Overview
The unique mission of educational institutions involves not only nurturing the academic relationships between teachers and learners, but playing a vital role in sustaining the economic and civic vibrancy of their broader communities. It means managing diverse workforces that include Ph.Ds. union workers, administrators and service staff. It means planning for the sustainable development of campus infrastructure and real estate holdings, and managing endowments to insure the education of future generations. It means protecting the intellectual property created by scholar-scientists and facilitating appropriate commercialization of their work. It means implementing commitments to diversity and inclusion, from student admissions to faculty hiring. It means safeguarding against threats to data privacy in a digital age, while delivering robust and seamless remote learning experiences. And it means influencing policy makers whose decisions affect education.
From our origins as a Boston firm serving New England’s numerous educational institutions, Foley Hoag now serves colleges and universities nationwide. We understand the needs of educational institutions not only because of our decades of experience, but because our lawyers themselves are actively devoted to driving these institutions forward, as members of Boards of Trustees, as adjunct faculty, and as alumni leaders.
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Foley Hoag lawyers are experienced in the business of running educational institutions, tailoring their advice to each institution’s unique circumstances and campus culture, and delivering both value and quality within strict budget constraints. Our comprehensive experience ranges from serving as general counsel to independent elementary and secondary schools, to representing national research institutes in complex patent matters. We represent public and private higher education institutions, independent schools and charter schools, cultural institutions and academic medical centers, for-profit institutions and charitable educational foundations.
Intellectual property, government investigations, labor and employment, real estate and construction, government policy and regulation, and non-profit governance are among the many areas where Foley Hoag’s experience helps educational institutions minimize and avoid costly legal issues. Our lawyers have developed strategies and policies for navigating the most contentious issues facing educational institutions today, ranging from asset renaming to affirmative action. We have successfully represented educational institutions in technology transfer, licensing and strategic alliances. We have helped institutions secure royalties on licensed information and manage patent portfolios for maximum returns. Moreover, Foley Hoag has assisted numerous educational institutions in campus master planning, site acquisition and securing the broad array of federal, state, and local land use and environmental permits required for renovating existing facilities or constructing new ones.
The firm also represents educational clients in civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels, high-profile criminal and regulatory investigations, complex congressional investigations, and landmark Supreme Court cases. Title IX, civil rights and discrimination cases, liability litigation, and faculty tenure, promotion and dismissal are just a few areas in which Foley Hoag has successfully represented educational clients in this regard.
Stay focused on learning and knowledge. Let Foley Hoag help you with the business of education.
