Reduced Inequalities

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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”.

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Advocacy/Legislation (1) Consultation (8) Contracts (5) Corporate Formation (2) Corporate Governance (2) Employment/Labor (2) Intellectual Property (1) Nonprofit Governance (2) Real Estate (1) Regulatory (3) Research (1) Risk Management (1) Tax (1) Tax Exempt/Nonprofit (5) Visa/Immigration (1) Webinars/Trainings (1)

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Tatum Robotics

Trade/Customs Consultation

Summary:

Assist a social enterprise supporting the DeafBlind community by providing a trade/customs consultation around shipping their devices to Canada.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Tatum Robotics is a social enterprise with a focus on supporting the DeafBlind with access to news, educational pathways, messaging and more. To this end, they developed Tatum T1, the world’s first tactile fingerspelling robotic system providing the DeafBlind community with independent access to tactile sign.
Legal Entity Type: Hybrid (nonprofit + for-profit affiliates)
SDG(s):Decent Work and Economic Growth, Good Health and Well Being, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

Tatum Robotics has a very positive and longstanding relationship with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). CNIB recently asked to purchase robots from Tatum Robotics. The Tatum Robotics team is seeking a consultation with a trade/customs attorney in the US. They would like to better understand tariffs, HS codes, and the process of shipping products to Canada, and they have a handful of discrete questions (e.g., does their assistive technology qualify for exemptions; what documentation is required; is this something that must be brokered?).

Ultimately, if the process requires legal documentation/additional legal support, the Tatum Robotics team would greatly appreciate assistance preparing/making the shipments. However, this is a secondary request.

The Tatum Robotics team understands that the attorney will be speaking from the US perspective.

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Global Talent Connect

Consultation on Entity Form and Investor Agreements

Summary:

Assist an organization creating meaningful work opportunities for Africans by providing a consultation on what form their entity should take/how to structure investor agreements to lock mission.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Global Talent Connect’s mission is to create meaningful remote opportunities that enable Africans to achieve an elevated standard of living and generational wealth. They are starting their work in Ghana in the accounting space.
Legal Entity Type: Unregistered
  • Visit Global Talent Connect
SDG(s):Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

Global Talent Connect is setting up two mission-driven for-profit entities. One will be incorporated in Ghana, and the second will be incorporated in the United States. The US entity will be the majority owner of the Ghanian entity. They are now seeking a comprehensive consultation with a US attorney to discuss what form the US entity should take and how to structure investor agreements to lock in their mission. Importantly they want to ensure that both entities can have some employee-ownership down the line. Global Talent Connect’s mission is to create meaningful remote work opportunities that enable Africans to achieve an elevated standard of living, and they are starting in the accounting space.

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African Leadership University

Visa Consultation and Review of Letter of Invitation

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit that supports African students by providing a consultation to address discrete visa questions and reviewing a Letter of Invitation.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: African Leadership University (“ALU”) is a pan-African university with campuses in Rwanda and Mauritius and students from 50 African countries. They believe that young people hold the potential to become the ethical, entrepreneurial leaders that Africa and the planet need. Their role is to unlock that potential through a one-of-a-kind learning experience that gives students the foundation for a lifetime of leading positive change.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Climate Action, Gender Equality, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

As part of their programming, African Leadership University (“ALU”) brings cohorts of their students from across Africa to Silicon Valley for a transformative, month-long leadership and entrepreneurship immersion program at the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford University.

Because this is a short, non-degree, professional exposure program, their students apply exclusively for B-1/B-2 visitor visas. In 2025, the students applied for their visas a few weeks after the inauguration and only 32% were approved (in past years, they have had anywhere from 60-100% approval).

The ALU team is now seeking a consultation with an immigration attorney to ask a handful of discrete questions (e.g., what eligibility criteria might ALU introduce to improve visa outcomes?). These questions and additional background information can be provided upon request. They would also appreciate assistance reviewing and updating their Letter of Invitation.

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Neopenda PBC

Consultation on Treatment of Grant Funds Between Entities

Summary:

Assist a med tech company innovating needs-based health technologies by answering questions related to the treatment of grant funds between their U.S. and Kenyan entities.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Neopenda is a social impact medical device company innovating needs-based health technologies for emerging markets. Neopenda builds solutions alongside the healthcare workers who use them, ensuring every product is designed for the realities of resource-constrained hospitals (primarily in Africa). The company’s flagship product, neoGuard, is a CE-marked, wearable vital signs monitor that provides continuous measurement of four critical vitals for patients in overcrowded, understaffed wards.
Legal Entity Type: For-profit
SDG(s):Decent Work and Economic Growth, Good Health and Well Being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

Neopenda is a PBC incorporated in Delaware. Earlier this year, they established a wholly owned subsidiary in Kenya to support on-the-ground operations, manage local implementation, and receive certain grant funds. The Kenyan subsidiary will be receiving grant funds soon. The Neopenda team is seeking a consultation to discuss how to responsibly manage these funds, while ensuring legal compliance, before they have an intercompany agreement in place. They have some discrete questions (e.g., Can grant funds be used to the support U.S. based operational costs, and what documentation is needed?). They understand that the attorney will be speaking from the US perspective.

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Neopenda PBC

Draft Intercompany Agreement(s)

Summary:

Assist a med tech company innovating needs-based health technologies by drafting an intercompany agreement(s).

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Neopenda is a social impact medical device company innovating needs-based health technologies for emerging markets. Neopenda builds solutions alongside the healthcare workers who use them, ensuring every product is designed for the realities of resource-constrained hospitals (primarily in Africa). The company’s flagship product, neoGuard, is a CE-marked, wearable vital signs monitor that provides continuous measurement of four critical vitals for patients in overcrowded, understaffed wards.
Legal Entity Type: For-profit
SDG(s):Decent Work and Economic Growth, Good Health and Well Being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

Earlier this year, Neopenda established a wholly owned subsidiary in Kenya to support on-the-ground operations, manage local implementation, and receive certain grant funds. As they begin transferring funds and allocating shared operational costs between their U.S. parent (Neopenda PBC) and Neopenda Kenya Ltd., they need support developing a legally sound, tax-efficient intercompany structure that reflects their hardware supply chain, grant funding flows, and international staffing model.

They are seeking assistance drafting an Intercompany Agreement(s). At a high level, they imagine this will need to: (i) define how goods move between the U.S. and Kenya; (ii) ensure compliance with tax, transfer-pricing, accounting and corporate regulations; (iii) clarify how grant funds flow between the entities; (iv) identify processes for cross border flow transfers; (v) address hiring structure considerations; (vi) ensure alignment with regulatory compliance and requirements/identify responsibilities for quality and adverse event reporting across jurisdictions.

They understand that they attorney would speaking from the U.S. perspective. Additionally, if an attorney cannot assist with each of the issues above, assistance with as many as possible would be greatly appreciated.

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Stork Labs Medical, Inc.

File Provisional Patent

Summary:

Assist a startup improving maternal health outcomes by filing a provisional patent.

Referred by:

  • Friend of the Foundation
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Stork Labs Medical is an early-stage startup working to develop safer obstetric tools to improve maternal health outcomes.
Legal Entity Type: For-profit
SDG(s):Good Health and Well Being, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

Stork Labs Medical is addressing significant gaps in maternal/fetal care during childbirth by developing a novel operative vaginal delivery tool using advances in soft robotics.

The team is seeking assistance preparing and filing a provisional patent application. They have conducted preliminary prior art research and documented the invention (background and methods).

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Sozo Impact Inc.

Employment/Labor Law Consultation Involving Independent Contractors

Summary:

Assist an international contemporary arts agency and incubator by providing a consultation on their employment practices and treatment of artists as independent contractors.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: CA
About the Organization: Sozo Impact Inc. (SOZO) is an international contemporary arts agency and incubator at the intersection of social impact, innovation, and culture. Their portfolio of trailblazing artistic productions, experiences, and educational initiatives implements holistic approaches that cultivate equitable and liberatory creative ecosystems.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Climate Action, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

SOZO is registered as a nonprofit in California and works with artists both in the state and around the world. In many instances, they are serving as general managers for artists, and other times, as creative producers for artists to develop new work across mediums including music, dance, mixed reality technologies and installations. They treat many of these artists as independent contractors. The SOZO team is seeking a consultation with an employment/labor law attorney familiar with performing arts industry to: (i) review their current practices; (ii) help identify any risks (particularly under CA Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5)); (iii) and provide guidance on when they need workers compensation and other insurance coverages that covers these artists.

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Miller Center for Global Impact

Webinar on Navigating US Executive Actions

Summary:

Deliver a webinar on how social ventures and nonprofits can prepare for possible executive actions that may disrupt funding, international partnerships, and compliance for organizations working in climate, migration, or global justice.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: The Miller Center accelerates global, innovation-based entrepreneurship in service to humanity. Its strategic focus is on poverty eradication through its three areas of work: The Global Social Benefit Institute, Impact Capital, and Education and Action Research.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Affordable and Clean Energy, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, End Poverty, Gender Equality, Good Health and Well Being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Life on Land (sustainability of ecosystems), Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities, Zero Hunger
Legal Issue(s):

We are seeking a volunteer to lead a webinar for social impact leaders on the potential legal and financial risks posed by anticipated U.S. executive actions. While none of the proposed measures are law yet, developments in U.S. policy circles indicate serious discussions around: (1) revoking tax-exempt status from organizations supporting or funding specified work; (2) banning cross-border donations; (3) labeling migrant aid groups as terror-affiliated; and (4) increasing IRS scrutiny on progressive or foreign-aligned donors. The webinar should help mission-driven organizations understand the legal implications and offer proactive steps to mitigate potential threats.

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Land Use Atlas, Inc.

Research on Zoning Laws

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit democratizing information hidden within zoning codes by conducting research on zoning laws.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: All States Except (CT, GA, HI, ME, NH, PA, RI)
About the Organization: Land Use Atlas is a nonprofit working to digitize, demystify, and democratize information currently hidden within zoning codes. Their flagship project, the National Zoning Atlas (NZA), is a multi-institutional research collaboration centralizing data about zoning – the most important power of American local government, and the little-understood force shaping our lives. Their online interactive map exposes how thousands of communities use zoning – long a tool for racial and economic segregation – to shape housing choices, health outcomes, transportation patterns, environmental degradation, and climate response, among other things.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Climate Action, Life on Land (sustainability of ecosystems), Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

The Land Use Atlas team is seeking volunteers to research/contribute information about whether jurisdictions have zoning. The volunteers will review jurisdictions’ websites and ordinances, contact jurisdictions when needed (including submitting public information requests), identify the existence of zoning codes, and extract zoning codes. The President of Land Use Atlas is an attorney and a professor at Cornell Law School. The Land Use Atlas team will provide detailed written instructions and guidance. They are also available to facilitate webinar trainings for groups of volunteers.

 

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