Since 2004 — a year before he founded his own firm — Cevin Taylor has worked almost exclusively in nonprofit and tax-exempt organization law, making him one of the most tenured attorneys in the country focused on that specific niche of IRS compliance, organizational governance, and tax-exempt status restoration.
Overview
Taylor Legal, P.C. (also marketed as CTaylor Legal, P.C.) is an Ann Arbor, Michigan law firm founded in 2015 by Cevin C. Taylor. The firm concentrates primarily on nonprofit and tax-exempt organization law, estate planning and probate, business law, and real estate law. Taylor has lived in Ann Arbor since 1984, when he arrived to study at the University of Michigan, and his practice serves clients deeply rooted in the same community.
The firm’s most distinctive specialty is the restoration of IRS tax-exempt status. When nonprofit organizations fail to file required returns (Form 990 or its variants) for three consecutive years, the IRS automatically revokes their tax-exempt status. Restoring that status requires a specific and technically demanding process before the IRS — one that Taylor has handled for hundreds of organizations. He is recognized as one of the most experienced attorneys in the country for this work.
Taylor maintains an of counsel relationship with Magill & Rumsey, P.C. while operating Taylor Legal as his primary practice. He teaches at the University of Michigan Global Campus and Howard Community College level, contributes to the state bar’s nonprofit law section, and served as Technical Reviewer for the Michigan Nonprofit Manual, 5th Edition — a reference work used by attorneys and nonprofit administrators across the state.
He is admitted to the Michigan bar, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Practice Areas
Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organization Law. This is the firm’s primary area. Taylor has served hundreds of nonprofit organizations through all phases of their existence: formation (articles of incorporation, bylaws, initial board governance), obtaining IRS 501(c)(3) or other tax-exempt status, ongoing compliance with federal and state reporting requirements, and dissolution. He has particular depth in the IRS tax-exempt status reinstatement process for organizations whose status has been revoked due to filing failures.
IRS Tax-Exempt Status Reinstatement. When an organization’s tax-exempt status is automatically revoked by the IRS, restoring it requires filing appropriate applications, back returns, and in some cases penalty abatement requests. The complexity and specificity of this process means that most general practice attorneys are not equipped to handle it efficiently. Taylor’s sustained focus in this area since 2004 — and his recognition by peers as one of the country’s most experienced attorneys for this work — gives him a procedural familiarity that translates directly into better outcomes for client organizations.
Estate Planning and Probate. The firm handles wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related estate planning documents, as well as probate administration when estates must pass through the Michigan courts. Taylor holds a Certificate of Completion in Probate and Estate Planning from the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
Business Law. The firm advises clients on business formation, contracts, and related transactional matters. Taylor’s nonprofit law background is directly adjacent to business law, particularly for social enterprise entities and organizations operating at the boundary between nonprofit and commercial activity.
Real Estate Law. Taylor Legal handles real estate transactions and related matters for individual and organizational clients in Michigan.
Attorney Profiles
Cevin C. Taylor is the founder and principal attorney of Taylor Legal, P.C. He earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1990 and his J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor in 2003. After law school, he worked in the Michigan Court of Appeals Research Division, then joined Magill & Rumsey P.C. He has specialized in nonprofit and tax-exempt law since 2004. He founded Taylor Legal, P.C. in early 2015 while maintaining an of counsel role at Magill & Rumsey. He holds a Certificate of Completion in Probate and Estate Planning from the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He is a member of the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section and the Probate and Estate Planning Sections of the State Bar of Michigan. He served as Technical Reviewer for the Michigan Nonprofit Manual, 5th Edition. He is a member of the Christian Legal Society and has served on boards of charitable organizations. He speaks fluent Spanish. He is admitted to the Michigan bar (2003), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2009), and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2008). He has resided in Ann Arbor since 1984.
Location and Service Area
455 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., Suite 355, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Phone: (734) 995-4713. Website: https://ctaylorlegal.com/
The firm serves clients in Michigan, particularly in the Ann Arbor area. Nonprofit organization clients come from across the state of Michigan. The firm’s federal court admissions allow representation in federal proceedings in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Consultation details are not specified in publicly available materials.
Client Focus
The firm’s primary client base consists of nonprofit organizations in all stages of their life cycles. These include newly forming charities and civic organizations seeking initial tax-exempt recognition, established nonprofits needing governance and compliance counsel, and organizations that have had their tax-exempt status revoked and need to restore it through the IRS process. Taylor’s position as a Technical Reviewer for the Michigan Nonprofit Manual — a resource used by both attorneys and nonprofit administrators — reflects active engagement with the nonprofit sector beyond individual client representation.
Individual clients seeking estate planning or real estate counsel round out the practice, served by the same attorney who handles nonprofit matters. Fluency in Spanish expands the firm’s effective service range to Michigan’s Spanish-speaking communities.
Languages: English, Spanish.
FAQ
What happens when a nonprofit organization loses its tax-exempt status?
When a 501(c)(3) or other tax-exempt organization fails to file required returns for three consecutive years, the IRS automatically revokes its tax-exempt status. Until status is restored, the organization is taxable, and donations are no longer tax-deductible to donors. Restoring status requires submitting the appropriate IRS application, catching up on filings, and in many cases seeking retroactive reinstatement. This process is technically demanding and Cevin Taylor has handled it for hundreds of organizations.
What is the Michigan Nonprofit Manual and why is it relevant that Taylor served as Technical Reviewer?
The Michigan Nonprofit Manual is a reference resource for nonprofit organizations and the attorneys who advise them in Michigan. Cevin Taylor served as Technical Reviewer for the 5th Edition, meaning he reviewed the manual’s legal content for accuracy. That role reflects both expertise and engagement with the nonprofit legal community at a level beyond individual practice.
Does the firm handle for-profit business matters as well as nonprofits?
Yes. The firm handles business law and real estate alongside its nonprofit practice. Taylor’s nonprofit law background is directly relevant to organizations that operate at the intersection of nonprofit and commercial activity, such as social enterprises and hybrid entities.
Is Taylor Legal a solo practice?
Yes. Cevin Taylor is the sole attorney. He maintains an of counsel role at Magill & Rumsey P.C. alongside his primary Taylor Legal practice.
Does the firm offer services in Spanish?
Yes. Cevin Taylor speaks fluent Spanish, which allows the firm to serve Spanish-speaking clients directly in their native language.
Closing
Two decades of concentrated nonprofit law practice — including work as Technical Reviewer for Michigan’s primary nonprofit legal reference and recognition as one of the country’s most experienced attorneys for IRS tax-exempt status reinstatement — give Taylor Legal a depth in a narrow but consequential specialty that few Michigan practices can match.