New York, NY. Nixon Peabody LLP has expanded its Nonprofit Organizations team with the addition of partner Molly Unterseher, who represents tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, philanthropic high-net-worth individuals, and charitable affiliates of for-profit companies.
Based in the firm’s New York City office, Molly advises clients in various organizational, compliance, and operational matters. Her clients include corporate, independent, and family private foundations; public charities; and donor-advised funds across multiple sectors. She guides clients through the process of establishing charitable organizations, including applying for and maintaining federal and state tax-exempt status, and helps them navigate ongoing compliance requirements.
Molly often serves in an outside general counsel role for her clients, providing organizations and individuals with practical and strategic advice with respect to governance structures, board composition, domestic and foreign grant making, charitable activities and investments, charitable donations, and philanthropic giving vehicles.
“Molly brings a dynamic legal background with a focus that both complements and enhances the team’s existing skills and experience,” said Nixon Peabody partner Todd Tidgewell, leader of the firm’s Corporate practice, which includes the Nonprofit Organizations team. “Nixon Peabody’s platform will benefit Molly’s practice, which has synergies with other areas at the firm, notably our Private Wealth & Advisory practice.”
Molly assists clients in protecting their tax-exempt status while maintaining their organizational objectives and leads them through strategic implementation and expansion of their charitable activities, programming, and operations. This includes guidance on private benefit concerns, relationships and intercompany services with related taxable entities, grants to nonprofit and for-profit entities and programs, establishing endowment funds and restricted gifts, and navigating family dynamics in next generation board governance and succession planning. She has a particular focus on assisting clients with private foundation restrictions, including self-dealing transactions, conflicts of interest, termination taxes, excess business holdings, and program-related and mission-related investments.
“Molly is a terrific fit both for our office and our strong firmwide culture,” said Richard Langan, managing partner of Nixon Peabody’s New York City office. “Her skills will quickly be in demand with colleagues and clients, and I anticipate Molly’s practice will flourish at Nixon Peabody.”
Molly earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center and her BA from Georgetown University.
