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John N. Bennett
 

John N. Bennett

Senior Counsel
 
2475 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304 

John Bennett is Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. John is Co-Head of, and manages the day-to-day oversight of, the Group’s Endowment Advisory Practice. John advises endowed universities, foundations, hospitals, cultural institutions and other institutional investors, including family offices, in connection with investment activities, including in the review and negotiation of documentation relating to investments in private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, energy and other natural resources funds, hedge funds, managed accounts, funds-of-one and similar investment vehicles, as well as in secondary market transactions involving the purchase and sale of interests in such investment vehicles. In addition, he represents public charities and private foundations in connection with impact investments and mission- and program-related investments. John also advises public charities and private foundations on structural and operating issues, including formation, governance, mergers, reorganizations, domestic and international grantmaking and taxation.

John is a regular speaker on topics of interest to tax-exempt organizations and institutional investors. John has spoken on various topics at the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Institutional Investors Committee, the International Grantmaking Symposium and the annual Georgetown conference on Representing & Managing Tax Exempt Organizations, and has presented at various events hosted by the Practising Law Institute, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Nonprofit New York and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, among others. John is the co-author, with David A. Shevlin, of chapters entitled “Tools for Direct International Grantmaking: Expenditure Responsibility,” and “Tools for Direct International Grantmaking: Equivalency Determination,” in “Cross-Border Giving: A Legal and Practical Guide,” published in 2018 by Charity Channel Press.

The Legal 500 reports high praise for John from clients, with one source noting: “his industry knowledge is incredible, and his work ethic is second to none.”

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Work Highlights
  • Aramark in the organization of “NYC Healthcare Heroes,” a citywide philanthropic program to support the heroic efforts of the New York City healthcare professionals on the front lines combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, launched alongside The Debra and Leon Black Family and in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, The Robin Hood Foundation and the American Red Cross
  • Endowed institutions in connection with secondary sales of interests in their investment portfolios in excess of $1 billion
  • Two private foundations in connection with a program-related investment in an innovative program to finance forest restoration as a means of decreasing the risk of wildfires
  • Two private foundations in connection with a $90 million impacting investing collaborative designed to respond to the challenges of global climate change
  • A private foundation in connection with a program-related investment loan to a company providing financing to solar power vendors in off-grid areas in Africa and India
  • Several major endowments and private foundations in connection with the establishment of securities trading accounts in China
  • CNO Financial Group, Inc., in its investment in Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC
  • Airvana Network Solutions Inc., in its sale to Ericsson Inc.
  • Vodafone in its $130 billion sale of its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon
Accolades
  • Pro Bono Publico Award, The Legal Aid Society (2013)
Education
  • Columbia Law School, 2008 J.D.
    James Kent Scholar, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • Tufts University, 2001 B.A.
    Thesis Honors
Associations
  • American Bar Association, Section of Taxation, Exempt Organizations Committee
  • New York City Bar Association, Committee on Non-Profit Organizations (2013-2016)
  • Global Impact Investing Network/ISLP Legal Practitioners Group (2015-2017)
Admissions
  • New York 2009
  • *Not Admitted in California 

John Bennett is Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. John is Co-Head of, and manages the day-to-day oversight of, the Group’s Endowment Advisory Practice. John advises endowed universities, foundations, hospitals, cultural institutions and other institutional investors, including family offices, in connection with investment activities, including in the review and negotiation of documentation relating to investments in private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, energy and other natural resources funds, hedge funds, managed accounts, funds-of-one and similar investment vehicles, as well as in secondary market transactions involving the purchase and sale of interests in such investment vehicles. In addition, he represents public charities and private foundations in connection with impact investments and mission- and program-related investments. John also advises public charities and private foundations on structural and operating issues, including formation, governance, mergers, reorganizations, domestic and international grantmaking and taxation. John works regularly with sponsoring organizations of donor-advised funds, grantmaking private foundations and “American Friends of…” organizations regarding governance, compliance with tax law and grant structuring. John also has significant experience in the area of lobbying and advocacy by nonprofit organizations.

John is a regular speaker on topics of interest to tax-exempt organizations and institutional investors. John has spoken on various topics at the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Institutional Investors Committee, the International Grantmaking Symposium and the annual Georgetown conference on Representing & Managing Tax Exempt Organizations, and has presented at various events hosted by the Practising Law Institute, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Nonprofit New York and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, among others. John is the co-author, with David A. Shevlin, of chapters entitled “Tools for Direct International Grantmaking: Expenditure Responsibility,” and “Tools for Direct International Grantmaking: Equivalency Determination,” in “Cross-Border Giving: A Legal and Practical Guide,” published in 2018 by Charity Channel Press. The Legal 500 reports high praise for John from clients, with one source noting: “his industry knowledge is incredible, and his work ethic is second to none.”

John plays an integral role in several of the Firm’s pro bono initiatives. Recently, John was featured in a number of publications, including ABC News and Law360, highlighting the Firm’s pro bono work with Election Protection, the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection coalition. John also frequently represents small non-profit organizations in incorporating and obtaining tax-exempt status.

John is a member of the Exempt Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association’s Tax Section and a former member of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Non-Profit Organizations and the Global Impact Investing Network/ISLP Legal Practitioner Group. John also was a long-time board member of the Public Interest Law Foundation at Columbia Law School.

Prior to his legal career, he worked in grantmaking and in compliance at the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. John received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2008, where he was a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his B.A. from Tufts University in 2001.

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