Shira partners with nonprofit organizations to help them make critical business and legal decisions, manage risk, and achieve their goals in compliance with their tax-exempt status. She represents public charities, private operating and grantmaking foundations, social welfare organizations, trade associations and other tax-exempt organizations throughout their lifecycles. From formation and qualifying for tax exempt status through their ongoing operations, clients rely on Shira to help them structure and manage a wide range of operational, programmatic, and transactional matters consistent with requirements under the Federal tax laws and the state charitable and nonprofit laws.

Shira regularly advises on issues such as unrelated business income tax, intermediate sanctions and self-dealing, lobbying and political campaign activities, fundraising (including cause-related marketing, corporate sponsorships, and online fundraising), complex grants, impact investments, executive compensation, excess business holdings, jeopardizing investments, and qualifying distributions. She also helps to structure major corporate transactions involving tax exempt organizations, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and collaborations, and she works with nonprofit boards on improving governance processes and discharging their fiduciary obligations.

Shira’s clients represent a broad range of industries, including medical and scientific research organizations, museums and cultural institutions, educational organizations, college and universities, healthcare organizations, humanitarian organizations, standards development and certification organizations, “friends of” organizations, low-income and affordable housing organizations, corporate foundations, family foundations, supporting organizations, and advocacy organizations.
Shira is Vice Chair of the Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section and an active member of the Exempt Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. Shira regularly presents on unrelated business income tax issues and other tax matters impacting tax-exempt organizations, and she co-authored the “Intermediate Sanctions” BNA Portfolio, 476-2nd. Shira was also on the Task Force that drafted the Revised Model Nonprofit Corporation Act and has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Legal 500 (2020-2021) and as a “Next Generation Partner” (2022-2024).