Anthony & Sparkman, PLLC

There are many misconceptions and often confusion regarding the legal rights that churches and nonprofits have. Employment laws can be especially confusing and affect the day-to-day operation of an organization. We’ve posted a blog series about recent legal updates and changes that may affect you. Check it out! #nonprofitleadership #nonprofitlawyer #nonprofitlaw #dfw #texaslawyer #montanalawyer #Kentuckylawyer

Pastors and Ministry Leaders: Join us for a free lunch on January 9, 2025. Email info@thenonprofitteam.com to register!

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations and implement an "interactive process." A good PWFA policy will help protect your organization from legal pitfalls and safeguard compliance.

If compensation is not “reasonable” as described in regulation 1.162-7(b)(3), the IRS can penalize the individual recipient, the board members who approved the income, and the organization itself.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can initially feel confusing, but it is fairly easy to implement and maintain with proper understanding.

Ministerial Exception protects churches, nonprofits, and other religious institutions from employment discrimination laws when hiring or firing ministers. Understanding the benefits and requirements of this law will allow you to utilize it to help further your organization. 

Meet the team: Joshua Burk As a litigator, Joshua's expertise comes in seeing the legal risks that nonprofit organizations face and developing a strategy to reduce or eliminate the potential for lawsuits. Though a Texas native, Joshua developed his legal skills in the jurisdictions of New York and California, first at litigation powerhouse Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and more recently at the trial firm Hueston Hennigan LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as an editor for the Virginia Law Review. 

Meet the team: Si Alford After graduating from Baylor Law School in 2019, Si worked for a large nonprofit organization, serving in Employee Relations. There he was responsible for the employee handbook, performance improvement processes, and assisting with employee training. In 2021, Si joined Anthony & Sparkman as an associate attorney. Si oversees a softball small group league for his local church, hosting about 16 teams each spring and fall. 

Meet the team: Michele Sparkman Michele graduated from Texas A&M University and earned her Juris Doctor from Texas Wesleyan School of Law (now Texas A&M School of Law.) Upon graduating, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Bob McCoy of the Second District Court of Appeals, Fort Worth, and has been providing legal counsel to nonprofit and faith-based organizations ever since. Over the past sixteen years, Michele has counseled nonprofits on a wide array of issues such as entity formation, corporate governance, employment law, third-party investigations, child abuse prevention, strategic planning, restructuring, mergers, dissolutions, and more. Michele is licensed to practice law in Texas and Montana.

Meet the team: John Anthony After law school, John began his career working for a large nonprofit health system in the North Texas area. Soon after, he joined a firm focused almost exclusively on nonprofits, in which he focused on nonprofit governance, employment, and compliance with the Affordable Care Act. He has continued serving nonprofits and healthcare organizations around the United States and has spoken at various national conferences on the issues of Executive Compensation, Nonprofit Governance, Healthcare Law, International Expansion, and Employment Law. In 2019 John formed The Anthony Law Firm, PLLC and after 3 successful years, joined with his colleague Michele Sparkman to form Anthony & Sparkman.