Stuart Bumpas

Counsel

214.740.8438

More ways to contact Stuart Bumpas

Additional Languages: French

Overview
Representative Matters
Insights
Awards

Stuart focuses on nonprofit organizations, art law, employee benefits, and tax. A former assistant to the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, he represents a number of art collectors, as well as major museums, private schools, and various charitable organizations.

Stuart also has substantial experience designing and implementing tax-qualified retirement plans, representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor, and designing and implementing employee stock ownership plans, including related loan transactions.

  • Served as general counsel of a major museum.
  • Served as general counsel of a prominent, local prep school.
  • Represented one of the world’s most prominent collectors of Swiss art.
  • Represented a large, publicly held retail company in designing and implementing deferred compensation agreements for top executives.
  • Represented a large, publicly held manufacturing company in restating qualified plans maintained by all divisions and subsidiaries.
  • Represented a large, publicly held tech company in auditing qualified plans, identifying operational errors, and submitting proposed corrections to the IRS under voluntary correction procedures.
  • Represented a national, high-profile nonprofit organization in the merger of a local affiliate in each of the 50 states into a national organization.
  • Designed and implemented a charitable foundation to coordinate charitable giving activities of a publicly held electronic processing firm.
  • Represented a publicly held restaurant/food operation company in addressing benefits issues relating to mergers and acquisitions.
  • D Magazine, Best Lawyers in Dallas, Tax: Trusts & Estates (2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (1989-2026), Nonprofit / Charities Law (2008-2026), Tax Law (2019-2026), Trusts and Estates (2008-2026)
  • Who’s Who in America
  • The Hockaday School, Honorary Alum Award (2017)
  • Dallas Historical Society, Award for Excellence in Philanthropy (2016)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year, Nonprofit/Charities (2014)
  • Super Lawyers® Texas, Employee Benefits (2003-2006, 2009-2013)
Overview

Stuart focuses on nonprofit organizations, art law, employee benefits, and tax. A former assistant to the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, he represents a number of art collectors, as well as major museums, private schools, and various charitable organizations.

Stuart also has substantial experience designing and implementing tax-qualified retirement plans, representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor, and designing and implementing employee stock ownership plans, including related loan transactions.

Representation Matters
  • Served as general counsel of a major museum.
  • Served as general counsel of a prominent, local prep school.
  • Represented one of the world’s most prominent collectors of Swiss art.
  • Represented a large, publicly held retail company in designing and implementing deferred compensation agreements for top executives.
  • Represented a large, publicly held manufacturing company in restating qualified plans maintained by all divisions and subsidiaries.
  • Represented a large, publicly held tech company in auditing qualified plans, identifying operational errors, and submitting proposed corrections to the IRS under voluntary correction procedures.
  • Represented a national, high-profile nonprofit organization in the merger of a local affiliate in each of the 50 states into a national organization.
  • Designed and implemented a charitable foundation to coordinate charitable giving activities of a publicly held electronic processing firm.
  • Represented a publicly held restaurant/food operation company in addressing benefits issues relating to mergers and acquisitions.
Insights

Firm Events

Locke Lord and Christie’s Present: Issues and Recent Developments in Art Law

Firm News

179 Locke Lord Lawyers Named to The Best Lawyers in ‎America® ‎‎2025 List‎, 45 Recognized as Ones to Watch

Firm News

‎173 Locke Lord Lawyers Named to The Best Lawyers in ‎America® ‎‎2024 List‎, 39 Recognized as Ones to Watch

Firm News

‎152 Locke Lord Lawyers Named to The Best Lawyers in ‎America® ‎‎2023 List‎, 38 Recognized as Ones to Watch

See all insights from Stuart Bumpas

Awards
  • D Magazine, Best Lawyers in Dallas, Tax: Trusts & Estates (2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (1989-2026), Nonprofit / Charities Law (2008-2026), Tax Law (2019-2026), Trusts and Estates (2008-2026)
  • Who’s Who in America
  • The Hockaday School, Honorary Alum Award (2017)
  • Dallas Historical Society, Award for Excellence in Philanthropy (2016)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year, Nonprofit/Charities (2014)
  • Super Lawyers® Texas, Employee Benefits (2003-2006, 2009-2013)

Top areas of focus

  • Board of trustees, Southwestern Medical Foundation
  • Board of directors, Callier Center for Communication Disorders
  • Executive committee, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University
  • Trustee, Dallas Museum of Art
    • Executive committee
  • Trustee, The Lamplighter School
  • Trustee, Goodwill Industries
    • Executive committee
  • Steering committee chairman, Friends of Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Southwestern Medical School
  • Board of trustees, Child Care Group
  • Member, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Adjunct professor, Southern Methodist University School of Law (1977)
  • Member, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Member, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Member, Dallas Bar Association
  • Former chairman, Committee on Legal Aspects of the Arts, State Bar of Texas
  • Member, State Bar of Texas
  • Member, American Bar Association, Section of Taxation, Committees on Employee Benefits and Exempt Organizations
  • General counsel, Dallas Museum of Art
  • General counsel, The Hockaday School
  • General counsel, The Dallas Foundation
  • Assistant to commissioner, Internal Revenue Service (1973-1974)

Education

  • The George Washington University Law School, LL.M.
  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D.
  • Brown University, B.A.

Bar Admissions

  • Texas
  • District of Columbia

Languages

  • French
  • Moderator, “Issues and Recent Developments in Art Law,” Locke Lord and Christie’s, November 21, 2024.
  • Panelist, “Institute for Transnational Law: Art Law Panel,” University of Texas School of Law, April 27, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Issues Affecting Museums – Part 1,” Locke Lord, September 30, 2021.
  • Moderator, “Art Financing in the Era of COVID-19,” Locke Lord, June 18, 2020.
  • Moderator, “Issues and Recent Developments in Art Law – Series II, Part 2: Art Patronage: Private Art Collecting and Museum Philanthropy,” Locke Lord, March 6, 2020.
  • Co-author, “More Relief for Shuttered Venue Operators,” Locke Lord QuickStudy, April 8, 2021.
  • Author, “CARES Act Guide: Overview of Expanded Charitable Contribution Limits,” Locke Lord QuickStudy, March 28, 2020.
  • Author, “Section 4943: An Overview,” The Tax Lawyer, Winter, 1974.