Welcome to M Bartlett Law, LLC, the law office of Melanie Bartlett. With over fifteen years of experience practicing tax law as in-house and outside counsel, I offer a well-rounded perspective on both legal and business operational issues. I would be delighted to help your organization with its legal needs.
Representing nonprofit organizations is my specialty, and I count many well-known nonprofits as clients. I have negotiated grant agreements with the wealthiest foundations and individuals in the U.S. and around the world and advised on grant compliance. I have formed and secured tax-exempt status for complex organizations, including charter schools and charter school management entities, museums, a seminary school, private foundations, and public charities with various missions. I’ve reviewed and signed off on multiple Forms 990, both as outside and in-house counsel, and counseled nonprofit organizations on the tax-related requirements for grant agreements.
To ensure compliance with federal and state lobbying laws, I’ve provided trainings, reporting policies, and guidance to tax-exempt organizations, as well as given advice concerning ethics laws regulating expenses for government officials. Working with programmatic staff, I’ve structured and negotiated program-related agreements and reporting policies. I’ve also counseled clients on issues regarding donor-advised funds, fiscal sponsorships, related organizations, supporting organizations, internal and external policies, qualifying distributions, public support, agreements with foreign entities, charitable gift annuities, specialty shops, unrelated business income, and state tax exemption.
As part of my tax practice, I have also drafted partnership and LLC agreements, structured complex organizational arrangements, and advised on transactional tax planning. I have guided clients through complicated real estate transactions, including like-kind exchanges, tax credits deals, and public bond financing. Boards of directors have relied on me to handle sensitive, complicated issues, many times working side-by-side with accountants, regarding financial statements, the treatment of revenues and expenses, compensation, and disclosure of various items on tax returns. Clients trust me to lead them through planned giving options in trusts and wills and family limited liability partnerships.