Education

Overview

Friedman Kaplan has years of experience serving as trusted counsel and advisor to institutions of higher education, including a prominent Ivy League university. Our education law practice is as complex and diverse as the many issues that currently face colleges, universities, and other educational institutions. Our attorneys have represented and advised these institutions in a wide variety of litigation, employment, regulatory, and investigations matters. We regularly advise on governance issues and help clients develop, document, and implement school policies and procedures. Our education lawyers also often collaborate with our firm’s employment and corporate teams to provide our education clients with multi-disciplinary perspectives and advice.

Litigation matters run the gamut from disputes over denial of tenure and allegations of employment discrimination, to claims for defamation, fraud, breach of contract, and copyright infringement. We have successfully defended our education clients in both federal and state courts as well as before administrative tribunals.

Similarly, our attorneys have represented these institutions in a broad range of regulatory proceedings and investigations involving federal, state, and local enforcement authorities, and have advised them on such varied subjects as Title IX, the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the False Claims Act, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. We also have conducted internal investigations involving allegations of fraud, academic misconduct, and other issues.

Friedman Kaplan recognizes and appreciates that these are issues of utmost importance and sensitivity to educational institutions, and these clients value the consistently thoughtful, creative, and collaborative approach that we bring to their matters.

Selected Experience

• We represented a prominent university in defense of a purported class action against the university and various government agencies brought by the leader of a men’s rights group alleging constitutional and statutory violations based on the existence and activities of the Women’s Studies Program at the university. We were successful on our client’s behalf on the motion to dismiss, and the decision was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

• We represented a prominent university in connection with the defense of claims by a tenured professor alleging sex discrimination, retaliation, and breach of contract.

• We represented a prominent university in defense of contract and tort claims asserted by a former Ph.D. candidate whose fellowship was discontinued and who was not awarded a degree. We were successful on our client’s behalf on the motion to dismiss.

• We represented a prominent university and the dean of its school of architecture in defense of civil litigation relating to a degree program the plaintiff allegedly helped to develop between the school and an international university.

• We conducted training on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for the Board of Directors of an Ivy League university and, in a separate engagement, developed an FCPA compliance policy and provided training for another institute of higher education.

• We represented a prominent university in defense of discrimination, breach of contract, and fraud claims brought by a member of the university faculty related to her tenure.

• We represented a prominent university in defense of claims by a faculty member of race and sex discrimination, including hostile work environment.