CDP provides general counsel and transactional assistance to new and established NYC community-based organizations in a range of subject matter areas that affect them.

Assistance offered new to organizations includes:

• Help with incorporation
• Drafting customized bylaws to develop democratic internal structures
• Obtaining 501(c)(3) status (tax exemption)
• Complying with non-profit, employment, and tax laws
• Drafting internal documents such as personnel and policy manuals
• Conducting education sessions for new board/staff members on their rights and responsibilities and the ins and outs of running nonprofit organizations

Assistance offered to established organizations includes:

• Development of income-generating projects, including worker-owned cooperative enterprises
• Purchases of property
• Lease negotiations
• Federal and state contract compliance
• Negotiations with administrative agencies
• Amending by-laws and certificates of incorporation
• Training new board members
• Legal research connected to advocacy and organizing strategies
• Transactional services connected to the creation of new programs serving neglected communities
• Economic development projects, such as the creation of community-based credit unions and the development of micro-enterprises

CDP's general counsel and transactional work focuses on a number of areas of importance to our client groups, including education, workers' rights, youth organizing and advocacy, tenants' rights, community health, civil rights and economic development. Below are examples of our recent general counsel and transactional work; please visit our get help page for information on how to contact us for assistance related to general counsel and transactional legal services.

Negotiate commercial lease for community-based organization

CDP transactional attorneys negotiated a commercial office lease for a community organizing center for LGBT youth of color with a large New York City landlord. Through our representation the organization was able to obtain concessions for rent, build out, and other beneficial terms consistent with the market conditions at time of lease execution.

Incorporate, draft bylaws, and obtain tax determination letter

Transactional attorneys assisted organizing group incorporate, create a governance structure, and obtain federal income tax exemption. This work supported the efforts of the members in running successful workers' rights campaigns.

Advise on worker cooperative structure, and form worker cooperative corporation

Assisted an educational consulting group serving nonprofits and schools form a worker cooperative corporation under Article 5A of the New York Cooperative Corporations Law. Obtained outside pro bono assistance from a large law firm to advise on securities regulations issues as the co-op issued shares and discussed capitalization.

Pro Bono Co-Counsel

CDP would like to gratefully acknowledge the many law firms that have served as co-counsel and donated countless pro bono hours in support of our legal work, including:

• Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
• Debevoise & Plimpton
• Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
• Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
• Koob & Magoolaghan
• Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
• Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
• Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
• Outten & Golden
• Proskauer Rose
• Schulte Roth & Zabel
• Shearman & Sterling
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
• Weil, Gotschal & Manges