Keith Zakarin is the chair of Duane Morris' Education Practice Group and is a member of the firm's Partners Board. Mr. Zakarin exclusively represents private postsecondary schools and colleges. His representation of these schools nationwide includes such diverse areas of law as student and employee litigation, regulatory and administrative counseling and litigation, mergers and acquisitions, accreditation counseling and advocacy, employment counseling and risk management. Mr. Zakarin is not just a lawyer representing colleges; he owns and operates an accredited private college. Mr. Zakarin is a 1986 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of California at San Diego.
Areas of Practice
· Postsecondary Education
Representative Matters
· Enjoined California's Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education from assessment of confiscatory and illegal sector-wide levy in California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools v. Hamilton, et al.
· Defended dozens of student lawsuits and arbitrations of all kinds, including class actions, individual claims and private attorneys general.
· Drafter of arbitration provisions used nationwide by private postsecondary schools and colleges
· Negotiation of numerous purchase and sale transactions, representing sellers and buyers
· Successfully argued Saratoga v. Martinac to United States Supreme Court, 1997 term
Professional Activities
· American Bar Association
· San Diego County Bar Association
· General Counsel to California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools ("CAPPS")
· General Counsel to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools ("AACS")
· Director, Imagine America Foundation
· Member, Business Education Research Association
Admissions
· California
· U.S. Supreme Court
· U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
· U.S. Tax Court
· U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
· U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
· U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
· U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Education
· University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1986
· University of California, San Diego, B.A., summa cum laude, 1983
Experience
· Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2004-present
· Kaye, Rose & Maltzman LLP
- Partner, 2000-2004
· Booth Banning LLP
- Partner, 1994-2000
· Pillsbury Madison & Sutro
- Associate, 1986-1994
Honors and Awards
· AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
· Rated as "Superb" (highest rating of 10 out of 10) by AVVO
AV® Preeminent™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.
Selected Publications
· Editor, Employer's Deskbook, 1996-2000
· "Prevention of Instructor Caused Claims in Private Postsecondary Schools," Career Education Review, 2004
· "Snitching and Sniveling: A Critique of 60 Minutes' 'Expose'," Career Education Review, 2006
Selected Speaking Engagements
· "Legal Bootcamp," American Association of Cosmetology Schools Legal Bootcamp 2009
· "Minimizing Legal Risk in Growth Times," American Association of Cosmetology Schools Spring Leadership Conference 2009
· "AB 48: The Stuff I Need to Know Now," CAPPS Annual Convention 2009
· "Core Operational, Technical and Legal Issues in On-Line Education," Career College Association Annual Meeting 2009
· "How to Spend Less Quality Time with your Lawyers, and More Time Running Your Business," Career Schools and Colleges of Texas Annual Meeting 2009
· "Time Off From Work," American Association of Cosmetology Schools Annual Convention 2008
· "Internet Highway Robbery: How to Protect your Domain, Trademarks & Copyrights from Cyberthieves," Career College Association Annual Meeting 2008
· "Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Stuck In This Lawsuit Instead Of Running The School," American Association of Cosmetology Schools Annual Convention 2006
· "Top 10 Management Practices To Use To Get Successfully Sued By Ungrateful Former Employees," American Association of Cosmetology Schools Annual Convention 2005
· "Your Do-it-Yourself, In-House, Attorney Unenriching Instant Personal Tort Reform Kit," Career Schools and Colleges of Texas Annual Meeting 2005
· Keynote Address, Council on Occupational Education Annual Meeting 2005 Arbitration and Grievance Resolution Procedures, American Association of Cosmetology Schools Annual Convention 2004
· "Risk Management Principles to Ignore: Ways to Spend More Quality Time with your Lawyers," Career Schools and Colleges of Texas, 2004
· "Why I'm Embroiled in this ADA Lawsuit Instead of Running the School," Council on Occupational Education, Annual Meeting 2004
· "Should I Fire that Employee?" Career College Association Annual Convention, 2003
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Annual Convention 2000
· Legal Bootcamp, CAPPS Director's Bootcamp 2000
· Legal Bootcamp, CAPPS Legal Bootcamp 2000
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Legislative Conference 2000
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Annual Convention 1999
· Legal Issue for School Directors, CAPPS Director's Bootcamp 1999
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Legislative Conference 1999
· Deterring and Defending Student Claims, Career College Association Annual Meeting 1999
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Annual Convention 1998
· Legal Bootcamp, CAPPS Legal Bootcamp 1998
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Legislative Conference 1998
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Annual Convention 1997
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Legislative Conference 1997
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Annual Convention 1996
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Legislative Conference 1996
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Annual Convention 1995
· Keynote Address, CAPPS Legislative Conference 1995