ChristianCanas
Senior Counsel
Corporate
ccanas@seyfarth.com
Christian advises nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of structural and operating issues.
More About Christian
Christian’s practice includes advising public charities, private foundations, health care organizations, and educational institutions regarding formations, determinations of exempt status, dissolutions, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, and other strategic transactions. In addition, he counsels clients in the areas of executive compensation, conflicts of interest, corporate governance, commercial co-ventures, fundraising, grantmaking, and property tax exemption and refunds. Christian also represents clients under audit by the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, and California Attorney General.
- JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
- BA, Columbia University
Economics and Political Science
Certifications
- Certified Health Care Institute (HCI) professional, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2022)
- California
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US District Court, Central District of California
- California Supreme Court
Related Services
Related Key Industries
- Formed and obtained tax-exemption for numerous organizations, including public charities and supporting organizations.
- Performed full federal and state nonprofit governance and compliance reviews for several tax-exempt organizations.
- Advised social service organizations regarding the establishment of taxable and tax-exempt subsidiaries.
- Advised a public charity on a joint venture with a for-profit company to develop a job training program, including on unrelated business income and private benefit issues.
- Represented two supportive housing providers in their merger.
Related News & Insights
-
Recognition
Aug 18, 2022
Seyfarth Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America 2023
-
Recognition
Jun 8, 2022
Seyfarth Earns Top Rankings in Legal 500 US 2022
-
Attorney Publication
Feb 22, 2022
Ofer Lion and Christian Canas authored a chapter in CEB/University of California’s Advising California Nonprofit Corporations
-
Firm News
Jan 5, 2022
Seyfarth Completes Inaugural Health Care Institute
- Recognized as a "Ones to Watch" lawyer by Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Tax Law (2023-2024)
- Recognized Attorney, Not-For-Profit (Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations), The Legal 500 United States (Legalese Ltd.) (2022-2023)
- California State Bar Association, Business Law Section, Nonprofit Organizations; Standing Committee Member (2014-2018)
- California State Bar Association, Taxation Section, Tax-Exempt Organizations
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section, Exempt Organizations; Committee Chair (2016-2017)
- Co-Author, "Taxation of Investment and Business Activities of Tax-Exempt Corporations," Chapter in CEB/University of California’s Advising California Nonprofit Corporations (February 22, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Taxation of Investment and Business Activities of Tax-Exempt Corporations," Chapter in CEB/University of California’s Advising California Nonprofit Corporations (February 25, 2021)
- Co-Author, "Employer Sponsored Disaster Relief Programs – Four Options to Consider," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Apr 9, 2020)
- Co-Author, "New Legislation is Good News on Parking Tax and Private Foundation Excise Tax," Taxation of Exempts (March/April, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Goodbye to 2019 … and the Parking and Public Transit Benefits Tax," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 23, 2019)
- Co-Author, "Be the Next Paul Newman - Give 100% of Your Business to Your Private Foundation, Newman’s Own Style," Client Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 20, 2017)
- Co-Author, "Court Reaffirms CA Attorney General’s Demand for Donor List," Client Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 13, 2016)
- Co-Author, "Court Affirms CA Attorney General’s Demand for Donor List," Client Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 1, 2015)
- Co-Author, "Nonprofit Governance: Directors Held Personally Liable for Mismanagement," #LAtogether, California Community Foundation (April 27, 2015)
- Co-Author, "Nonprofit Governance and Fiduciary Duties: Court Holds Directors Personally Liable for Mismanagement," One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 7, 2015)
- Co-Author, "PRIs: Funding a Loan Guarantee With Securities in Lieu of Cash," Taxation of Exempts (March 1, 2015)
- Speaker, “Forming and Representing Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Organizations,” Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section, Los Angeles, CA (2011, 2013, 2015)
Christian advises nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations on a variety of structural and operating issues.
More About Christian
Christian’s practice includes advising public charities, private foundations, health care organizations, and educational institutions regarding formations, determinations of exempt status, dissolutions, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, and other strategic transactions. In addition, he counsels clients in the areas of executive compensation, conflicts of interest, corporate governance, commercial co-ventures, fundraising, grantmaking, and property tax exemption and refunds. Christian also represents clients under audit by the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, and California Attorney General.
- JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
- BA, Columbia University
Economics and Political Science
Certifications
- Certified Health Care Institute (HCI) professional, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2022)
- California
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US District Court, Central District of California
- California Supreme Court
Related Services
Related Key Industries
- Formed and obtained tax-exemption for numerous organizations, including public charities and supporting organizations.
- Performed full federal and state nonprofit governance and compliance reviews for several tax-exempt organizations.
- Advised social service organizations regarding the establishment of taxable and tax-exempt subsidiaries.
- Advised a public charity on a joint venture with a for-profit company to develop a job training program, including on unrelated business income and private benefit issues.
- Represented two supportive housing providers in their merger.
Related News & Insights
-
Recognition
Aug 18, 2022
Seyfarth Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America 2023
-
Recognition
Jun 8, 2022
Seyfarth Earns Top Rankings in Legal 500 US 2022
-
Attorney Publication
Feb 22, 2022
Ofer Lion and Christian Canas authored a chapter in CEB/University of California’s Advising California Nonprofit Corporations
-
Firm News
Jan 5, 2022
Seyfarth Completes Inaugural Health Care Institute
- Recognized as a "Ones to Watch" lawyer by Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Tax Law (2023-2024)
- Recognized Attorney, Not-For-Profit (Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations), The Legal 500 United States (Legalese Ltd.) (2022-2023)
- California State Bar Association, Business Law Section, Nonprofit Organizations; Standing Committee Member (2014-2018)
- California State Bar Association, Taxation Section, Tax-Exempt Organizations
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section, Exempt Organizations; Committee Chair (2016-2017)
- Co-Author, "Taxation of Investment and Business Activities of Tax-Exempt Corporations," Chapter in CEB/University of California’s Advising California Nonprofit Corporations (February 22, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Taxation of Investment and Business Activities of Tax-Exempt Corporations," Chapter in CEB/University of California’s Advising California Nonprofit Corporations (February 25, 2021)
- Co-Author, "Employer Sponsored Disaster Relief Programs – Four Options to Consider," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Apr 9, 2020)
- Co-Author, "New Legislation is Good News on Parking Tax and Private Foundation Excise Tax," Taxation of Exempts (March/April, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Goodbye to 2019 … and the Parking and Public Transit Benefits Tax," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 23, 2019)
- Co-Author, "Be the Next Paul Newman - Give 100% of Your Business to Your Private Foundation, Newman’s Own Style," Client Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 20, 2017)
- Co-Author, "Court Reaffirms CA Attorney General’s Demand for Donor List," Client Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 13, 2016)
- Co-Author, "Court Affirms CA Attorney General’s Demand for Donor List," Client Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 1, 2015)
- Co-Author, "Nonprofit Governance: Directors Held Personally Liable for Mismanagement," #LAtogether, California Community Foundation (April 27, 2015)
- Co-Author, "Nonprofit Governance and Fiduciary Duties: Court Holds Directors Personally Liable for Mismanagement," One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 7, 2015)
- Co-Author, "PRIs: Funding a Loan Guarantee With Securities in Lieu of Cash," Taxation of Exempts (March 1, 2015)
- Speaker, “Forming and Representing Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Organizations,” Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section, Los Angeles, CA (2011, 2013, 2015)