Criminal Law

• Embezzlement
  We have worked with many clients victimized by embezzlement and other diversions of charitable funds. In these situations, we assist in: internal investigations; Form 990 and Audit reporting; insurance claims; crisis communications; restitution efforts; and reports to government authorities, including the FBI, U.S. Attorneys Office, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Charitable Trusts and Organizations Section. Our successful efforts have resulted in restitution, indictments, and significant insurance awards.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Kate is an Associate at Laura Solomon & Associates, where she focuses on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and taxation matters. Before joining LS&A, Kate completed externships with the Philadelphia Legal Assistance Low Income Tax Clinic and the City of Philadelphia Law Department, Tax & Revenue Unit and provided representation to individuals via Villanova Law School’s Federal Tax Clinic and Health Law Clinic.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  David is Counsel to Laura Solomon & Associates, where he advises nonprofit organizations on formation, obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status, board governance practices, federal tax law compliance, cause-related marketing and other charitable solicitation issues, unrelated business income, and general operations.  David Karasko has more than a decade of experience as a tax attorney, with the past five years focused on tax-exempt organizations.  Prior to his focus on tax-exempt organizations, David also advised clients on general corporate tax matters, tax planning for mergers and acquisitions, and the taxation of mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles.
• Business Disputes

Employment Law

• Employment Contract
  We support the daily operations of our clients and help to further our clients’ charitable missions by providing much-needed corporate and tax advice.  Our corporate counsel services include drafting and negotiating contracts, including asset transfer agreements, agreements of sale, leases, employment agreements, grant agreements, vendor contracts, and financing documents. We attend client Board meetings as requested, prepare resolutions, minutes, and policies, and counsel clients on corporate best practices. Our tax counsel services include advice on the proper classification of workers as employees or independent contractors, and preparation of employee handbooks, contractor, separation, confidentiality, and indemnification agreements. We draft and/or review program-related materials, such as applications, release forms, and license agreements, and also advise clients and provide documents needed for fundraising activities. We also craft endowment and investment policies, and advise clients on state laws that affect endowment asset management and spending.

Property Law

• Land Use and Zoning

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Earlier in her career Beth worked for Temple University as Director of Planned Giving for the Beasley School of Law and as a legal advisor to the University’s Office of Institutional Advancement.  She was also an Associate at Wolf Block and at Feldman & Feldman, where her practice was focused on trust and estates law.
• Trusts
  We provide legal advice throughout the complete lifecycle of a nonprofit — from formation through merger or dissolution — while providing much-needed legal support for day-to-day operations. Our clients engage us for our expertise in tax and corporate matters, charitable trusts, real estate, and finance. For many of our clients, we act as outside general counsel handling a myriad of operational matters.

Finance Law

• Tax Law
  We advise and counsel clients during the all-important first steps of formation and incorporation, including drafting of articles, bylaws, and conflict of interest and other corporate policies. We work closely with new organizations to confirm that nonprofit status is appropriate, and provide further guidance regarding the correct nonprofit designation for the organization – 501(c)(3) or another 501(c) classification. We continue our work with newly formed organizations, and also work with existing nonprofit organizations and charitable trusts, to apply for and obtain Federal tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), where our knowledge of Federal tax law and familiarity with IRS procedures helps guide our clients through the scrutiny of the exemption process.