Arthur Rieman, Founding Partner

Growing up in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, Arthur Rieman developed a passion for social justice. Since childhood, his commitment to helping others has shaped both his personal and professional life.

As a high school student, Arthur began volunteering with non-profit groups. Later, while pursuing his M.B.A. from UCLA’s Anderson School, he studied non-profit and arts management to better understand how non-profits operate.

In law school at UCLA, Arthur continued assisting non-profits through pro bono work. He earned his J.D. in 1988 and became a member of the State Bar of California.

During his wide-ranging career, Arthur has served as a law clerk and transactional attorney with major national and multinational law firms including Loeb & Loeb and Graham & James, as a plaintiff’s civil rights attorney and as general counsel for a national direct marketing company. He also spent six years launching start-up telecommunications companies. Arthur recently retired from daily practice though remains of counsel to the firm, providing his 35+ years of expertise when the experience is most needed.

In 1996, Arthur became a principal of The Law Firm for Non-Profits. Widely recognized as an expert in non-profit and exempt organization law, Arthur grew the practice to offer a broad range of legal services for non-profits across the country and the world.

With a rare combination of both legal and business expertise, Arthur understands non-profit organizations from an insider’s perspective, having served on numerous non-profit boards and as a board president. His passion for the work that non-profits do, coupled with his understanding of their unique challenges, makes him uniquely qualified to serve his clients. Both his legal colleagues and the Los Angeles business community know this about him as well; in 2007, Arthur was named one of the top 25 lawyers in the San Fernando Valley and has been regularly recognized as a Super Lawyer. He has been interviewed by news media including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Tax Notes Today, Bloomberg, San Francisco Chronicle, San Fernando Valley Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Beverly Hills Weekly, Daily Journal and Associated Press (AP).

Arthur has worked closely with a variety of non-profit executives and board members on strategic issues as a co-founder of The Cultural Planning Group, a consulting firm that works with arts and cultural organizations, philanthropic foundations and government agencies to strengthen arts and cultural communities and economies.

Arthur has spoken frequently and regularly wrote on legal topics related to the operation of non-profit organizations. (Click here for a Q&A with Arthur.)

Representative matters:

  • Completed sale of a nonprofit university to a new for-profit created by an insider of the nonprofit
  • Successfully challenged proposed revocation of a church-affiliated 501(c)(3) status by IRS
  • Guided nutrition industry nonprofit through creation of complex organizational structure with multiple for-profit and nonprofit subsidiaries in order to optimize revenue generation and protect the parent organization’s 501(c)(3) status
  • Guided large membership organization to amendment of bylaws to remove member voting rights
  • Converted a for profit healthcare business to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
  • Resolved a board dispute that threatened derivative lawsuits and schism

Contact us to learn more about how the team at The Law Firm for Non-Profits can help your non-profit thrive.