Gene Takagi is a California nonprofit attorney with a reputation for excellent work, practical counsel, and community service. Prior to opening his independent office in 2005, Gene practiced in the corporate group of the AmLaw 100 firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, during which time he was awarded Outstanding Barrister of the Year by the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Author. Gene is the author and publisher of the Nonprofit Law Blog, a leading web log in this area of law.  His article on "Corporate Governance for Nonprofits" was published in the June 2008 issue of the American Law Institute / American Bar Association's The Practical Lawyer. Gene and Emily Chan's article on "Alternatives to Forming a Charitable Nonprofit" was published in the July/August 2009 issue of the ABA's Business Law Today.  Together with Barbara Rosen, of Evans & Rosen LLP, Gene co-authored the article "Group Exemptions Demystified" in the January/February 2008 issue of Taxation of Exempts. Previous publications include "Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations," "Governance Issues and the Nonprofit Integrity Act," and "Nonprofit Joint Ventures."  You can also read regular miniposts ("tweets") from Gene by following him on Twitter.

Speaker. Gene regularly speaks on issues of nonprofit law.  He has presented to audiences at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting, the Western Museums Association Annual Meeting, the ReVisioning Value Annual Conference, the California Association of Nonprofits, the Bar Association of San Francisco, CompassPoint, the Foundation Center, the Northern California Planned Giving Council, the CBO Center, Law.com, the New Progressive Coalition, and Lorman Education Services. In addition, he has been interviewed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, Business Week, the Associated Press, The Recorder and Law.com, Federal Tax Weekly, the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), and a number of other publications.   Gene also guest lectures at colleges and universities, including Stanford University and the University of San Francisco.

Management and Governance Experience. With over 15 years of management experience, Gene understands nonprofits from both a legal and a management perspective. In the for-profit sector, he served as operations manager for a privately-held business with an annual budget exceeding $50 million. In the nonprofit sector, Gene served as director of the medical and animal behavior divisions of the San Francisco SPCA. In addition, Gene has served on a number of nonprofit governing and advisory boards, including the boards of Net Impact, the Barristers Club, the Legal Services for Entrepreneurs Program (Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights), JCYC, and Community Initiatives (formerly CIF of the San Francisco Foundation).

Pro Bono. Gene is one of the inaugural members of the Pro Bono Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) Leadership Circle, and a former Chair of the Pro Bono Issues Committee of the Barristers Club. His pro bono work and advocacy has led to recognition by the Bar Association of San Francisco, VLSP, Net Impact, the Mayor of Newark, and Equal Justice Magazine. Gene accepts pro bono matters only through VLSP and close personal relationships with existing charities.

Education. Gene holds a law degree (J.D.) from UCLA, a graduate degree in nonprofit administration (M.N.A.) from USF, and an undergraduate degree in biological sciences (B.Sc.) from UBC.

Local Nonprofit and Exempt Organization Counsel.  Gene serves as local counsel for a number of domestic and international law firms of all sizes.

Contact Gene for more information or to book a speaking engagement.

Professional Affiliations

Representative Nonprofit Clients