Jeff Tenenbaum honored as Leading Lawyer for second straight year
Washington, DC (June 10, 2013) – Legal 500, considered one of the most comprehensive worldwide qualitative guides available on legal services providers, has announced its 2013 rankings. In 2012, the first year for the publication’s Not-for-Profit category, Venable LLP’s nonprofit practice was recognized for being a “‘very strong’ group [with] ‘tremendous depth,’ and an ‘excellent value for non-profits’.” This year, Venable was one of 14 law firms recognized in the category and was one of six firms ranked in Tier 2. Singled out for a special mention was Jeffrey Tenenbaum, who was again designated a “Leading Lawyer” in the field, one of only eight nationwide. Mr. Tenenbaum chairs the firm’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group and is one of the nation's leading nonprofit attorneys.
“Venable LLP has a ‘deep and exceptional level of expertise and specialists on every area of law,’” noted the Legal 500 write-up, praising the nonprofit practice group for being a “‘one-stop shop for legal issues’ [that] delivers a ‘fantastic service’.” “[T]he large and multifaceted team includes seven attorneys that dedicate the majority of their time to this practice area” and acts as general counsel for a mix of trade associations and industry standards organizations on matters related to tax, governance, compliance, labor, IP and lobbying.
Legal 500 noted that other key leaders in the group include Brock Landry, who focuses his practice on trade associations, and Robert Waldman, who focuses his practice on charities and foundations. Among the other individuals mentioned were George Constantine, whose practice focuses primarily on contracts, tax, antitrust, governance, and political activity matters, and Lisa Hix, who “knows her stuff and has a non-intimidating way when explaining issues” and “seems to have above average insight into her clients’ memberships”.
Mr. Tenenbaum was described as “[p]ersonable, very professional, highly responsive and realistic”, and, with his team, represented three clients in U.S. Tax Court last year (following IRS audits), examining tax-exempt status issues and alleged excessive compensation. “The firm took an aggressive litigation stand and negotiated satisfactory settlements on all counts.” Mr. Tenenbaum knows “‘how to bridge the gap between theory and the letter of the law, and the reality of running a business and making management decisions’, ‘works great with boards’ and ‘really understands the association community.’” Additionally, Mr. Tenenbaum, Jonathan Pompan, and ‘knowledgeable and personable’ associate Matthew Journy were recognized for their work as lead outside counsel for the Homeownership Preservation Foundation. The Humane Society of the United States and the American Lumber Standard Committee were noted as recent clients of the firm.
A record 59 Venable attorneys received 62 placements in 15 practice groups by Legal 500 in its 2013 rankings.
Published for over 20 years, the Legal 500 series provides worldwide coverage on legal services providers. Their recommendations are based largely on the feedback of thousands of law firm clients and the opinions of thousands of rival commercial lawyers. The guide is used by commercial, nonprofit and private clients, corporate counsel, CEOs, CFOs and professional advisers – as well as by other referrers of work – both nationally and internationally. It is highly regarded for its definitive judgment of law firm capabilities
The “Leading Lawyer” selections are made from among all the recommended attorneys in a particular category and represent those few individuals, who, in the view of their peers, represent the highest standards of the category.
With more than 600 nonprofit clients nationwide, Venable has the largest concentration of attorneys in the country providing counseling and advocacy for charities, trade associations, professional societies, foundations, advocacy groups, hospitals, schools and other nonprofit organizations.
###
Note: An American Lawyer 100 law firm, Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in California, Delaware, Maryland, New York and Virginia, Venable LLP lawyers and legislative advisors serve the needs of our domestic and global clients in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property, regulatory, and government affairs.