WASHINGTON, November 12, 2020: Academic institutions and the growing number of related service providers, product partners, and investors in the education space have long been at the forefront of innovation. The education industry is often the first to tackle social issues, explore partnership and revenue options, and now navigate how to implement safety protocols and procedures amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Morgan Lewis has formed a multidisciplinary Education Industry Group as a reflection of the deep experience the firm has in representing education-related institutions and the incredible breadth of issues affecting this wide range of clients, which include private and public institutions of higher education, academic medical centers, boards of trustees, endowment funds, for-profit educational program providers, public charter schools, research organizations, investors in educational interests, and related entities.
“As with most other industries, the current economic environment and global pandemic have ushered in major operational changes, challenges, and uncertainty for our education clients,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “By creating this cross-practice platform to collaboratively serve clients operating and investing in the broad education sector, we can more effectively serve our clients as they work through the full array of legal issues faced in the normal course of business, as well as business interruption-related issues, tuition reimbursement matters, and an expansion of online and remote learning products and services.”
Morgan Lewis partners Deborah Davidson, Christopher Dlutowski, Alexander Reid, and Ami Wynne lead the Education Industry Group, a global team that is now advising clients on COVID-19 changes and lawsuits, ERISA and other employment-related litigation, Title IX issues, employee benefits matters, workforce changes, diversity and inclusion counseling, intellectual property matters, business transactions, real estate and finance projects, sports betting partnerships, investment matters, and evolving tax law, among other issues. The group will focus on these areas and other strategic trends that will continue to impact the education industry in 2021 and beyond.