Douglas Varley Receives Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Award

The Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association, Business Law Section, names Douglas Varley a 2019 recipient of the annual Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Award. The award recognizes accomplished and civic-minded nonprofit lawyers and spotlights Mr. Varley for his distinguished service as outside counsel to nonprofit organizations.

Douglas Varley has advised some of the nation's leading private foundations, philanthropists, public charities, and other nonprofit organizations on matters ranging from best practices in governance and the conduct of innovative advocacy campaigns to complex business transactions and fundraising. His practice advises funders and grantees on how to use charitable assets to impact important policy debates, with a particular focus on environmental conservation.  In addition, Mr. Varley counsels private foundations and other nonprofit organizations on a range of legal issues, including complex affiliations between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, international grant making, funding scientific research, and compliance with federal tax rules for nonprofits generally. He has represented tax-exempt organization before the IRS on a wide range of issues both in examinations and seeking private guidance from the Service.

Mr. Varley is proud to have trained many younger lawyers who now serve as in house counsel at major nonprofit organizations and in private practice. He has served on the Board of Trustees of several national nonprofit organizations, including the National Audubon Society, the NRDC Action Fund, Open Society Policy Center and Earthjustice. Mr. Varley is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center.