Gene Takagi, a former Outstanding Barrister of the Year (Bar Association of San Francisco), is a California nonprofit attorney who has provided corporate, tax, and governance counsel to hundreds of nonprofit clients. He has successfully helped strengthen nonprofits and social enterprises with responsive and comprehensible guidance in areas including: formation, tax-exempt status, governance, legal compliance, document review, collaborations, mergers, earned income, advocacy, international activities, and dissolution. He is also part of the adjunct faculty of the University of San Francisco, where he is teaching the Nonprofit Law Course in the School of Business. You can follow Gene on Twitter.

Big Firm Experience. Gene began his legal career in 2001 with the AmLaw 100 firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, working with many large institutional clients on corporate and transactional matters. His nonprofit clients while at Sheppard Mullin included a major new museum, local chamber of commerce, and a statewide association of accountants. During this time, he received several awards and national recognition for his community service. In order to further his passion to serve nonprofits, Gene started his independent practice in 2005.

Substantial Management Experience. With an extensive management background, including a graduate degree in nonprofit administration, to complement his legal experience, Gene understands the value of providing counsel that clients will understand and use to strengthen their organizations. This approach has helped him serve clients ranging from small grassroots charities to major national organizations. Gene’s past management positions include director of the medical and animal behavior divisions of the San Francisco SPCA and operations manager of a major specialty retailer. He has managed annual budgets of over $50 million and prepared RFPs for projects worth over $500 million.

Author & Speaker. Gene is the contributing publisher of the Nonprofit Law Blog and a published writer and popular speaker on nonprofit legal issues. He has written for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Practical Lawyer (ALI-ABA), Business Law Today (ABA), Taxation of Exempts, Blue Avocado, Nonprofit Conversation, and Lorman Education Services, and was technical editor for the Nonprofit Kit for Dummies. He has spoken at numerous events for the American Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, committees of the State Bar of California, California Society of CPAs, Law.com, Lawline, CompassPoint, Foundation Center, California Association of Nonprofits, Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, Western Museums Association, Revisioning Value, Northern California Planned Giving Council, and many other organizations. Additionally, Gene guest lectures at Stanford University and the University of San Francisco and has been interviewed by many local and national publications.

Pro Bono & Community Service. Gene is a well-known advocate of pro bono work and community service. He was one of the inaugural members of the Pro Bono Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) Leadership Circle, and a former Chair of the Pro Bono Issues Committee of the Barristers Club. His pro bono work and advocacy has led to recognition by the Bar Association of San Francisco, VLSP, the Mayor of Newark, and Equal Justice Magazine. He currently serves on the board of Community Initiatives (fka CIF of the San Francisco Foundation) and has previously served on the boards of Net Impact, JCYC, Community Thrift Store, and Barristers Club. He has also volunteered with a number of local charities, including the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (where he used to lead trainings of pro bono attorneys). In October 2010, Gene participated as an invited delegate in the Opportunity Collaboration four-day international poverty alleviation conference.

Other Activities. Gene has been playing volleyball in the gym and on the beach for 25 years. Currently, Gene is trying to get his musical mojo back (he was an award-winning saxophonist back in the day). His past adventures include skydiving, white water rafting, rock climbing, chasing a thief through an airport, and nearly getting decapitated (twice!) in two separate bike wipeouts.

Education. Gene earned a law degree from UCLA, master of nonprofit administration degree from USF, and a bachelor of science degree from the University of British Columbia.

Emily Chan is a California nonprofit attorney who has worked with NEO Law Group (fka The Law Office of Gene Takagi) for three years. Emily has successfully helped clients form nonprofit organizations, apply for tax-exemption, create governance structures and policies, engage in collaborations, and comply with applicable corporate and tax laws. You can follow Emily on Twitter.

Author & Speaker.  Emily is the principal contributor to the Nonprofit Law Blog and has authored over 60 articles on nonprofit legal issues. She has also had her work published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Nonprofit  Quarterly, About.com (a part of The New York Times Company), Business Law Today (ABA), and Blue Avocado. Additionally, Emily speaks to groups including CompassPoint, BoardSource, Net Impact, Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, Bar Association of San Francisco, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, and local committees of the California Society of CPAs and has guest lectured for an MBA class at the University of San Francisco. Emily is currently exploring working with other groups to start a roundtable series on legal and other issues facing young nonprofit professionals.

Law School.  Emily earned a law degree from UC Hastings College of the Law where she was widely recognized for her many outstanding achievements. Emily competed and served as a board member for both the Hastings Negotiation and Mediation Team and the Hastings Moot Court Competition Team. She was also a Senior Production Editor of the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly. While at Hastings, Emily received the Best Oral Advocacy award in the David E. Snodgrass appellate advocacy intramural competition. Emily also received Witkin awards in Negotiation and Settlement and Mediation. Emily has received distinctions in nationally recognized moot court competitions including the Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition (Best Oral Advocate - Preliminary Round) and National Moot Court Competition (2nd place team - Regional Round). She has also competed internationally in negotiation and mediation including the International Academy of Dispute Resolution Mediation Competition (2nd place team - Mediation) and International Chamber of Commerce International Commercial Mediation Competition (Quarter-finalist).

Undergraduate.  Emily earned a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration (Walter A. Haas School of Business) and a bachelor of arts degree in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley. While at Cal, Emily was actively involved in Students for Responsible Business (Public Relations), Order of Omega Honor Society (Academic Chair), and Delta Delta Delta (President).

Pro Bono & Community Service.  Emily is a strong believer in pro bono and community service. She has assisted with pro bono matters through the Bar Association of San Francisco Volunteer Legal Services Program. In addition, she serves on the board of directors of Streetside Stories and At the Crossroads. She also stays involved with her alma maters, for example, by serving as an alumni coach for the Hastings Moot Court Competition Team, and is also committed to giving back to the local community.

Other Activities.  A competitive free-style figure skater since age 7 before taking a break from competitions to attend undergraduate and graduate school, Emily continues to lace up her boots at the Yerba Buena rink in San Francisco outside of work.

Community Service Policy

Pursuant to our Community Service Policy, each of our attorneys is committed to currently serving on the board of directors of at least one charity, completing a minimum of 100 hours of community and pro bono services each year, participating in bar association activities, and regularly contributing information to the community. All community service projects are to be accepted, with approval of the principal attorney, through an established legal services provider or because of a deep personal connection to the particular charity and its mission. We shall substantially contribute to the change we seek in the world.

We are committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector. We regularly create and share information with the public through the Nonprofit Law Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. We also write papers for professional journals, speak at conferences and continuing legal education programs, and lecture at universities. Our targeted community services currently include board service with Community Initiatives (formerly CIF of the San Francisco Foundation); pro bono services to JCYC, Net Impact, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and other organizations through the CORP program of the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF); and participation on the VLSP Leadership Council and Pro Bono Committee of BASF. In addition, because of the alarming lack of diversity among leaders of nonprofits, we periodically hold free seminars for leaders and emerging leaders who are also members of minority groups. Gene typically provides over 250 hours of community and pro bono services each year.

Representative Nonprofit Clients