Maura L. Whelan

Maura Whelan is Counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP where she practices in the Exempt Organizations Department.  Maura advises private foundations, public charities, social welfare organizations and trade associations on a wide variety of structural and operational issues, including formation, governance and ongoing compliance with the tax rules applicable to tax-exempt organizations.  Maura has significant experience working with grantmaking organizations – including private foundations, sponsoring organizations of donor advised funds, “American friends of” organizations and social welfare organizations – to structure and implement complex domestic and international grantmaking programs.  Maura counsels both individual and corporate donors in philanthropic planning and structuring.  Maura represents endowed universities, foundations, hospitals, cultural institutions and other institutional investors, including family offices, in the review and negotiation of documentation relating to alternative investments.  In addition, Maura represents charitable and social welfare organizations in connection with social impact and mission- and program-related investments.

Maura is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation’s Exempt Organizations Committee and previously served as Secretary of that committee.  Maura also is a member of the New York City Bar Association Non-Profit Organizations Committee and the Non-Profit Coordinating Committee of New York’s Government Relations Committee. Maura regularly speaks and writes on topics of relevance to exempt organizations.