Tyra Hilliard

Tyra W. Hilliard, Esq. provides legal counsel and services to meeting and event professionals, associations, and non-profit organizations. Tyra is one of very few practicing attorneys who also holds the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. Primary practice areas include:

Contracts

Drafting, review, and revisions of contracts and license agreements, including hotel contracts, convention center license agreements, vendor contracts, exhibitor applications and contracts, speaker agreements, and more.

Counsel and advice on actual or possible contract disputes.

Entity Formation

Incorporation, LLCs, partnerships

Association and Non-profit Organization Governance

Drafting and review of bylaws, policies and procedures, and membership documents.

Counsel on antitrust issues that may arise at board meetings, trade shows, or conventions.

Intellectual Property

Registering and protecting trademarks.

Liability Issues for Meetings, Conventions, Exhibitions, and Special Events

Counsel and review of insurance, use of volunteers, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

Drafting and review of waivers of liability for meeting participants.

Employment Law

Tax (tax-exempt organizations)

Formation, application, and defense of federal tax-exempt status.

A flexible fee structure includes hourly, not-to-exceed project fee, or retainer basis fees, depending on the nature of the legal services and the needs of the client.

Tyra brings a unique perspective to her law practice due to her prior industry experience as an association meeting planner, a catering manager, a convention and visitors bureausales manager, and an association executive. Having actually "walked in the shoes" of many of her clients gives Tyra a first-hand understanding of the business and legal issues they face.

In order to provide a breadth of services including litigation, Tyra is associated as Of Counsel with Goldberg & Associates, PLLC, in Washington, D.C.