About the Speakers

Seth H. Jaffe is chief of the Ethics Law & Policy Branch within the US Office of Government Ethics (OGE). He has been with OGE for over a decade. While at OGE, Seth has worked on detail for a year as an ethics advisor in the White House Counsel's Office. Seth joined OGE after practicing civil rights and constitutional law.
 
After graduating cum laude from Duke University School of Law, Seth began his career working as a litigation associate for Curtis Mallet ¬ Prevost Colt & Mosle, a large New York City law firm. Immediately prior to joining OGE, Seth served as acting deputy general counsel and director of EEO Programs at the US Commission on Civil Rights.  In addition, Seth worked as the managing attorney for the ACLU of North Carolina, where he represented clients in both state and federal court.

Elizabeth Kingsley (Moderator) is a partner with Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg LLP, where she guides her clients through the complex maze of legal, tax and political reporting frameworks that often require novel application to grass roots and coalition activities. Her clients include national and international public interest organizations, community-based groups, private foundations, associations, as well as political organizations and candidates. Many of her clients have complex organizational structures with lobbying, charitable, political, and other affiliated operations. She focuses particularly on lobbying and policy advocacy, and compliance with campaign finance laws. Beth also advises on international grant making, state and local tax exemption, and nonprofit governance.
 
Beth co-chairs the subcommittee on Politics and Lobbying Activities of the Exempt Organizations Committee of the ABA Tax Section. She earned her JD, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was Order of the Coif. She earned her BA from Oberlin College, where she was Phi Beta Kappa.

Stephanie N. Robbins is a senior associate at Harmon, Curran, Spielberg and Eisenberg LLP, where she advises the firm’s clients on complex tax law and processes that regulate their day-to-day activities, as well as state law, corporate law, and governance issues. Ms. Robbins specializes in advising charities on setting up the complex corporate structures required for charities to be permitted to engage in lobbying and political activities. Ms. Robbins also advises on domestic and international grantmaking, fiscal sponsorship, and other issues unique to charities. She particularly enjoys representing the firm’s clients in tax controversies before the Internal Revenue Service.
 
Prior to joining Harmon Curran in 2021, Ms. Robbins spent ten years with the IRS. She began in 2011 as a Presidential Management Fellow with an appointment as tax law specialist in the business unit devoted to charities and government entities. In this position, Ms. Robbins reviewed complex applications for recognition for distinct types of charities, including public charities, private foundations, title-holding companies, social welfare organizations, and business leagues. She also authored rulings in response to taxpayer requests, responded to taxpayer correspondence, and served as a subject matter expert for specific types of charities.
 
In 2014, Ms. Robbins joined the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in the associate office devoted to charities as an honors attorney. As an attorney advisor, Ms. Robbins authored significant guidance and letter rulings affecting several types of charities, including hospitals. Ms. Robbins also regularly supported IRS field attorneys with examinations and the Department of Justice with litigation. Ms. Robbins served as a subject matter expert for issues such as unrelated business income earned by charities and the political and lobbying activities of charities.
 
Ms. Robbins then earned an LLM in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 2013. She earned JD from Temple University in 2011.

Cara J. Spencer is an Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust and Nonprofit Enforcement Section of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (DC-OAG), where she works primarily in nonprofit enforcement. Cara represents the District in civil enforcement suits against nonprofits and their agents who have violated District laws governing nonprofit corporations. She also handles investigations of potential misappropriation of nonprofit funds, improper conflicted transactions, unlawful charitable solicitations, and governance violations in District nonprofits.
 
Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, Cara was a commercial litigation associate at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer’s DC office. She also served as a law clerk on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Cara earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia College, a PhD in philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Chris Swartz is senior associate counsel with the US Office of Government Ethics, supporting OGE’s legislative, policy, and ethics law functions. He previously served as the first permanent head of the National Office and Bureau Programs Branch of the Departmental Ethics Office, Department of the Interior. Before that, he was associate counsel and team lead of OGE’s International Affairs team, responsible for supporting and promoting US international anti-corruption policy. While at OGE, Chris twice served on detail to the White House Counsel’s Office as ethics counsel.

Chris earned his JD, magna cum laude, from the New England School of Law, and a BA from Elon University.

Benjamin Takis is the founding attorney of Takis Nonprofit Law PLLC, a Washington D.C. law firm practicing in the fields of tax, corporate governance, employment law, and business transactions for nonprofit organizations. Ben is also the co-founder of Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits, an education website for nonprofit organizations.
 
Prior to starting his own firm in 2012, Ben worked as an associate for six years at two leading Washington D.C. boutique firms: Bredhoff & Kaiser and Groom Law Group.
 
Ben is a frequent speaker and writer on nonprofit law, tax, corporate governance, and business management for a variety of organizations and educational institutions, including the District of Columbia Bar and Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts.

Peter C. Wolk (Moderator) of the Law Office of Peter C. Wolk graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College, earned a MEd from Harvard University in nonprofit administration, planning, and social policy, and a JD, cum laude, from the American University Law School.
 
Since 1984, Mr. Wolk has represented the interests of national, regional, and local nonprofit organizations of all kinds, including medical societies, community charities, trade associations, internet watchdog groups, educational groups, religious organizations, international relief groups, amateur sports organizations, higher education entities, health and environmental nonprofits, membership organizations, social welfare groups, and scientific research groups.
 
In his law practice, Mr. Wolk advises clients on day-to-day and strategic governance, inter-entity transactions, joint ventures, nonprofit formation, corporate documents, mergers, tax, fund raising, employment issues, intellectual property, contracts, board meetings, and the permissible range of activities for tax-exempt organizations. In addition, he conducts board training retreats, legal audits, and strategic planning sessions.
 
He teaches Nonprofit Law and Governance at the American University and has taught nonprofit law for the D.C. Bar for over twenty years. Mr. Wolk has served on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, National Capital Chapter, and the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington.
 
Mr. Wolk has twice been honored as Volunteer of the Year for the Arts, was lead legal counsel for the enactment of the DC Nonprofit Volunteer Immunity Law and has written The Art of Creating Nonprofit Organizations (Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts), How to Develop Self-Sustaining Nonprofit Organizations (US Department of Energy, Clean Cities Program), The Paper Chase: Non-Profit Filings, Forms & Record Keeping, and served as special editor of Developing Fundraising Policies and Procedures. He has chaired the D.C. Bar’s Membership Committee and Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee, which was the Recipient of the American Bar Association’s Best Project Award.
 
Mr. Wolk is admitted to the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania bars, and is admitted to appear before the Supreme Court of the United States.