What We Do
The CEC offers nonprofits and community organizations, social enterprises, and neighborhood-based entrepreneurs and small businesses a broad range of legal services. We provide advice and representation in many areas, including:
entity formation, Structuring and Governance
- Advice regarding the formation and structure of various entities, including the formation of nonprofit, forprofit and cooperative organizations
- Drafting of by-laws, operating agreements, and other governance documents
- Assisting in the creation of joint ventures, affiliation agreements, and mergers
Drafting, Negotiating, and Reviewing Contracts and other Agreements
- Commercial leases
- MOUs
- Fiscal sponsor agreements
- Purchase and sale agreements
- Customer and vendor agreements
- Supplier contracts
Tax
- General tax advice
- Nonprofit income tax issues, including unrelated business income
- Nonprofit real estate tax exemption
Intellectual Property
-
Trademark and service mark protection (including logos)
- Copyright protection
- Intellectual property or technology license agreements
- Structuring contests and sweepstakes
- Domain names, social media and other Internet issues
- Privacy policies and website terms of use
Real Estate and Land Use
- Real estate purchase, sale, and finance loan agreements
- Zoning and other land-use issues
- Urban agriculture and sustainable food systems research
Government Regulations
- Licenses and permits
- Regulatory compliance
- Solicitation licenses
Employment
- Employee contracts
- Advice regarding independent contractors
- Labor compliance issues
- Employee manuals
RISK MANAGEMENT
- Risk assessment advice
- Liability waivers