MENLO PARK, Calif. – Elizabeth Peters, an attorney who is an expert in tax laws affecting foundations and charities, has been named general counsel for The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, its officials announced today.

Peters became associate general counsel in October 2010 and has served as acting general counsel since December. Before joining the Foundation, she was an associate with the firm of Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C., where her practice focused on tax-exempt organizations, international tax law, and corporate law.

At the Foundation, she has a wide range of duties, including advising its staff on legal issues at the state, federal, and international levels; further developing the Foundation’s systems for complying with applicable laws; drafting and reviewing legal documents; and assisting in staff training.

“In her brief time here, Elizabeth has shown herself to be adept at managing the full range of legal issues the Foundation faces,” said Hewlett Foundation President Paul Brest. “She has proved the ideal candidate to assume the position of general counsel permanently.”

From 2000 to 2002, before she became an attorney, Peters was a director of strategic planning for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, where she developed corporate partnerships and strategy. Earlier in her career, in 1999 and 2000, she worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs.

Peters has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and a law degree from Yale Law School, where she was a senior editor of The Yale Law Journal.

“I’m delighted to assume the general counsel’s position,” she said. “The work is rewarding and challenging, and the broad range of grants that the Foundation manages makes it an exciting place to be.”

About The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, the environment, global development, performing arts, philanthropy, and population, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. A full list of all the Hewlett Foundation’s grants can be found here.

Contact:
Jack Fischer
Hewlett Foundation Communications Officer
(650) 234-4500 ext. 5744
jfischer@hewlett.org