Lawyer Overview
Daniel Alcott is a trusted legal advisor with over twenty-five years of experience representing not-for-profit organizations and mission-driven enterprises. As Partner and Head of the Not-for-Profit Group at Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP, he acts as Outside General Counsel to a diverse portfolio of tax-exempt entities. These include 501(c)(3) public charities, private operating, and non-operating foundations, 501(c)(4) social welfare and lobbying organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, 501(c)(7) social and recreational clubs, churches and other religious organizations, and 501(c)(2) title-holding corporations.
Mr. Alcott is recognized for his practical, responsive, and affordable counsel across the full lifecycle of not-for-profit organizations—from formation through complex operations and, when necessary, dissolution. He regularly assists clients in the establishment of new organizations and obtaining federal and state tax-exempt status. He advises on corporate governance and board practices, fiduciary responsibilities, conflict of interest policies, whistleblower compliance, and bylaws modernization.
His legal practice includes drafting and negotiating a wide range of contracts, managing employment law compliance and disputes, advising on executive compensation and independent contractor relationships, and protecting brand identity through trademark registration and licensing strategies. Mr. Alcott advises clients on commercial co-ventures, cause marketing campaigns, and fundraising compliance, including state charitable solicitation registration.
Mr. Alcott has deep experience with New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, including representation of clients before the Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau. He frequently handles regulatory petitions related to corporate dissolutions under Article X and asset sales or transfers requiring court and/or Attorney General approval under Sections 510 and 511. His work includes guiding nonprofit boards through strategic restructuring, the sale of substantially all corporate assets, and the transfer of charitable missions to successor organizations.
Working collaboratively with colleagues in the firm’s real estate, litigation, and tax practices, Mr. Alcott supports nonprofits through property acquisitions and sales, mortgage refinancing, lease negotiation, employment and contract disputes, and audits by the IRS and state agencies. He has led numerous successful engagements involving IRS Form 1023/1024 applications, Form 990 compliance issues, and responses to audit inquiries and revocation threats.
A recognized authority on nonprofit transactions, Mr. Alcott has advised on a wide range of mergers, consolidations, affiliations, asset transfers, and dissolutions. His clients include both longstanding institutions and innovative social enterprises, and he also advises on hybrid structures that blend charitable missions with sustainable business models. He is a frequent advisor on philanthropic structuring, including donor-advised funds, fiscal sponsorships, program-related investments (PRIs), and impact investing.
Mr. Alcott began his legal career at top-tier New York City law firms, including Milbank LLP, where he gained extensive experience in corporate and transactional law before focusing on the nonprofit sector.
Awards & Accomplishments
New York Metro Super Lawyers® 2009-2024
The Best Lawyers in America® 2010-2025
Appointed Positions
Board Member, Exploring the Arts (Tony Bennett’s Foundation)