Holly E. Peterson

Holly Peterson is an attorney with significant experience in the association and nonprofit, employment, and education sectors. While her portfolio broadly touches the myriad issues impacting the nonprofit sector, Holly chairs TLG’s employment law practice and focuses a majority of her time on employment law, providing advice and counsel on employee policies and handbooks, codes of conduct, workplace discrimination, progressive discipline and termination of employees, severance agreements, and workplace accommodations. Holly also conducts complex internal investigations (both related to employment and governance matters) and drafts and negotiates executive employment contracts, including nonprofit CEO employment agreements. In addition, drawing from her prior experience as a litigator and in-house at a nonprofit association, she prepares amicus curiae briefs in support of nonprofit client interests. Holly excels at translating complex regulatory and legal issues into practical and digestible client solutions that harmonize with important cultural, ethical, political, social, and financial considerations.

Prior to joining the Tenenbaum Law Group, Holly served in a senior role on the Legal Resources and Leadership Teams at the National Association of College and University Attorneys for eight years, where she was immersed in legal and operational issues impacting the nonprofit education sector, including issues related to students, employment, discrimination and harassment, disability accommodations, regulatory compliance, internal and external investigations, and board governance. During her time at NACUA, Holly acquired significant experience with association and nonprofit operations and management.

Prior to that, Holly worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland for four years, where she litigated on behalf of and provided advice for the 13 public colleges and universities in Maryland. In 2015, while working for the Attorney General’s Office, she received the Exceptional Service Award for her work in policy development on behalf of the University System of Maryland.

Before beginning her legal career, Holly worked in higher education administration at both public universities and private, nonprofit universities, gaining experience that has given her unique and valuable insights into public and nonprofit administration.

Holly is passionate about serving with a sense of purpose and is driven by the goals and aspirations of the nonprofit sector. She is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – values that guided her day-to-day work in the association world and that ignited early in her life, as evidenced by her most recent publications on gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights on college campuses. Holly currently volunteers with a nonprofit women’s group committed to addressing affordable living in Vermont. 

Education

• J.D., University of Maryland School of Law, 2010
• M.A., Education Policy, Planning & Administration, University of Maryland, 2007
• B.A., Government and World Religions, Georgetown University, 2002

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• Maryland

• 2011-Present, Member, National Association of College and University Attorneys
• 2017-Present, Member, American Society of Association Executives

• In 2015, Holly was the recipient of the Exceptional Service Award from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. Attorney General Douglas Gansler bestowed the award for Holly’s work in policy development on behalf of the University System of Maryland.

• 2015-23, Associate Director of Legal Resources, National Association of College and University Attorneys
• 2011-15, Attorney, Maryland Attorney General’s Office, Educational Affairs Division

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