, so do your legal obligations. We help clients create employee handbooks, workplace policies, and compliance procedures that meet federal and state requirements, covering areas like anti-discrimination, wage and hour rules, and workplace safety.

Separation and Termination

Ending a work relationship, whether voluntary or not, involves legal risk. We help clients handle terminations, draft separation agreements, and navigate issues like non-compete clauses, severance terms, and final pay requirements.