Nelson Mullins attorneys have the right experience and skill to help our university clients meet the unique needs of the higher education industry 

Our Higher Education attorneys bring a holistic and client-focused perspective to our university representations based on our deep understanding of unique campus cultures and goals. We work with university leaders, administrators, counsel and athletic departments to identify best practices and meet the challenges of today’s higher education industry. 

Multidisciplinary team

• Former U.S. Secretary of Education and Governor of South Carolina
• Acting Special Assistant Attorneys General
• Former and current professors, administrators and board members
• Regulatory compliance experience
• Litigators to anticipate issues and successfully tackle disputes

Our attorneys help leaders in higher education make impactful decisions for the success and reputation of their institutions

Strategic Matters

• Strategic planning initiatives
• Risk management
• Accreditation and school improvement
• Policy development and drafting

College Athletics

• Strategic planning projects
• Title IX compliance, investigations and litigation
• NCAA compliance, investigations and appeals
• Construction and finance matters
• Licensing and intellectual property
• Changing conference affiliations and sports offerings
• Legal aspects related to alternative revenue streams

Title IX Matters

• Sexual misconduct policies and procedures
• Audit and compliance reviews
• Training for investigators and adjudicators
• Campus investigations
• Defense of government investigations and litigation

Intellectual property and licensing

• Patent prosecution and litigation
• Licensing, merchandising and branding
• Copyrights and trademarks
• Trade secrets

Labor and Employment

• Coach contracts and executive contracts
• Pay equity
• Wage and hour issues (FLSA)
• EEOC investigations, position statements, and defense
• Benefits/Affordable Care Act
• Workplace conduct training
• Internal investigations related to claims involving contracts, discrimination and other matters
• FMLA, Disability/ADA, workers compensation, ERISA, whistleblower and restrictive covenants
• Collective bargaining and union avoidance strategies
• Litigation

Student behavior

• Litigate student discipline issues
• Issues arising from Title IX
• Development of effective student handbooks and relevant college policies

Immigration 

• Employee and student matters
• Work authorizations, visas, permanent residence matters

Construction, real estate finance and development

• Real estate transactions
• Construction agreements and litigation
• Bond and loan financing
• Public Private Partnerships
• Contract drafting and negotiation

Tax

• Executive compensation
• Donor issues

Privacy and data security

• Cybersecurity
• Data breach preparedness and responses

Following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

• Represented over 350 university boards of trustees, college presidents, and nonprofit executives
• Served as lead counsel for prosecution of 150+ employee discipline matters arising from a widely publicized cheating scandal
• Obtained dismissal on behalf of our client in the trial court, affirmed at the United States Court of Appeals, and then successfully opposed a petition of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court by relying on a complex issue involving offensive nonmutual collateral estoppel