Victoria B. Bjorklund

Victoria Bjorklund is a Partner and head of the Simpson Thacher's Exempt Organizations Group. "She advises public charities and private foundations on structure, governance, reorganizations, investments and domestic and international grantmaking. She also advises donors on charitable giving.  She is co-author of New York Nonprofit Law and Practice.  Since 1989 she has served as pro bono counsel to both the Robin Hood Foundation and Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, recipient of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize.  She served for five years on the IRS's Tax Exempt/Government Entities Advisory Committee.  She chaired the ABA Tax Section Committee on Exempt Organizations from 2001 through 2003.  Ms. Bjorklund was honored in 2002 as ABA Tax Section "Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year" and by Lawyers Alliance for New York and the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee in recognition of her 9/11 work.  She also accepted the "Pro Bono Firm of the Year" award from the NYS Bar Association in recognition of the Firm's 9/11 work. In 2003, she received the Commissioner’s Award, the highest honor the Commissioner of Internal Revenue can bestow, for her “timely, creative and nimble response to 9/11's unprecedented legal challenges."

"She earned her J.D. at Columbia University School of Law, a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University, and a B.A. magna cum laude from Princeton University, where she graduated in three years and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Bjorklund is a former co-chair of the Firm's Pro Bono Committee and in 2006, she was appointed co-chair of the Diversity Committee."