Page 12 - Katten 2024 Pro Bono Annual Review

NEPAL COMMUNITY ALEXA ROLLINS AND
DEVELOPMENT OBTAINS RYAN LILLEY WIN
FEDERAL TAX EXEMPTION TAX-EXEMPT STATUS FOR
IN FOUR DAYS WITH COMMUNITY-FOCUSED CHICAGO
KATTEN’S HELP ARCHITECTURE NONPROFIT

Los Angeles Private Wealth Associate Michelle Claros and Pri- Katten agreed to represent Univ-
vate Credit Associate Richard Jeng helped the Nepal Community ersity of Illinois Chicago School of
Development Foundation — US (NCDF — US) by obtaining its Architecture Professor David Brown,
federal tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service in just who wanted to build further upon
four days and registering it as a fundraising charity with the the work and research he developed
Illinois Attorney General. Their pro bono efforts enabled the for the 2021 Chicago Architectural
organization founder Dr. Barry Bialek, who has a long history of Biennial, The Available City. As
community development work in Nepal, to expand his fundraising Biennial director, David focused on
reach for vital projects such as sanitation infrastructure, access more than 10,000 city-owned vacant lots and their potential as
to clean drinking water, and promotion of gender and ethnic collective spaces. His nonprofit, of the same name, aims to con-
equity. Michelle and Richard’s work included advising on and nect architects with local communities by focusing on construc-
drafting corporate governance documents, preparing the tax tion that fills community needs. With support from Janet Goelz
exemption application and assisting with the charity’s registra- Hoffman, Capital Markets Associates Alexa Rollins, Chicago, and
tion to support the foundation’s mission of alleviating poverty in Ryan Lilley, Dallas, helped The Available City incorporate and win
Nepal’s rural areas. federal tax-exempt status within a month following application.

KATTEN ATTORNEYS SET UP
TAX EXEMPT STATUS FOR
TWO NONPROFITS AIDING
INTERNALLY DISPLACED UKRAINIANS

A cross-office effort led by New York Insolvency and Restructuring Partner Jerry Hall
helped two nonprofits dedicated to aiding internally displaced Ukrainians, Victory
Team and Plich-o-Plich (Plich), secure tax exemption. Victory Team, founded by US
citizens, focuses on delivering essential goods, while Plich, established by Ukrainians
from Odessa and Mykolaiv, provides food, clothing, medical assistance and evacuation
services, especially to the elderly and disabled. With Katten’s support, Victory Team’s
tax exemption was granted on December 21, 2023, and Plich’s on September 13, 2024,
enabling them to continue their critical humanitarian work.

On this project, Jerry was joined by Katten colleagues including Janet Goelz Hoffman,
Dallas Corporate Associate Kelsey McKeag and New York Mergers and Acquisitions
Associate SoYoung Wang, who collectively conducted client interviews, drafted corpo-
rate and tax documents, and managed tax applications. Jerry expressed gratitude that
“four very busy lawyers set aside significant time” to facilitate “material amounts of aid
to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people halfway around the world by the time the
accounting is complete.”

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