David Bea

Founder and principal of Bea & VandenBerk, David Bea’s practice centers on serving nonprofits, publishers, and creatives. For over twenty years, David has counseled nonprofit entities on corporate formation, corporate governance, restructuring, joint ventures, mergers, and dissolution. He has extensive experience with federal income tax exemption and compliance, state sales tax exemption, and local property tax exemption. In addition, David also advises for-profit entities on incorporation and formation with a particular emphasis on limited liability companies and drafting their operating agreements. David’s creative intellectual property practice experience includes trademark law, copyright law, and publishing law. His intellectual property practice includes both trademark and copyright registration, licensing, dispute resolution, and contract negotiation and drafting. David also advises both for-profit and non-profit employers on a full range of employment law matters, including structuring and preparing employment agreements. He has extensive experience advising 501(c)(3) employers on structuring executive compensation policies and packages that comply the Internal Revenue Code’s regulation regarding executive compensation. In addition, he counsels the firm’s Illinois-based clients on Illinois employment and administrative laws, as well as employment laws specific to employers located in Chicago and Cook County. David and the firm serve a wide range of nonprofit organizations including religious organizations, churches, charities, schools, colleges, museums, publishers, scientific organizations, associations, and private foundations. The majority of these nonprofit organizations are exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code section (charitable, religious, educational, or scientific) but many 501(c)(7) (social clubs), and even a 501(c)(13) (cemetery association). He also serves as legal adviser for several for-profit entities, social enterprises, and organizations that are related to or are subsidiaries of nonprofits. His clients are nationwide and include many organizations that operate internationally. DePaul University College of Law Class of 1997 J.D. Wheaton College Class of 1985 M.A.