Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, LLP is pleased to announce that Stephanie Robbins has been named a partner in the firm as of January 1, 2024.
Stephanie Robbins joined Harmon Curran as a Senior Associate in 2021 and has over 13 years of experience as a lawyer in advocacy, politics, and nonprofit organizations. At Harmon Curran, Stephanie works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including charitable organizations, social welfare groups, political committees, friends of organizations, and private foundations. She provides timely and cogent advice on numerous topics, including structuring relationships between exempt organizations, choosing a state of incorporation, obtaining recognition of tax-exempt status from state and federal governments, corporate governance and fiduciary duties, contract matters, and registration and reporting requirements for certain activities, including lobbying and political activities.
Stephanie’s particular expertise is the taxation of exempt organizations. Prior to joining Harmon Curran, Stephanie spent ten years with the Internal Revenue Service where she learned to speak “IRS.” She spent two years as a Presidential Management Fellow with an appointment in the business unit that handled exempt organization matters before becoming an Honors Attorney in the IRS Office of Associate Chief Counsel, (Employee Benefits, Exempt Organizations, and Employment Taxes). During her long tenure with the IRS, Stephanie gained a broad depth of knowledge regarding exempt organizations and about the how the IRS functions, both of which help Stephanie successfully navigate IRS filings and administrative actions on her clients’ behalf.
Stephanie received her Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2011, graduating as a member of the Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society. She received her Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 2013, graduating with distinction. Stephanie received a Bachelor of Music from Vanderbilt University at the Blair School of Music and a Master of Music from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
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We are also pleased to announce that two new attorneys have recently joined the firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. Heather Lyster has joined as a Senior Associate, and Steven Lance as an associate.
Heather Lyster joins Harmon Curran with 12 years of experience as a lawyer. Prior to joining the firm, Heather served over seven years at Greenpeace USA, where she most recently served as Associate General Counsel, Programs. She advised senior management and staff on legal issues and strategy affecting the 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(3) organizations, including IRS regulations, lobbying, campaign finance, intellectual property, contracts, employment, corporate governance, and telecommunications law. She worked with staff on Greenpeace USA’s campaigns to ensure legal compliance across a variety of legal issues. Before working at Greenpeace USA, Heather was an Assistant Public Defender with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in Prince George’s County, where she represented indigent clients through pre-trial and trial stages of misdemeanor and felony cases. Heather earned her law degree at the University of Illinois Chicago Law in 2011. She also has a Master’s degree in European Studies from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and German Language & Literature from George Washington University. Outside of work, Heather enjoys running, gardening, and playing with her two young children.
Prior to joining Harmon Curran in 2024, Steven Lance spent five years with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF). Steven started at LDF in 2018 as a Yale Law School Public Interest Fellow in the organization’s litigation department, where he helped to investigate and litigate cases related to voting rights and racial justice. In early 2021, Steven transitioned to legislative advocacy as a Policy Counsel for LDF. In this capacity, he worked with state and local coalition partners to respond to a wave of restrictive voting legislation in several states. He also played leading roles in LDF’s successful campaigns to pass state-level Voting Rights Acts in New York and Connecticut. This experience contributed to Steven’s deep respect for progressive nonprofit organizations, while educating him in the federal and state rules that apply to their activities. Steven received his law degree from Yale Law School in 2018, and his B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2009. Steven is a member of the New York State Bar. Outside of work, he enjoys cycling, music, reading, and visiting museums.
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Stephanie can be reached at srobbins@harmoncurran.com or 202.328.3500 x20.
Heather can be reached at hlyster@harmoncurran.com or 202.328.3500 x14.
Steven can be reached at slance@harmoncurran.com or 202.328.3500 x21.