The BCLP's Religious Organizations Team provides legal counsel to a wide variety of churches, church denominations, religious educational institutions and other religious organizations. Our interdisciplinary team of attorneys provides responsive and cost-effective assistance tailored to the unique needs and objectives of our religious organization clients.

Our Experience

We can provide assistance on a wide range of issues, including:

• Corporate formation, governance and reorganizations
• Tax exempt status issues and planning
• Employment law issues and volunteer liability
• Employee benefits
• Child protection policies and controversies
• First Amendment and religious accommodations
• Trademarks, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property matters, including licensing
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Reorganizations and dissolutions; restructuring and bankruptcy
• Regulatory and reporting issues
• Partnerships, joint ventures, cooperatives, commercial co-ventures and other strategic alliances
• International operations, transactions and registrations
• Debt issues, tax-exempt bond financing and other loan transactions
• Government funding
• Fundraising matters
• Publishing and media activities
• Litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings
• Real estate acquisitions, mortgages, leases and environmental compliance
• Data protection, transfer and privacy strategies

Our Clients

A partial list of our faith-based clients includes:

• Association of Christian Schools International
• Awana Clubs International
• Chrstian Care Minsitry
• Compassion International
• ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians
• Greenville College
• Moody Bible Institute
• Outreach Community Ministries
• Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Inc.
• Tyndale House
• Wheaton College
• World Vision

Our Involvement

Attorneys who work on our Religious Organizations Team are also active as speakers, writers, and members of organizations that serve religious organizations. These include:

• Association of Christian Schools International
• Christian Legal Society
• Council for Christian Colleges & Universities