PROVIDENCE, RI, June 10, 2026 – Partridge Snow & Hahn (PSH) partners Elizabeth O. Manchester and Russell J. Stein will present the session, “Liability Considerations, Landmines & Protections for Lawyers Serving on Nonprofit Boards,” at the 2026 Rhode Island Bar Association Annual Meeting on June 11, 2026. Manchester and Stein will provide insight into what issues attorneys should consider before joining a nonprofit board of directors and guidance to follow while on a nonprofit board.
The event will bring together attorneys and members of the judiciary from across the state for two days of timely, high-quality CLE and meaningful professional connection. Each day opens with a plenary session designed to spark conversation, including a keynote on AI in legal practice and a featured panel with sitting and retired federal judges on civics, professionalism, and public trust.
As Chair of PSH’s Nonprofit & Tax-Exempt Practice Group, Manchester represents tax-exempt entities, centered on compliance, formation, charitable gift planning issues, and best practices. She has extensive experience assisting institutions with the inception of planned giving programs, as well as corporate governance matters and maintenance of tax-exempt status. Manchester advises charitable institutions and institutions of higher learning about tax benefits available to donors, to assist in discussions with donors to appropriately advance the organization’s mission. Serving as external general counsel for public charities and private foundations, Manchester advises nonprofits regarding board education and training, fiduciary obligation advice, compliance, donor representation, endowment fund management, finance, Form 990, reporting issues, governance, joint ventures, affiliations and litigation prevention. In addition, she advises nonprofits regarding managing bequests and complex gifts for organizations, mergers and acquisitions, obtaining and maintaining tax exemptions, policies, political and lobbying restrictions and tax.
Stein focuses his practice on advising businesses on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters, the intricacies of U.S. Federal and State tax regulations, and advising nonprofit charities and charitable foundations on Federal tax regulations and State charitable regulations as well as general business matters. He has extensive experience counseling businesses on business and tax matters relating to corporate mergers & acquisitions, real estate development and investment fund structuring, tax planning, business restructurings, partnership taxation and Opportunity Zone Investments. He has considerable experience in drafting partnership agreements, reviewing and negotiating merger agreements, and advising companies on tax structuring regarding international holdings.
Additionally, Stein advises nonprofit organizations, charities, and private foundations on a variety of issues ranging from start-up organizational matters through mergers and dissolutions. He provides guidance on joint ventures and partnerships between nonprofit and for-profit entities, including advice regarding state regulations and registration requirements involving commercial co-venture agreements.
Founded in 1898, the Rhode Island Bar Association is dedicated to upholding the rule of law, advancing the legal profession, promoting the administration of justice, and serving the public through education, service, and collaboration with local and national legal communities.
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About Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP
Partridge Snow & Hahn is a full-service business law and litigation firm committed to working collaboratively with clients to develop a deep understanding of their various industries, objectives, and unique ways of working to help advance business goals and solve legal challenges. With offices in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the firm focuses on key areas of law: corporate & business, including M&A, employment, tax, and nonprofit; real estate, including commercial financing, environmental, and land use; and complex commercial litigation & disputes.
