Orange County Charity and Non-Profit Organization Lawyer Sebastian Gibson

If you’ve been searching for Orange County charity lawyers in Orange County or charity attorneys in Orange County and haven’t found the charity attorney in which you can be confident when retaining a lawyer for your charity matters in Orange County, Sebastian Gibson is the charity attorney you’ve been looking for.

With over thirty years of experience handling charity matters, with law degrees in both California and in Great Britain, and years of international experience in London as well as decades of experience in California, Orange County charity lawyer Sebastian Gibson brings a wealth of experience to the table.

Orange County Charity Attorney, Sebastian Gibson

Sought out to be a writer for California’s two largest and most prestigious legal newspapers, Orange County charity attorney Sebastian Gibson’s articles have been published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal and the San Francisco Daily Journal. Today over 17,000 people visit this website and his blogs monthly for useful advice and thousands more follow him on Twitter for his humor.

Orange County Charity Lawyer Sebastian and Orange County Non-Profit Organization Attorney Sebastian Gibson provides this information to assist charity organizations and non-profit corporations in Orange County so that raffles, poker tournaments and other charity events can be held without legal consequences.

A growing trend in Orange County by non-profit and charitable organizations is to conduct raffles, but these are not the bake-sale raffles of old. Today, such raffles are often for homes worth between one and three million dollars.

Indeed, in 2008 alone, Orange County charity lawyer Sebastian Gibson saw that nearly 2,200 charities registered approximately 3,500 raffles with the Attorney General’s Office in the State of California. Not all of the raffles were for prizes as spectacular as a million dollar home, but there have also been charities who have failed to register their raffle with the state in advance of their raffle and some of the charities who have failed to comply with the rules have been referred to county prosecutors.

While noncompliance with the raffle rules has usually been the result of an honest mistake, some charities simply don’t like all of the reporting requirements. This is what Orange County charity and non-profit organization lawyer Sebastian Gibson says sometimes lands charities in California, and not just in Orange County, in trouble.

The rules relating to charitable raffles in Orange County and all of California, including Orange County, are contained in California Penal Code Section 320.5. The rules are straightforward, though somewhat complex. The most important rule perhaps is the requirement that at least 90 percent of the gross receipts generated from the sale of the raffle tickets for any given draw are used by the eligible organization conducting the raffle to benefit or provide support for beneficial or charitable purposes.

While California Gambling Laws are contained in a myriad of Penal Code Sections, rules relating to sweepstakes, promotions and contests are contained in California Business and Professions Code Sections 17539-17539.55 and the enforcement provisions are in Sections 17200 and 17534-17536.

Non-Profit Organization Poker Tournaments

With the popularity of poker tournaments on television, charities in Orange County and throughout the state have gotten into the act as well. The holding of Charitable Poker Tournaments and other controlled games is governed by sections 19985-19987 of the Business and Professions Code. The same 90 percent rule applies as it does to who may conduct charitable raffles.

If you are an Orange County charitable or non-profit organization and would like legal advice as to how to conduct or set up charitable fund raising events of any kind in Orange County, or anywhere in Southern California, especially those which involve any types of games of chance, contests, sweepstakes, promotions, gambling, poker or raffles, be sure to consult with Orange County Charity lawyer and Non-Profit Organization attorney, Sebastian Gibson at our law firm before preparing any advertising materials or rules for your event.

One of the best charity attorneys for people in Orange County to follow for his humor and wit, one of the funniest Orange County charity lawyers and one of the top humorous Orange County charity attorneys people follow on Twitter, Orange County charity attorney Sebastian Gibson has been called "brilliant," "hilariously funny" and a "legend."

It matters more than you think who you call for your charity and other legal matter. When it matters most, call Orange County charity lawyer Sebastian Gibson. When it’s time to hire a Orange County charity attorney, hire a legend.