Our People

Celia Roady

Partner

Celia Roady is a recognized leader in the tax-exempt organizations field. Celia counsels charities, foundations, colleges and universities, museums, and other nonprofits on tax and governance issues. She regularly advises on operational and programmatic issues, including the structuring of complex grants, program-related investments, joint ventures, and collaboration arrangements. Tax-exempt organizations turn to Celia for advice on issues such as executive compensation, private foundation excise taxes, unrelated business income, corporate sponsorships, lobbying and campaign intervention, and board governance practices. Celia regularly represents tax-exempt organizations in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits as well as in seeking IRS rulings and determinations.

Celia chairs Georgetown University Law Center’s annual Representing and Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations Conference, the largest and most prominent legal/tax conference for tax-exempt organizations, and frequently writes and speaks on nonprofit issues. She has been recognized by myriad publications for her legal skills and served on the IRS advisory committee on tax-exempt and government entities from 2010 to 2013.

Active in professional organizations, Celia is a fellow with the American College of Tax Counsel. She served a two-year term as vice chair of communications for the American Bar Association (ABA) Section on Taxation. She is a former ABA Tax Section council member and former chair of the exempt organizations committee. Celia was also chair of the exempt organizations committee of the District of Columbia Bar Association Tax Section, chair of the DC Bar’s Council on Sections, and a member of the steering committee of the DC Bar Tax Section.

From 2004 to 2005, Celia served on the governance work group of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, which was convened by Independent Sector to provide comments to the US Senate Finance Committee.

Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M.
Duke University School of Law, J.D.
Duke University, A.B.

District of Columbia

Hall of Fame, Tax: Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations), The Legal 500 US (2017–2024)

Leading Lawyer, Tax: Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations), The Legal 500 US (2012–2016)

Woman Leader in The Law, American Lawyer Media (2022)

Ranked, Tax, District of Columbia, Chambers USA (2005–2024)

Lawyer of the Year, Tax Law, Washington, DC, The Best Lawyers in America (2018)

Top Lawyer, Washingtonian magazine (2013–2022)

Lawyer Lifetime Achievement member (awarded to lawyers named as Top Lawyer at least 10 times out of the past 15 years), Washingtonian magazine (2022)

Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Tax Law, Washington, DC (2007–2025)

Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Top Woman Lawyer (2016, 2017)

Recognized, Washington, DC, Super Lawyers (2007–2015, 2017–2020)

Top 50 Women Lawyers in Washington, DC, Super Lawyers (2007–2008)

Acritas Star, Acritas (2017–2021)

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Tax, Law360 (2017)

Recognized, Leading Lawyers for Tax, Washington, DC, The Legal Times (2005)

Fellow, American College of Tax Counsel

Member, Board of Regents, American College of Tax Counsel (2008–2013)

Member, IRS Advisory Committee on Tax-Exempt and Government Entities (2010–2013)

Member, Governance Work Group, Panel on the Nonprofit Sector (2004–2005)

Former Vice Chair - Communications, American Bar Association Taxation Section

Former Council Member, American Bar Association Taxation Section

Former Chair, Exempt Organizations Committee, American Bar Association Taxation Section

Former Chair, Council on Sections, District of Columbia Bar Association

Former Chair, Exempt Organizations Committee, District of Columbia Bar Association Tax Section