Helping Nonprofits Thrive in Their Mission 

We represent a broad variety of nonprofit entities including credit unions, not-for-profit associations and cooperatives, churches, schools, foundations, and trusts. Several of our attorneys also sit on nonprofit boards. 

Our attorneys understand nonprofit clients have unique legal issues and governance challenges related to their missions, and guide them on how to achieve their objectives and reduce their risks and liabilities. 

We provide business, employment, litigation, regulatory, and real estate services to these clients including incorporating them as not-for-profit entities, obtaining tax-exempt status, protecting their intellectual property, developing HR policies, and acquiring, leasing, and selling real property. 

A major focus of the firm's nonprofit work involves partnering with not-for-profit financial organizations, including member-owned credit union cooperatives. FWW is the premier law firm for credit unions in the Pacific Northwest. We represent over 200 credit unions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and throughout the country. We serve credit unions in all areas of compliance and other legal matters from deposit account and loan forms, vendor contract reviews and vendor management, member disputes, corporate governance, employment contracts and bankruptcy and collections (Pacific Northwest only). We also provide compliance audits in select areas.

Areas of credit union expertise include:
 

• Federal and state regulatory compliance
• Product planning, policies and forms
• Vendor contract review and negotiation
• Commercial loan documentation
• Corporate governance audits and planning
• Employment and executive compensation
• Mergers, examination and enforcement actions
• CUSO formation, products and services
• Commercial and consumer collections, foreclosures, bankruptcy/creditors’ rights
• Litigation in Oregon and Washington