Representative Experience

  • Developed ethics code and procedures for national medical specialty society and then obtained FTC advisory opinion approval; the code and process are now the standard for other nonprofits.
  • Assisted international trade association that operates a “top ten” exposition in the United States in acquiring a major industry exposition in Europe and starting up another in Asia.
  • Advised a statewide veterans’ organization in aiding formerly homeless veterans who qualified for subsidized housing by providing free furniture and housewares, benefitting thousands of recipients.

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  • Advised an association in the financial institutions field on creating and managing a professional certification and licensing program mandated by the U.S. Congress with enrollment now over half a million.
  • Assisted a prominent national professional society in reorganizing to accommodate the management and governance of a $300 million museum project and provided construction law services for the project.
  • Helped an industry-wide trade association in the automotive field update its statistical data gathering and promulgation programs for increased relevance and antitrust protection.
  • Advised the EU and the PRC on their regulation of nongovernmental organizations—on competition matters for the EU and on governance matters for China.
  • Defended nonprofits in dozens of federal antitrust agency and private civil antitrust inquiries, challenges and litigation, and represented nonprofit plaintiffs in other antitrust matters to achieve fairness for members.
  • With two of our clients, formed the Professional Certification Coalition, a nonprofit association that advocates for the interests of professional certification organizations, individuals who have obtained professional credentials, and those who rely on the services of credentialed professionals.

Practice Area Highlights

  • Our core group, focused exclusively or extensively on nonprofit clients, has advised on nearly 70 separate mergers, consolidations or other combinations of national nonprofit organizations.
  • For more than 10 years, a Pillsbury partner has keynoted the nation’s premier nonprofit law event, ASAE’s Legal Symposium; others speak regularly at ABA and ACC events.
  • A Pillsbury partner literally “wrote the book” on nonprofit organization law: The Association Law Handbook: A Practical Guide for Associations, Societies, and Charities, published by ASAE, the 24,000-member “association of associations.” Pillsbury attorneys also authored the Certification and Accreditation Law Handbook (3d ed.) and the Certification Law chapter in Certification: The ICE Handbook (3rd ed.).