Jeff Tenenbaum

Overview

Jeff Tenenbaum is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys, and also is an accomplished author, lecturer, and commentator on nonprofit legal matters. As Managing Partner of the nationally recognized, five-attorney, Washington, DC-based Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC, Jeff counsels senior management and boards of directors of his clients on the broad array of legal and sensitive business and governance issues affecting charities, trade and professional associations, foundations, conservation groups, international NGOs, arts and cultural institutions, think tanks, educational institutions, and other nonprofit organizations. He is widely regarded as an innovative, highly responsive attorney with great judgment who provides practical, understandable advice extending to virtually every nonprofit legal issue and best practice. Jeff also regularly represents clients before Congress, federal and state regulatory agencies, and in connection with governmental and internal investigations, enforcement actions, litigation, and in dealing with the media.

He has extensive experience with a broad array of nonprofit legal issues, including tax and federal tax exemption, corporate governance, copyrights and trademarks, meeting, vendor, and other contracts, grants, fundraising regulation and commercial co-ventures, charitable gift restrictions, employment law and CEO employment contracts, antitrust, certification and standard-setting, mergers and joint ventures, chapters, subsidiaries, and affiliates, lobbying and political activity regulation, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, insurance, and international operations, among others.

Jeff is frequently called upon by major media outlets – in television, radio, print, online, and elsewhere – to provide commentary on news stories involving nonprofit legal issues and developments, and has served as an expert witness in several court cases on nonprofit legal matters, including most recently as the New York Attorney General’s lead expert witness in a very high-profile case (in which the Attorney General prevailed). For 19 years, he practiced law at Venable LLP in Washington, DC; he was a partner and chaired its nonprofit practice for most of that time, served on the firm’s Board of Directors for several years, and co-chaired the firm’s management review process in 2016. Jeff started his career in the nonprofit community by serving as Legal Section manager at the American Society of Association Executives, following several years working on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant.

Jeff is the recipient of Association TRENDS & CEO Update’s 2025 Association Industry Partner of the Year Award, was the 2006 recipient of the American Bar Association’s Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer of the Year Award and was an inaugural (2004) recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s Top Washington Lawyers Award. He has been one of only a handful of Leading Lawyers in the prestigious U.S. Legal 500 Not-for-Profit rankings over the years and is one of only five lawyers in the U.S. Legal 500 Not-for-Profit Hall of Fame. Jeff is listed in the 2012-25 editions of Best Lawyers for Nonprofit/Charities Law nationally and is listed in the 2014-24 editions of Super Lawyers in its Nonprofit Organizations category. He was the 2015 recipient of the New York Society of Association Executives’ Outstanding Associate Member Award, the 2004 recipient of The Center for Association Leadership’s Chairman’s Award, and the 1997 recipient of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives’ Chairman’s Award. Jeff  has been listed in the annual editions of Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who in America since 2005, was a 2008-09 Fellow of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, and is AV® Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating possible.

Jeff is the author of the book Association Tax Compliance Guide, now in its second edition, published by the American Society of Association Executives. He also is the author and photographer of the award-winning book Quarantine Cocktails. Jeff is a contributor to numerous ASAE books, including Professional Practices in Association Management, Association Law Compendium, The Power of Partnership, Essentials of the Profession Learning System, Generating and Managing Non-Dues Revenue in Associations, and several Information Background Kits. In addition, he is a contributor to Exposed: A Legal Field Guide for Nonprofit Executives, published by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Jeff is a frequent author on nonprofit legal topics, having written or co-written more than 1,000 articles.

Jeff is also a frequent lecturer on nonprofit legal topics, having delivered or moderated over 1,500 speaking presentations, including regularly for organizations such as ASAE, American Bar Association, United Philanthropy Forum, CEO Update, Association Trends, Greater Washington Society of CPAs, California Society of Association Executives, Nonprofit Advisory Board, and many others. He previously served on the faculty of the ASAE Virtual Law School.

Jeff is a regular commentator on nonprofit legal issues for NBC News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, ESPN, Washington Business Journal, Legal Times, Association Trends, CEO Update, Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The NonProfit Times, Politico, Bloomberg Business, Bloomberg BNA, EO Tax Journal, and other periodicals. He also has been interviewed on nonprofit legal topics on Washington, DC CBS-TV affiliate, the Washington, DC Fox-TV affiliate’s morning news program, Voice of America Business Radio, Nonprofit Spark Radio, The Inner Loop Radio, Through the Noise podcasts, The Managing Partners Podcast, Six Degrees of Associations podcast, and other media outlets.

Education

• J.D., Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, 1996
• B.A., Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, 1990

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• U.S. Tax Court

Professional Affiliations

• 2024-Present, Member, American Society of Association Executives’ Association Governance Institute Consultant Advisory Committee
• 2023-Present, Member, Selection Committee, Association TRENDS and CEO Update’s Salute to Association Excellence Awards
• 2018-Present, Chair, Trade and Professional Associations Subcommittee, American Bar Association’s Nonprofit Organizations Committee
• 2018-Present, Member, American Society of Association Executives’ Legal Advisory Council
• 2010-Present, Member, American Society of Association Executives’ Public Policy Committee
• 2018-Present, Member, American Bar Association’s Nonprofit Organizations Committee
• 2013-20, Advisory Panel, Wiley/Jossey-Bass’ Nonprofit Business Advisor
• 2016-20, Contributing Editor, The NonProfit Times
• 2022 and Prior Years, Member, Selection Committee, CEO Update’s Association Leadership Awards
• Past Member, American Society of Association Executives’ Legal Section Council
• Past Member, Editorial Advisory Board, American Society of Association Executives’ Association Law & Policy
• Past Member, American Society of Association Executives’ Association Management Company Accreditation Commission
• Past Member, Board of Trustees, Greater Washington Society of Association Executives Foundation
• Past Member, Government and Public Affairs Advisory Council, Greater Washington Society of Association Executives
• Past Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Aspen’s Nonprofit Tax & Financial Strategies

Honors and Recognition

Jeff is the recipient of Association TRENDS & CEO Update’s 2025 Association Industry Partner of the Year Award, was the 2006 recipient of the American Bar Association’s Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer of the Year Award and was an inaugural (2004) recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s Top Washington Lawyers Award. He has been one of only a handful of Leading Lawyers in the prestigious U.S. Legal 500 Not-for-Profit rankings over the years and is one of only five lawyers in the U.S. Legal 500 Not-for-Profit Hall of Fame. Jeff is listed in the 2012-25 editions of Best Lawyers for Nonprofit/Charities Law nationally and is listed in the 2014-25 editions of Super Lawyers in its Nonprofit Organizations category. He was the 2015 recipient of the New York Society of Association Executives’ Outstanding Associate Member Award, the 2004 recipient of The Center for Association Leadership’s Chairman’s Award, and the 1997 recipient of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives’ Chairman’s Award. Jeff has been listed in the annual editions of Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who in America since 2005, was a 2008-09 Fellow of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, and is AV® Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating possible.

Experience

• 2020-Present, Managing Partner, Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC, Washington, DC
• 2018-19, Chair of the Nonprofit Organizations Practice, Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC, Washington, DC
• 2003-17, Equity Partner and Chair of the Nonprofit Organizations Practice, Venable LLP, Washington, DC
• 1999-2002, Of Counsel, Nonprofit Organizations Practice, Venable LLP, Washington, DC
• 1995-99, Associate, Trade and Professional Associations Practice, Galland Kharasch & Garinkle, PC, Washington, DC
• 1992-95, Legal Section Manager, American Society of Association Executives, Washington, DC
• 1990-92, Legislative Assistant, Rep. Peter H. Kostmayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC

Publications

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Speaking Engagements

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Recordings

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In The Media

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