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Practice/Industry Group Overview
Attorneys in Saul Ewing's Higher Education Practice Group provide trusted "one-stop" legal services shopping for institutions of higher education. We handle a wide range of legal matters for large public and private universities, smaller independent colleges and universities, community colleges, and a myriad of institutions affiliated with higher education.
A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH
Recognizing that the legal challenges facing colleges and universities can touch almost any corner of the law, our Higher Education Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who practice in our Litigation, Real Estate, Personal Wealth, Estates and Trusts, and Public Finance departments, as well as attorneys in our Charitable Giving, Construction, Corporate Governance, Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits, and Tax practice groups. Our Higher Education team is well-equipped to problem-solve across many legal disciplines.
AWARE OF THE UNIQUE NEEDS FACING HIGHER EDUCATION
With more than 100 four-year colleges and universities throughout Saul Ewing's Mid-Atlantic footprint, our attorneys are experienced in the unique legal issues facing the Higher Education community, such as:
- Endowment challenges
- Corporate governance and Sarbanes-Oxley
- Whistleblowers on campus
- Real estate development and campus expansion
- Bond work for campus expansion
- Research and clinical trial protocols
- Security and premises liability challenges of an open, active campus
- Background checks (for students, staff, and others on campus)
- Access and affordability
- State appropriations for higher education, including community colleges
- Financial aid and student loan debt issues
- Student privacy issues
- Tenure challenges
- The impact of technology on education and tuition
- Facility construction
REPRESENTATIVE EDUCATION LAW MATTERS
In recent years, our Higher Education team has provided sophisticated legal services to numerous institutions of higher education, ranging from major liability defense work to labor matters, from serving as financing/bond counsel to facilitating real estate development, and much more. Here's just a sampling of our experience:
- Represented a community college in Pennsylvania in a very sensitive employment discharge case involving a high-ranking school official
- Defended a major Ivy League university in claim filed by former employee who alleged that University provided defamatory information to subsequent prospective employer
STUDENT DISCIPLINE / POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
- Scrutinized entire Catalog of prominent Pennsylvania liberal arts college and assisted college in implementing various clarifications and changes to policies and procedures, particularly those involving student discipline and internal student conduct board
- Advised Ivy League university regarding permissible discipline against student who falsified certain financial aid information
- Reviewed and revised college bylaws of Maryland liberal arts college
- Successfully defended Maryland community college against student's claim that College provided a "warranty" with regard to its services
MAJOR PREMISES LIABILITY DEFENSE
- Successfully obtained dismissal for an Ivy League university in student suicide litigation
- Obtained summary judgment in Pennsylvania state court for large university in a case filed by parking garage employee intentionally struck by automobile
- Recently defended colleges and universities against variety of major premises liability cases, including: blind graduate student who fell into excavated hole near campus; graduate art student burned while working on sculpture project after business hours; women's crew team member killed during race; employee intentionally assaulted by prowler in early-morning attack; chemistry student injured outside of laboratory; employee injured in elevator malfunction; and visiting parent struck by bicyclist on campus
- Defended a university against challenges to use of its endowment
- Defended ophthalmologic institution against claim that it improperly participated in scientific clinical study
- Defended college against claim that veterinary professor provided allegedly negligent advice regarding equine drugs
- Defended a university against claims of improper receipt and use of donated human tissue
- Bond counsel for various colleges and universities, including University of Delaware, Temple University, and Drexel University
- Secured financing for Bucks County and Montgomery County Community Colleges in Pennsylvania
- Negotiated acquisition, financing, design and construction agreements in connection with an internationally-renowned museum and art school's expansion into another facility, and the agreements pursuant to which the institution is moving from its current facilities to make way for the expansion of a convention center
- Negotiated agreements, and obtained all necessary approvals and variances, for expansion of a Delaware-based city college's main campus
- Frequently work with local and state agencies to obtain approvals for various colleges and universities
- Negotiated and drafted numerous contracts between colleges and providers of proprietary educational products
- Prepared proposal for privatization of research facility at a public university
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of Ivy League veterinary professor who was sued by a racehorse trainer as a result of Professor's actions in certifying racehorses
- Counseled Philadelphia-based college through process of terminating tenured professor
- Assisted a college in collective bargaining negotiations with employee's union and provided labor advice
ACTIVE IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY
Members of the Higher Education Practice Group are connected with the leaders of numerous colleges and universities through their service on Boards of Directors, Boards of Trustees and Alumni Clubs. Attorneys in the Higher Education group hold leadership positions with the following institutions and organizations affiliated with Higher Education:
- Outside Counsel, Pennsylvania Commission of Community Colleges
- Member, National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
- Vice Chair, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Board of Trustees
- Trustee, Arcadia University
- Trustee, DeSales University
- Trustee, Manor College
- Trustee, Villa Julie College
- Trustee, Colgate University
- President, University of Delaware Philadelphia Area Alumni Club
- Director, University of Delaware Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Board member, Advisory Council to the J. Seward Johnson, Sr. Charitable Trusts
- Member, the New Jersey Planned Giving Council
- Former Member, Board of Visitors, University of Maryland School of Law
- Vice President, University of Pennsylvania's Alumni, Class of 1970
- Vice Chair, Maryland Higher Education Labor Relations Board
- Director, Board of Directors, University System of Maryland Foundation
- Member, Board of Visitors, University of Maryland School of Law
- Member, Schools Committee, Harvard Clubs of Philadelphia and Princeton
In addition, our attorneys have been on the faculty or adjunct professors for the following universities and law schools:
- University of Baltimore School of Law
- St. Joseph's University
- Rutgers University School of Law
- Rutgers University Graduate School of Business
- Kean University Masters of Public Administration Program
- Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law
- St. John's University School of Law Masters Program in Bankruptcy
- University of Maryland School of Law
- University of Delaware
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