Sharon Weinberg Nokes is an Of Counsel in Caplin & Drysdale's Washington, D.C. office. She joined the firm in 2008.
Services
Ms. Nokes provides comprehensive legal advice to tax-exempt organizations, including some of the nation's largest private foundations and publicly-supported charities, as well as educational institutions, hospitals, medical research organizations, supporting organizations, and social welfare organizations. She counsels these clients on a variety of tax, corporate, and compliance issues, including executive compensation, domestic and international grantmaking, structuring charitable and unrelated business activities, lobbying and political activities, transactions with for-profit organizations, and corporate governance. She has considerable experience with the rules governing private foundations, supporting organizations, and donor-advised funds, and also provides guidance to donors regarding their charitable giving alternatives.
In addition to advising clients in these areas, Ms. Nokes represents individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations in all stages of their disputes with the IRS and state tax authorities, and in specific ruling requests. She has also represented clients before Treasury and the congressional tax-writing committees with regard to proposed or recently-enacted laws and regulations.
Highlights
Prior to joining Caplin & Drysdale in 2008, Ms. Nokes practiced in the tax department of a major international law firm, where she advised large for-profit and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of tax issues and represented them in controversies before the IRS. From 2004 to 2005, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Emily C. Hewitt, United States Court of Federal Claims. Before entering the legal profession, she was a professional musician, performing with several orchestras and chamber ensembles in New York City and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, and serving as the principal flutist of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C.
Professional Activities
Since 2004, Ms. Nokes has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law in the Legal Scholarship and Writing Program at Georgetown University Law Center. She also is General Counsel of Buildable Hours, a Washington, D.C.-based public charity that coordinates contributions and volunteer activities nationwide between law firms and local Habitat for Humanity organizations.