Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC

Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC is a nationally recognized, five-attorney boutique Washington, DC-based law firm specializing in the representation of nonprofit organizations and related entities across the United States. Serving primarily as outside general counsel, the firm advises charities, trade and professional associations, international NGOs, conservation groups, arts and cultural institutions, foundations, and other nonprofits – as well as companies and executives that work with or provide services to nonprofits – on the broad array of legal issues and challenges they face. The firm brings decades of Big Law experience to bear with small firm cost-efficiency, responsiveness, and turnaround time. With a focus on workable, impactful solutions, spirited defense and advocacy, a practical understanding of the broader nonprofit context, and attorneys who take their work – but not themselves – very seriously, TLG prides itself on partnering with its clients in a strategic manner to help ensure maximum effectiveness and results.

Managing partner Jeff Tenenbaum is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most accomplished nonprofit legal practitioners, a top leader in the nonprofit bar, an accomplished author, lecturer, commentator, and expert witness on nonprofit legal matters, and a distinguished thought leader and active participant in the nonprofit legal community. Partner Nisha Thakker has spent most of her 16-year legal career in-house in the nonprofit legal world, bringing a unique, invaluable perspective to the practice. Counsel Susan Hamsher spent the majority of her 14-year legal career as an in-house attorney at The Nature Conservancy – one of the world’s largest charities – and most recently was a senior associate at a boutique Washington, DC law firm focused exclusively on the representation of nonprofit organizations. Counsel Holly Peterson served in-house at the National Association of College and University Attorneys for eight years before joining TLG and, prior to that, served for four years as a litigator in the Maryland Attorney General’s Office in its Educational Affairs Division. Prior to joining TLG, Associate Kevin Serafino served as an associate in the nonprofit organizations practice of a leading mid-Atlantic law firm, while also practicing in the firm’s Chambers-ranked political law group. Prior to that, Kevin spent more than a decade in lobbying and compliance roles for two national trade associations – the Household & Commercial Products Association and the International Franchise Association. Jeff, Nisha, Susan, Holly, and Kevin are all very active in the nonprofit legal community.

At TLG, we don’t just respond to legal questions, issues and challenges. Our lawyers think strategically with our clients to understand what their underlying goals and concerns are, develop creative solutions and options, talk through the pros and cons of various approaches, and help them make the best decisions for their organizations. Because of our combined decades of nonprofit law practice, we rarely have to reinvent the wheel, which not only provides for much more cost efficiency, but also enables us to take our advice and counsel to the next, deeper level.

We don’t tell our clients, “No, you can’t do that,” because that is almost never the case. With a nuanced understanding of the many complex laws and regulations that govern nonprofit organizations – in wide and diverse areas of law that often overlap and sometimes even work at cross-purposes – we are virtually always able to come up with workable alternatives and structures while helping our clients navigate the potential pitfalls. Our extensive experience in the nonprofit arena also enables us to never give legal advice in a vacuum, but rather to take into account the broader political, financial, business, and governance context, providing more wholistic legal counsel to our clients.

Our lawyers are volunteer leaders in the nonprofit community – with industry groups such as the American Society of Association Executives, American Bar Association, Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives, United Philanthropy Forum, FAR (Finance & Administration Roundtable), Greater Washington Society of CPAs, National Association of College and University Attorneys, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, and numerous state societies of association executives, among others – helping to further our deep connection to and with the sector. We have and continue to chair and serve on key nonprofit legal industry panels, and we are frequent speakers and authors on nonprofit legal topics, delivering over 50 presentations per year and publishing numerous articles per year on new developments and critical issues.

Our attorneys serve as a continual resource to others seeking nonprofit legal expertise – not only our clients, but to members of the print, television, radio, and online media, federal and state charity regulators, industry trade groups, academics, and nonprofit industry professionals in related fields, such as accounting, insurance, and consulting. Jeff Tenenbaum also serves as an expert witness on nonprofit legal matters.

While awards and honors don’t make great lawyers, over 16 years of annual recognition from all of the leading bestowers of such awards and honors is acknowledgment in which our attorneys take humble gratification.

Finally, we take the greatest pride in the long-term relationships we have built with our clients – some over 15-20 years in duration – as well as the continuous stream of referrals we receive from our clients, nonprofit executives, professionals who practice in the sector, and many others. That is the ultimate testament to the work we do.