Ritzen Warshawski LLP

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Ned’s Wish, and we fundraise to support the medical wellbeing of retired service dogs. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ritzen Warshawski LLP?

We were trying to create a nonprofit organization and obtain charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). We were looking to become incorporated and set up our bylaws.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially met with Sean (Partner), and right away, he offered pro bono services to get our nonprofit up and running. Sean then drafted our bylaws and got the proper documentation put together. He walked me through the whole process of what needed to be done to set up our nonprofit. 

After that, Sean created our objectives and purposes so we could apply for charitable status with the CRA. I worked with him and his paralegal to ensure we got all the needed documents. They helped get everything into corporate registries, and they took care of all the filing. 

RW currently does all our legal work. They file our annual returns and take care of everything for the charity.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve worked with Sean and his paralegal. 

How did you come to work with Ritzen Warshawski LLP?

RW was recommended to me through colleagues from another law enforcement agency. I reached out to Sean, and he invited me for a meeting. The rest has been history from there. 

How much have you invested with them?

RW does all their legal work for us pro bono. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

As a charity, we need to be operating under the confines of existing laws. RW has done such a great job creating our bylaws and getting everything running that we’ve had zero issues with regulators, the province, and the federal government. Everything has been in compliance with policies and legislation. For that, our partnership is a huge success. 

Thanks to Sean’s help, we’ve received charitable status in an efficient and timely manner. It could’ve been a lengthy and arduous process without them, considering that everything revolved around the government. 

How did Ritzen Warshawski LLP perform from a project management standpoint?

RW is very good at communicating. If I call or send an email within business hours, I’ll get a reply the same day. They immediately acknowledge my messages and set up a meeting. They run a tight ship, but I like that — it makes our partnership more personable. We usually communicate through phone calls and emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

RW has been instrumental in establishing our nonprofit organization. They’re very knowledgeable about creating bylaws, and they’re willing to help out. They have the expertise to ensure we have everything we need to be in good standing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I don’t have any constructive feedback as they’ve gone above and beyond to meet our needs. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Reach out, talk to them, and be honest with what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Their team will do their very best to make sure you get what you need in a reasonable manner.