Affordable and Clean Energy

Please Treat the Information in the Digest as Confidential. Do Not Circulate Outside of the Lex Mundi Network.

If you are interested in a matter, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Isis Bous and Allison Laubach through the “Ask About This Matter” button on the details page or directly (ibous@lexmundiprobono.org; alaubach@lexmundiprobono.org) and let us know which project(s) interests you. We will place matches with Lex Mundi member firms on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can view all matter summaries on the “Digest” page(s). To view matters by legal need, select the category of interest. See details of individual matters via the “Read More” link in a matter. To view all details of all available matters, choose “View All”.

View by Legal Need
Consultation (10) Contracts (6) Corporate Formation (2) Corporate Governance (1) Due Diligence (1) Employment/Labor (5) Finance/Fundraising (2) Intellectual Property (3) Nonprofit Formation (1) Nonprofit Governance (4) Tax (2) Tax Exempt/Nonprofit (6)

Digest |  View All

GASP

Review/Update Internal Board Policies

Summary:

Review and update internal board policies on behalf of a nonprofit fighting to advance healthy air and environmental justice in Alabama.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: GASP’s mission is to advance healthy air and environmental justice in the Greater-Birmingham area through education, advocacy, and collaboration. The GASP team strives to reduce air pollution, to educate the public on the health risks associated with poor air quality and to encourage community leaders to serve as role models for clean air and clean energy development
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Good Health and Well Being
Legal Issue(s):

The GASP team is seeking assistance reviewing and updating their internal board policies. They plan to change certain approval requirements (e.g., requirement for board approval before taking any legal actions that could lead to litigation).

Ask About a Matter
GASP

Review/Update Employee Handbook

Summary:

Review and update an employee handbook on behalf of a nonprofit fighting to advance healthy air and environmental justice in Alabama.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: Alabama
About the Organization: GASP’s mission is to advance healthy air and environmental justice in the Greater-Birmingham area through education, advocacy, and collaboration. The organization strives to reduce air pollution, to educate the public on the health risks associated with poor air quality and to encourage community leaders to serve as role models for clean air and clean energy development
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Good Health and Well Being, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

Over the past few years, the GASP team has grown from three employees to seven, and they plan to onboard two additional people. Due to this expansion, GASP’s Executive Director is seeking assistance reviewing and updating the organization’s employee handbook. All individuals live and work in Alabama.

Ask About a Matter
The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ)

Advise on Benefit Corporations and Assist with Entity Formation

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit fighting environmental inequality by advising on benefit corporations and assisting with entity formation.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: CREEJ’s mission is to reduce health, economic disparities and improve access to clean air, water, and soil in marginalized rural communities by influencing policy, inspiring innovation, catalyzing relevant research, and amplifying the voices of community leaders, all within the context of a changing climate
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Clean Water and Sanitation, End Poverty, Good Health and Well Being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice is with working with various stakeholders including universities and large government agencies on a model for treating wastewater, which they eventually intend to manufacture and make widely available. The CEEJ team has been advised that given their work and mission, they should establish a Benefit Corp. They are seeking a consultation to discuss whether this structure best suits their needs, as well as assistance with the entity formation itself.

Ask About a Matter
,
Solutions Journalism Network

Review/Advise on Subgrant Agreement

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit news organization by reviewing and advising on a template Subgrant Agreement

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: The Solutions Journalism Network is a nonprofit leading a global shift in journalism, focused on what the news misses most often: how people are trying to solve problems and what we can learn from their successes or failures.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Clean Water and Sanitation, Climate Action, End Poverty, Gender Equality, Good Health and Well Being, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Zero Hunger
Legal Issue(s):

The Solutions Journalism Network team has a template Subgrant Agreement that was prepared by an attorney a few years ago. They are seeking assistance reviewing the contract and creating an internal annotated version for their staff that explains the provisions and provides guidance on whether negotiation on certain terms is acceptable.

Ask About a Matter
Solutions Journalism Network

Advise on Fair Use

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit news organization by advising on “fair use.”

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: The Solutions Journalism Network is a nonprofit leading a global shift in journalism, focused on what the news misses most often: how people are trying to solve problems and what we can learn from their successes or failures.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Clean Water and Sanitation, Climate Action, Decent Work and Economic Growth, End Poverty, Good Health and Well Being, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Zero Hunger
Legal Issue(s):

Solutions Journalism Network has a public database with links to thousands of journalistic articles drafted by independent parties (news outlets around the world. Currently, for each piece, their staff draft a bespoke short summary explaining the content of the article for users, who then can click off to read the article from its original source. Drafting the summaries is very time consuming. Moving forward, they would like to simply include a short excerpt from each piece (perhaps the first paragraph). They do not have relationships with the authors and are seeking guidance on whether including these excerpts is permitted under fair use. The Solutions Journalism Network team has received initial guidance from an attorney but is seeking a second opinion.

Ask About a Matter
,
Taproot Earth

Consultation on Charitable Status “Tipping” and “Unusual Gifts” Exemption

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit advancing climate justice by providing a comprehensive consultation on avoiding charitable status “tipping” and the “unusual gifts” exemption.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Taproot is non-profit committed to building power and cultivating solutions among frontline communities advancing climate justice and democracy. They advance climate solutions through movement-building, law & policy strategies, global climate reparations, and equitable disaster recovery.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Life on Land (sustainability of ecosystems), Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

Taproot Earth worked with a Lex Mundi firm to establish charitable status earlier this year. Now, they are seeking guidance on receiving large gifts while avoiding charitable status “tipping,” as well as the “unusual gifts” exemption.

Ask About a Matter
,