CCBA Feature
LAWYERS MATTER. LEGACIES MATTER. Lawyers matter. A lot. Days and evenings are filled with clients seeking guidance to deal with complicated situations, and advocating for clients during some of the most challenging times in their lives. This is extremely rewarding, and it can be all-consuming. Yet despite the pressure and time commitment, we are heartened to see so many attorneys serving on nonprofit charitable boards. Why do they do it? What skills do lawyers bring to the Board table? What do lawyers get out of Board service? We interviewed several Chester County Community Foundation Board members to find out... CONSTRUCTIVE, IMPACTFUL COMPASSION: Donald Lynn, Esq., of Larmore Scarlett in Kennett Square believes, “Lawyers should use their degree to make things at least a little better for other people. We do this as a profession, and we also do this as volunteers. A lot of my clients care deeply about the community. When my clients have charitable intent, I want to help channel their compassion to causes that will use their planned gifts wisely for perpetuity. I tend to bring forth the Community Foundation as an option if a client wants ongoing support to learn more about ever-changing community needs, and discern legitimate charities that do cost-effective, impactful good work over the years.” HEALTHY SKEPTICISM & PASSION: Stephanie Pahides Kalogredis, Esq., of Lamb McErlane in West Chester explains, “I brought my toughest client to the Community Foundation. And when that satisfied client agreed to create a legacy fund, it was a ‘win.’ That client was my husband (Bill Kalogredis, Esq.) in consultation with his wife (me). We are passionate about deepening our legacy commitment to our favorite charitable causes, including education and Greek culture. Serving on nonprofit charitable boards is just another way to show our support. As attorneys, we maintain a healthy skepticism. We want proper verification of the salient details, especially when it comes to large sums of money and charities. We try to use our background to enrich the boards we serve on and the goods works of the charitable nonprofits.
20 | New Matter
NETWORKING, LEARNING, LISTENING, ANALYZING: Day & Zimmermann in-house counsel John Allegretto, Esq., is in a unique position. “I learned a great deal about the Foundation over a decade ago, as an intern. I kept in touch, networking at Sweet Charity and Annual Meetings. I learned about regional charities by serving on Grant Panels. On the Investment Committee, I listened carefully to take in all relevant information, analyzed it, and probed actions taken.” John continues, “Many nonprofits recruit younger board members, as a way to be more resilient and face new trends head on. But some nonprofit boards end up consistently rejecting the younger point of view, and this is a great loss for the sector. The best boards, and the best nonprofits, embrace diverse points of view and are continually in lifelong-learning mode.” TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE & COMPELLING CASE: Jacqueline Motyl, Esq., of Fox Rothschild in Exton often finds that her technical knowledge of Nonprofit Law is a boon to her board service. “Corporate best practices such as signatory policies, conflict policies and document retention policies are important, along with experience in unique gifts of S corporation stock and real estate.” Jacqueline also assists philanthropic families, which has contributed to her ability to think practically as a board member. “We help our clients consider all the philanthropy options and choose what’s right for them: private foundation formation, commercial donor advised funds, and community foundation legacy funds. Seeing how clients make charitable decisions has given me a unique perspective that can be applied to various strategic planning opportunities presented to the boards on which I sit.” COMMUNICATION, CREATIVITY, GOOD JUDGMENT & SOLUTIONORIENTED: A partner at Lamb McErlane with offices in Oxford, PA, Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esq., finds that, “the skills used in the practice of law easily transfer to serving on nonprofit boards.” Winnie also notes, “Lawyers prepare by researching an issue and then present that to the client or opposition. Effective nonprofit board members also research both
