David Lawson
- Seattle
Notice
Before proceeding, please note: If you are not a current client of Perkins Coie, please do not include any information in this e-mail that you or someone else considers to be of a confidential or secret nature. Perkins Coie has no duty to keep confidential any of the information you provide. Neither the transmission nor receipt of your information is considered a request for legal advice, securing or retaining a lawyer. An attorney-client relationship with Perkins Coie or any lawyer at Perkins Coie is not established until and unless Perkins Coie agrees to such a relationship as memorialized in a separate writing.
An authority on tax exemption, philanthropy, and social impact, David advises organizations seeking to make a difference.
David Lawson represents foundations, hospital and medical research organizations, trade associations, universities, social service providers, and businesses, helping them find innovative ways to benefit their communities more effectively. His knowledge encompasses a variety of topics relating to federal tax exemption, nonprofit governance, charitable trust laws, and lobbying and issue advocacy.
David has completed dozens of complex transactions, from spinoffs of major programs to multiparty mergers to hospital joint ventures, and often advises nonprofit boards facing difficult situations. For more than a decade, he has engaged productively with the federal and state regulators that supervise nonprofits, including the successful resolution of significant Internal Revenue Service examinations and attorney general investigations.
Education & Credentials
Education
- Harvard Law School, J.D., Online Executive Editor, Journal of Law & Technology, 2008
- University of Washington, M.M., Violin, magna cum laude, 2004
- University of Washington, B.M. and B.A., Violin, magna cum laude, 1999
Bar and Court Admissions
-
Washington
-
District of Columbia
-
New York
Related Employment
- Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Seattle, WA, Counsel, 2020-2022; Associate, 2012-2020
- Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered, Washington, D.C., Associate, 2010-2012
- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, Washington, D.C., Associate, 2008-2010
Professional Recognition
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Trusts and Estates, 2024-2025
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Washington State Bar Association, Nonprofit Corporations Committee, Business Law Section Chair
Community Involvement
- Communities Rise, Board Secretary and Director
- Municipal League of King County, Director
- Harvard Club of Seattle, Director
