Caplin & Drysdale Welcomes Back Katherine Karl Former General Counsel of the Humane Society of the United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 1 , 2022: Caplin & Drysdale is proud to welcome Katherine Karl back to the firm. Ms. Karl started her legal career at Caplin & Drysdale in 2006 and has returned as a Member in the Exempt Organizations Practice. In the intervening years, she served as in-house counsel for two of the nation’s largest public charities.  Most recently, Ms. Karl was the General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer at The Humane Society of the United States. As a member of the HSUS executive team, Ms. Karl shared responsibility for management of a complex global enterprise, while leading teams responsible for matters including litigation, employment, governance, trusts and estates, and tax. Prior to her position at HSUS, Ms. Karl was the Deputy General Counsel at the American Cancer Society, where she was the primary legal advisor on tax and public policy advocacy.

“Kate is going to be a wonderful addition to our Exempt Organizations Practice. Clients tell us that they first came to Caplin & Drysdale because of our strong reputation for sophisticated yet practical application of the federal tax laws affecting nonprofits. But they stay because we work hard to help them deal with the broader range of issues that nonprofits face every day.  Having Kate on our team will help us do that even better.  We are confident that our clients will benefit from her experience navigating some of the trickiest issues out there for nonprofits today,” said Sharon Want, Member.

For more than 50 years, Caplin & Drysdale’s Exempt Organizations Group has served some of the nation’s most prominent nonprofit organizations. The Group represents hundreds of tax-exempt organizations each year, ranging from small start-ups to the largest private foundations in the country. The Group prides itself on providing creative, pragmatic, and accessible legal advice informed by a keen understanding of and sensitivity to the mission and business objectives of its nonprofit clients. With the departure earlier this year of the Group’s long-time leader, Doug Varley, to become the General Counsel of the Bezos Earth Fund, the Group is thoughtfully repositioning itself for the future, and Ms. Karl’s arrival marks a significant step in that direction.

“I’m honored to be back at the firm. Some of my new colleagues are lawyers I have relied on to help solve thorny legal problems over the years. I am excited to begin working as part of this team to help other nonprofits meet the challenges that come their way,” said Ms. Karl.