NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust today announced that Sarah E. Paul will join the Trust on February 1, 2015, as its new general counsel. Ms. Paul comes to Helmsley from the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where she had been Of Counsel and Deputy Head of the Exempt Organizations Practice. While at Skadden, Ms. Paul served as an outside counsel to the Trust since it began active grantmaking activities more than five years ago, advising on a broad array of transactional, compliance and tax matters. In her new role at the Trust, Ms. Paul follows Nancy Feller, who is retiring. Ms. Feller joined Helmsley in 2012 as its first general counsel after spending more than three decades at the Ford Foundation, where she departed as vice president, secretary and general counsel.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sarah. She is an excellent lawyer who brings with her a wealth of expertise advising foundations and extensive experience with the Trust specifically," said John R. Ettinger, CEO of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. "We could not have found a more appropriate person to take on the formidable task of following Nancy, a true legend in the philanthropic world, as our general counsel. In addition to building a world-class legal function here, Nancy has contributed immeasurably to the growth and culture of this organization. We are most grateful to her for being such a wonderful colleague and friend."
"It is remarkable what the Helmsley Charitable Trust has been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time, both in terms of its grantmaking and the exceptional organization it has built to support its programs and operations," said Sarah Paul. "I have enjoyed working with the Trust and its talented staff as an outside advisor, and I am truly excited to now join its ranks and help carry out Helmsley's mission to improve lives in the U.S. and around the world."
Ms. Paul has more than 25 years of experience advising nonprofit organizations of all kinds and sizes. Prior to joining Skadden in 2008, she was a partner at several large law firms. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Counsel at the New York Public Library. She has authored multiple publications and has served on various nonprofit boards and legal industry committees. Sarah graduated Harvard summa cum laude and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting effective nonprofits in health, place-based initiatives, and education and human services. Since 2008, when the Trust began its active grantmaking, it has committed more than $1 billion to a wide range of charitable organizations. For more information on the Trust and its programs, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.