Keystone: the central supporting element of a structure, such as an organization, without which the whole structure would collapse. The KEYSTONE name and concept were chosen to represent the division’s comprehensive, full service legal team dedicated to providing expertise in all areas of the law that can affect faith-based institutions and their service providers. We believe that religious institutions need a strong legal infrastructure to not only survive, but thrive.
KEYSTONE understands that religious institutions have special priorities and needs. With matters of greater importance at hand, it is difficult for institutional leadership to focus on legal compliance and protection issues, while executing its mission. This is where KEYSTONE can help.
Our team’s purpose is to work with religious institutions and service providers to first, identify their legal needs and legal weaknesses, and then help the institution develop a fundamental legal foundation and infrastructure designed to promote legal compliance and resource protection.
We know that resources of religious institutions should be used to support the institution, its membership, its community and its mission — not to defend administrative inquiries, lawsuits, or to pay penalties or legal damages. The following materials describe the depth of our experience, and how we can help religious institutions establish a solid legal foundation and infrastructure to guard against and/or prepare for any legal issues and challenges that may arise.
We have a National and International Reach
KEYSTONE has a universal approach associated with client service — our lawyers draw on the experience and resources within the firm to ensure that our clients receive the best legal services available. Further still, KEYSTONE has affiliations with top law firms throughout the world. Our network enables KEYSTONE attorneys to gain immediate access to local attorneys around the world to help our clients achieve their global objectives.
We Want to Help You
We understand that religious institutions and their service providers have many competing priorities for its resources, notwithstanding a desire to establish a legal foundation and build a legal infrastructure. We have designed a procedure to assist you in balancing legal priorities with budgetary realities.
With our client-centered focus, the KEYSTONE team will approach its engagement as follows: (i) meet with institutional leaders to discuss the full gamut of available legal services and the legal concerns of leadership; (ii) identify legal priorities, legal needs and legal desires; (iii) discuss pricing for the various services to ensure that legal services rendered are in sync with the institution’s annual budget; and (iv) develop a strategy to prioritize legal services in a manner that promotes fiscal responsibility, i.e. using a phased approach.
Stated simply, we will prepare a document itemizing all of your legal needs and develop a plan for execution on budget. Set forth below is a brief example of this deliverable:
| Category | Action Item | Budgeted Cost | Budgeted Time Frame |
| Employment | Draft Employment Handbook | ||
| Intellectual Property | Conduct audit to ensure all of the religious institution’s intellectual property is protected | ||
| Wealth Planning | Draft will for religious institution leader | ||
| Establish trust for leadership’s heirs |
We have the skills and expertise to provide whatever legal assistance your organization needs. More importantly, we have the passion to help you protect your institution’s resources by ensuring that you become and remain legally compliant. Let us know how we can help.
