Bridget M. Weiss | People | Arnold & Porter

Bridget M. Weiss represents tax-exempt organizations, including charities, private foundations, advocacy organizations, trade associations, medical research organizations and international nongovernmental organizations. She has experience advising tax-exempt organizations in a wide variety of contexts throughout their entire lifecycle—from initial qualification for tax-exempt status to ongoing operations, including implementation of complex programs, grantmaking, lobbying, and political activities and business activities. Ms. Weiss counsels tax-exempt organizations and their governing bodies facing tax and governance controversies, including both internal investigations and audits and other examinations by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other government regulators. She also represents individuals and corporate donors on major gifts and other charitable programs.

Ms. Weiss provides advice to tax-exempt recipients of federal grants with respect to grants compliance programs, in addition to conducting internal investigations and responding to federal audits and other enforcement actions.

Ms. Weiss also represents business entities and individuals in a variety of other contexts, including in the disclosure of offshore assets and income through participation in the IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program. She has extensive experience in tax issues related to settlements of complex litigation, including implementation of funding structures such as qualified settlement funds and structured settlements.

Focus Areas

Experience

Public charity and related advocacy organization on advocacy, lobbying and political activities, including compliance and training programs.
Medical and scientific research organizations with respect to their formation and ongoing operations, including establishment of relationships with major research universities and structures for commercialization of intellectual property.
High net-worth individuals in structuring major gifts to a variety of nonprofit organizations (including universities and medical research organizations), as well as in the establishment and operation of private foundations.
Corporate donor in the establishment and operation of an innovative scientific research program with research implemented by national and international consortia of educational and research institutions.
Former public officials and authors in donation of personal papers and other memorabilia to educational institutions and libraries.

University Board of Directors Committee in internal investigation regarding misuse of university funds by its President.
Trade association on tax rules regarding reporting of advocacy and political activities to members, the Internal Revenue Service and under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

National social service organization in responding to government audit of significant federal grants, including internal and forensic investigations, as well as establishment of corrective compliance program.
International humanitarian organization in evaluation of federal grants and contracts compliance programs, including programs applicable to affiliated and subrecipient organizations.

Individuals in voluntary disclosure of offshore assets and income to the Internal Revenue Service as part of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program and Streamlined Voluntary Disclosure Program.
Individuals, for-profit entities and nonprofit organizations in compliance and reporting obligations associated with non-US assets and income.
Medical device manufacturer in structuring and implementation of national complex product liability settlement, including establishment of qualified settlement funds and structured settlements.
Energy company in major environmental and mass tort settlements, including structuring and implementation of complex funding mechanisms and qualified settlement funds.
Major corporations in a variety of industries (including pharmaceutical, consumer products and technology) in structuring and implementing settlements in a tax efficient manner.