Michele Wasson

Michele is an attorney in Tonkon Torp’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group. She concentrates her practice on providing legal counsel to and advocacy for nonprofit organizations, including trade associations, social clubs, professional groups, advocacy groups, public charities, private foundations, and other nonprofit entities. She has extensive experience with many of the major legal issues affecting nonprofit organizations, including tax-exemption, fundraising and cause marketing, commercial joint ventures, governance, lobbying and political activity, unrelated business income tax, and the private foundation excise taxes. Clients rely on her for compliance guidance and strategic planning. She is forward looking and helps clients take proactive steps toward achieving their missions.

Michele also works with high net wealth clients to provide wealth management and estate planning solutions incorporating family wealth transfers in a manner that promotes tax efficiency, cohesive family relationships, and charitable giving. She is adept with income, gift, and estate taxes and works closely with a family’s trusted advisors to structure plans that benefit future generations and support charitable giving plans. Her clients are family business owners and real estate investors with tax concerns.

Michele joined Tonkon Torp from Riverview Trust Company, where she led the trust officer team, and oversaw all charitable services. She also worked for over a decade as an attorney at Stoel Rives, where, in addition to her estate planning work, she assisted tax-exempt clients in navigating complex laws and regulations in all aspects of governance, compliance, and tax-related matters. Michele has worked with a wide range of public charities, private foundations, and other nonprofits on issues including fundraising, governance, advocacy, scholarships, endowment management, formation, and related matters.

She is the current Board Treasurer for the Estate Planning Counsel of Portland, and is an Adjunct Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Michele’s interests outside of work include spending time with her family, gardening, horses, cooking, running, and yoga.