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The Fourth Sector Legal Strategy Group (LSG) is a leadership forum focused on identifying, developing and promoting legal tools, techniques and structures that enhance the success of Fourth Sector enterprises.

Current Priorities

LSG is focused on providing support to Fourth Sector enterprises, facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing among legal practitioners, and promoting awareness of the legal issues surrounding Fourth Sector activity. Current priorities include:

Development of Resources for Enterprises and Legal Practitioners

  • Legal Document Library – Comprised of model bylaws, contracts, offering memoranda and other legal documents used by social entrepreneurs and their attorneys.
  • Directory of Attorneys – Identification of attorneys and legal scholars who have specialized knowledge that can aid Fourth Sector organizations.
  • Tools & Resources Library – Articles, web resources, tools and literature addressing issues that Fourth Sector organizations may encounter.
  • Discussion Forums – for the Fourth Sector legal community to dialogue about legal problems affecting Fourth Sector organizations and to receive answers to specific questions about Fourth Sector organizations.
  • Support for Initiatives – A suite of workgroup collaboration tools for the Fourth Sector legal community to propose and collaborate on initiatives dealing with legal issues and problems encountered within the Fourth Sector.

Knowledge Sharing and Education

  • Convenings – Organizing workshops, sessions at relevant conferences and roundtable discussions regarding legal issues encountered by social entrepreneurs and attorneys.
  • Outreach – Promotion of LSG initiatives and resources for Fourth Sector enterprises and attorneys who support them.

Research and Strategy Development

  • Mapping Existing US Laws – A comprehensive exploration of existing legal authorities (federal laws, IRS regulations, state corporate charters, charitable solicitation laws, SEC regulations, etc.) that affect Fourth Sector activity in the US.
  • Mapping International Laws – A longitudinal study of international laws that facilitate Fourth Sector activity and their outcomes.
  • Cataloging Best Practices – Identifying best practices for structuring and operating Fourth Sector organizations within the constraints of existing US laws.
  • Characteristics of the Fourth Sector Archetype – A robust and comprehensive multi-stakeholder process for identifying consensus around the essential characteristics of the archetypal Fourth Sector organization.
  • Proposals for Legal Reform – Reviewing and developing proposals for public policy reforms to support Fourth Sector activity in the US.
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Legal Strategy Group (LSG)

Featured Profile

Rob Wexler

Robert Wexler is a Principal with the San Francisco law firm of Adler & Colvin, a firm that specializes in the representation of nonprofit organizations and their donors, with an emphasis on tax and corporate matters. His practice focuses on private foundation grant making, program related investments, representing social enterprises, and unrelated business income tax issues, in addition to the full range of other issues affecting public charities and private foundations. He received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Brown University in 1982. He received his law degree from Columbia University in 1985. Mr. Wexler is a Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School, where he teaches the Law of Nonprofit Organizations. He has also taught courses at the University of San Francisco and in the LLM program at Golden Gate University. He is an Advisory Board member of NYU’s National Center for Law and Philanthropy. He has served as a board member and officer on nonprofit boards, and he has been actively involved in the Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Mr. Wexler is a contributing author to CEB’s text Advising California Nonprofit Corporations. His most recently published articles include: “Social Enterprise – a Legal Context” Exempt Organizations Tax Review (December, 2006), “Two Key Revenue Rulings Provide a Road Map for Private Foundation Terminations,” Journal of Taxation (2003). Mr. Wexler is a member of the American Bar Association, and an active participant of the Tax Section’s Exempt Organization Committee, where he currently serves as Co-Chair, Sub-Committee on Unrelated Business Income Activities.

email: wexler@adlercolvin.com