Attorney Profiles
NINA NATHANI
Ms. Nathani counsels international and domestic non-profit organizations and small businesses on legal compliance, government and commercial transactions, management, operations, fundraising and governance. Her experience spans a range of sectors, including global health; private enterprise; international broadcasting; media, demographic and mobile money research; social activism; capacity building; environmental preservation; and corporate social responsibility. Ms. Nathani’s specific areas of expertise include:
International Operations - Legal compliance for U.S. headquarters and overseas activities: U.S. Government statutes, regulations, rules and policies, including USAID, USDA, CDC, Department of State and Department of Commerce; Global Fund, WHO, World Bank, United Nations, UNITAID, DFID, KfW and other donor rules and regulations; formation, operation and management of overseas affiliates; coordination with foreign legal counsel on corporate, commercial, tax and litigation matters.
U.S. Government Grants and Contracts - Compliance with federal statutes and regulations; drafting and negotiation of sub-awards, subcontracts, task orders and pre-award teaming agreements.
Corporate Governance - Counselling boards of directors and senior management on U.S. and host country legal compliance, internal governance rules, practices, policies, operations and ethics.
Non-Profit Compliance - Federal exempt organizations and state nonprofit statutes and regulations, fiscal sponsorships, excess benefits, UBIT, conflicts of interest, and political activity.
Intellectual Property - Protection of proprietary intellectual property, including U.S. and foreign trademark registrations and administrative proceedings; drafting and negotiation of consent agreements and licensing and distribution agreements, both domestic and international.
Commercial Agreements - Drafting, negotiation and implementation of agreements in all areas of operation, including procurement, consulting, distribution, employment, nondisclosure, leases, IT and other outsourcing.
Fundraising and Gift Acceptance - IRS statutes and regulations regarding tax-exempt status; state charitable solicitation laws and regulations; gift acceptance policies and practices.
Lobbying - Compliance with federal lobbying laws and regulations.
Employment - Employment contracts, personnel policies.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Education:
University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
Executive Editor, Virginia Journal of International Law
Yale University, B.A.
Bar Admission: District of Columbia
Experience:
Prior to launching Nathani Law Practice, PLLC in 2020, Ms. Nathani practiced law for many years in private firms and in government, most recently as the co-founding partner of Matalon & Nathani, LLP. Upon graduation from law school, she joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and then Steptoe & Johnson LLP for several years, focusing on lobbying and government relations, complex international trade and public international law litigation, and intellectual property protection. She later served in the Office of General Counsel at USAID, representing the agency in a variety of litigation matters and providing advice to the Global Health, Democracy and Governance and Economic Development divisions. Upon her departure from USAID in 1998, she re-entered private practice and has counseled a wide range of NGOs, domestic non-profit organizations, and small businesses on all aspects of their governance, management, operations, and compliance.
Tamera A. Fillinger
Ms. Fillinger has extensive experience in the U.S. and overseas advising and managing international development and other non-profit NGOs. She has worked as a USAID foreign service legal advisor in Asia, Africa, and Washington, DC as well as in private law practice in Washington, DC and New York. She has taught law school in Singapore and China, founded and managed the legal clinic of a Singaporean NGO serving migrant workers, directed a children’s health foundation in Beijing, and served on boards of directors of international organizations. Her perspective benefits from both working within and as an outside advisor to NGOs. Ms. Fillinger’s specific areas of expertise include:
International Non-Profit Management – Structuring systems to enhance organization mandate, extend program reach; Board governance; Research-based advocacy; Donor and NGO coordination; Fund raising.
International Operations – Compliance with donor requirements, including U.S. Government, USAID, CDC, State Department, Global Fund, WHO, World Bank, United Nations, and DFID; Formation and operation of overseas affiliates; Employment contracts and personnel policies; Coordination with foreign legal counsel.
Non-Profit Compliance – Compliance with federal and state non-profit statutes and regulations, charitable solicitation laws and regulations; Gift acceptance policies and practices.
Non-Profit Board Governance – Compliance with best practices for board governance; Training of new board members; Counselling boards and senior management on U.S. and host country legal compliance, internal governance rules, practices, policies, ethics.
U.S. Government Grants and Contracts – Drafting, negotiation, and implementation of memoranda of understanding, sub-awards, and subcontracts.
Commercial Agreements – Drafting, negotiation, and implementation of agreements in all areas of operation, including procurement, consulting, employment, leases, and IT and other outsourcing.
Education:
University of California, Los Angeles, J.D.
Editor, UCLA Law Review
U.S. Department of Education Fellowship in Chinese and Chinese law, Beijing
Bar Admission: New York
University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A. Political Science
American University in Cairo, Egypt
Experience:
Prior to working with Nathani Law Practice PLLC, Ms. Fillinger lived and worked in Singapore, Beijing, Jakarta, Nairobi, Washington, DC, and New York. She began her legal career with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York in its China practice group. She later served as USAID Regional Legal Advisor in Nairobi, Jakarta, and Washington, D.C advising USAID missions in East and Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. She then re-entered private practice in Washington, DC, advising NGOs and non-profits on all aspects of their management, operations, governance, and compliance until moving back to Asia. In Beijing, she served as Executive Director of the United Foundation for China’s Health and taught as an adjunct professor in the Temple University LLM program at Tsinghua University. She also taught US law to judges from across China at China’s National Judicial College. In Singapore, she taught as an adjunct professor at Singapore Management University’s law school and founded and managed the TWC2 legal clinic for migrant construction workers from Bangladesh, India and China. Ms. Fillinger has served on the boards of the International School of Beijing and the Singapore American School and on the boards of the United Foundation for Children’s Health (China) and International Bridges to Justice.