Robert Erven Brown
Coordinator Church & Ministry Law Group
Schmitt Schneck Even & Williams PC
Robert Erven Brown has been practicing law for over 45 years with a focus in real estate, commercial transactions and charitable organizations. He represented clients in commercial and real estate transactions, ongoing business transactions, with particular expertise in church and para-church ministries and in medical real estate transactions. Through his nonprofit work over the last 20 plus years, he represents secular and faith-based nonprofit entities, including churches, synagogues, gurdwaras, temples, denominations, Christian schools, rescue missions, a seminary, an adoption agency, prison transition ministries, human services organizations, health-related charities, and other faith-based entities.
Working closely with his nonprofit clients, Bob is a frequent seminar speaker and a trusted advisor to executive leaders, board members and committees in identifying risks and implementing appropriate protections for key assets of the organization. He counsels boards and leadership teams on multi-site church development, church mergers, board governance, campus development and construction, entity planning services, real estate asset protection, insurance coverage and other aspects of ongoing operations.
After years of extensive involvement in the nonprofit sector, Bob developed a comprehensive program to guide nonprofit operations. The Campus Preservation Planningtm program protects critical assets of faith-based ministries and secular charities against uninsurable, under-insured, and uninsured unjust claims, while simultaneously improving overall risk management and stewardship performance. This program has been adopted by nonprofit organizations across the country.
