Stefanie H. Roth, Partner
Ms. Roth specializes in the laws governing exempt organizations, including non-profit governance, development and fundraising, general corporate and financing transactions and collaborations and joint ventures with for-profit and non-profit entities. She advises nonprofits in a variety of fields, and has a particular expertise in the legal issues specific to museums and performing arts organizations, original visual and performance art commissions and licensing arrangements. She also is experienced in advising non-profits in financial distress and bankruptcy.
Prior to joining Ewenstein & Roth, Ms. Roth served as General Counsel for the World Science Festival, a tax-exempt organization dedicated to engaging and inspiring the general public with science. As General Counsel, Ms. Roth provided ongoing advice on a wide range of issues, including employment, executive compensation, corporate sponsorship and fundraising, board development, IRS compliance and governance to the Board of Directors, senior management, and operating staff. Ms. Roth and Ewenstein & Roth are proud to continue serving the World Science Festival as Outside General Counsel.
Ms. Roth served as Associate General Counsel for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum for six years. At the Guggenheim, Ms. Roth served as primary counsel to the Museum’s Curatorial, Development and Finance departments, where she structured and negotiated complex art acquisitions and commissions, sponsorship and other donor arrangements, joint ventures with for-profit and non-profit entities, investments and financings. She also served as principal legal advisor to the Board’s Art & Museum Committee (the museum’s art acquisitions and collection policy committee).
Ms. Roth trained as an associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, in the firm’s international corporate and litigation practices. She drafted and negotiated numerous multi-lateral financings, joint ventures, litigated in federal, state and bankruptcy court and conducted complex international arbitration. Ms. Roth served as law clerk to the Hon. John S. Martin, Jr., United States District Court, S.D.N.Y.
Ms. Roth graduated from Harvard College (AB 1989) and Harvard Law School (JD 1993). She is a former member of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Nonprofit Organizations, currently serves on the Non-Profit Coordinating Committee of New York’s Government Relations Committee, and the Board of Trustees of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (where she leads the Governance Committee) and is a past faculty member of Legal Issues in Museum Administration, organized by ALI-ABA.
Ms. Roth is admitted to practice in New York.