The Cooperative Professionals Guild presents experts Terry Lewis, David Rosebud Sparer, and Jerome Hughes who will provide an introduction to housing cooperatives.
Jerome Hughes is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and directs the Community Development Law Clinic. UDC’s Community Development Law Clinic represents cooperatives, nonprofit organizations, and urban entrepreneurs. Because DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act provides tenants a right of first refusal in the sale of multifamily rental accommodations, CDLC students support clients with a range of transactional legal services related to housing cooperative formation, debt financing, renovation and construction, property management, and board and member governance. Jerome’s current research focuses on the role of organizational law and federal tax law in structuring cooperatives, employee ownership and social enterprise and, as importantly, addressing poverty and inequality. In a recently submitted article, “Envisioning IRC 501(c)(3) Social Impact Cooperatives: Addressing Poverty and Inequality,” Jerome analyzes the possibility of extending recognition under Section §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to a variety of cooperatives consisting of primarily low-income and disadvantaged populations. In addition, Jerome is working with stakeholders on federal policy updates that support the formation and sustaining of cooperatives in the community economic development context. Jerome is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New York.
David Rosebud Sparer, now recently retired, has been an attorney in private practice in Madison, Wisconsin since 1979. He was a partner with the law firm Herrick & Kasdorf, LLP for many years, and has for the last several years bee Of Counsel with the firm Carlson Black LLP.
For over 40 years his practice included a significant focus upon work for cooperatives of all types, from housing coops to grocery coops to farmer coops; helping non-profit organizations, including obtaining tax exempt status. He has worked with housing cooperatives all over the country helping them obtain tax exempt status and providing advice and guidance. For several years he presented workshops at NASCO's annual convention for cooperatives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, called the NASCO Institute. His representation of cooperatives included everything from setting up new coops, to modifying Articles and By Laws and equity structures, to real estate purchase, lease negotiations, contracts disputes and member relations issues.
Terry Lewis has been working in community economic development and public policy for 35 years as an attorney, banker, advocate, and cooperative developer. She has been vice president of cooperative development at National Cooperative Bank and president and CEO of NCB Community Works, LLC, an affiliated for-profit affordable multi-family housing development organization. Currently she is the CFO of the Center for Community Based Enterprises and principal of LIA Advisors, LLC, a private consulting firm providing advisory services in community economic development. She is a member of the Cooperative Hall of Fame.
MCLE credit will be available in California.
