Deanne serves as counsel to dozens of trade associations including many in the automotive parts manufacturing, heavy-duty truck parts manufacturing, and retail bookselling industries, as well as to an association of retail collection attorneys. In this capacity, she often serves as antitrust and general counsel at their annual and board meetings, and advises on matters related to federal and state regulation as well as association bylaws, procedures and risk management, and insurance issues. Her trade association work has involved many regulatory challenges, including on behalf of a consortium of nine automotive parts manufacturers, re-manufacturers, and service providers in mobile source regulatory and legislative proceedings, and in legal challenges to US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board actions.

For trade association, franchisor, and other corporate clients, Deanne has established protected cell captives, offshore captive arrangements, and affinity arrangements, allowing her clients to significantly decrease their costs of insurance, and allowing her trade association clients to offer an important member benefit which often yields a significant source of non-dues revenue.

Deanne advises motor vehicle manufacturer and supplier clients on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues, including recalls, defect investigations and related enforcement proceedings, compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards, rulemaking proceedings, FOIA and confidentiality matters, and other compliance issues under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, TREAD Act, and implementing regulations. In addition, she advises clients on federal and California emissions certification and compliance.

Deanne’s insurance coverage work includes advising clients on their rights to insurance coverage for liabilities arising out of real estate development and business operations on the Internet and in manufacturing and service industries, both before and after loss has occurred. Deanne has also represented policyholders in coverage litigation to enforce insurers’ obligations to pay the costs of defending and indemnifying environmental, products liability, and directors and officers actions. She has negotiated many multimillion dollar settlements for policyholders with their insurers.

Deanne serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia.

Deanne regularly speaks at seminars for trade associations, and to automotive, software, and high-tech industry participants. Her topics focus on negotiating insurance policies, obtaining coverage under existing policies, nonprofit legal issues, and alternative insurance market arrangements for recovery of sometimes unique liability and insurance claims.

Deanne’s presentations and publications include:

• “Lightening The Load: Economizing US Autos,” Energy/Environmental Law 360, December 13, 2011.
• “Association and Nonprofit CFO Insights,” moderator of panel presentation sponsored by Bisnow Media; August 3, 2011
• “Legal Issues When Volunteers Are Injured or Cause Injury: Is Your Nonprofit At Risk?” seminar sponsored by Lorman Education Services; July 26, 2011.
• “Insurance Coverage for Trademark Infringement Claims” at the PLI 2010 Advanced Seminar on Trademark Law. April 29, 2010
• “Contractual Risk Management” seminar sponsored by Wachovia Securities; March 17, 2010
• “The New Form 990: Accounting and Legal Issues,” presentation to Wachovia Securities seminar; October 15, 2008
• “The Nonprofit Environmental in NY: Form 990 Changes and Implications for Corporate Governance,” presentation to Arent Fox/Jones Lang LaSalle/Shattuck Hammond seminar; September 24, 2008
• “Is Your Tax-Exempt Organization Ready for the New IRS Form 990?” presentation to Arent Fox/Reznick seminar; April 3 and May 1, 2008
• “Nonprofit Governance in an Era of Heightened IRS Scrutiny,” presentation to Center U, American Society of Association Executives; June 20, 2007
• “Nonprofit Governance in an Era of Heightened IRS Scrutiny and Pending Legislative Change,” presentation to National Assembly; February 1, 2007
• “Security, Trade/Customs And Insurance Post September 11: What Are The Issues?” presentation to Organizational Resource Counselors; January 18, 2007
• Editor, The Nonprofit Policy Sampler, Second Edition (2006), published by BoardSource.