Colleges and universities face unprecedented regulatory scrutiny, political oversight, and litigation risk. Arnold & Porter helps higher education institutions navigate these pressures while safeguarding mission and reputation.
Our firm advises colleges, universities, academic medical centers, and research institutions on their most complex legal, regulatory, and policy challenges. Drawing on deep experience with Congress, federal agencies, and state governments, including former senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, Congress, and key regulatory agencies, we provide strategic counsel grounded in firsthand insight into government enforcement and oversight.
We counsel higher education clients on federal funding and appropriations, regulatory compliance, investigations, litigation, and governance. Our team regularly handles congressional and agency oversight, False Claims Act matters, export controls, foreign funding disclosures, tax-exempt issues, research compliance, and high-stakes disputes.
We partner closely with institutional leadership to manage risk, respond to scrutiny, and protect mission, reputation, and long-term institutional integrity.
- Complex Litigation: We represent colleges and universities in high-profile disputes, whether defending claims or pursuing litigation to protect institutional interests. Our experience includes data breach litigation, student and employment disputes, Title IX matters, constitutional claims, and environmental issues. We deliver coordinated strategies that align legal risk management with institutional priorities.
- Congressional Investigations: We represent academic institutions in high-stakes congressional inquiries, combining legal advocacy with strategic communications to manage legal and reputational risk. Our attorneys engage regularly with congressional committees on both confidential inquiries and public investigations involving issues such as antisemitism, DEI, research security, and education funding.
- Export Control & Sanctions: We advise institutions on export controls, trade sanctions, foreign influence compliance, and research security obligations. Our work includes counseling on sensitive research, foreign collaborations, international student engagement, and federal grant requirements, as well as responding to investigations by U.S. and foreign authorities.
- False Claims Act: We defend educational and academic medical institutions in False Claims Act investigations and qui tam litigation. Our experience includes DOJ investigations, internal reviews, and compliance counseling related to billing practices, research funding, and federal grant programs.
- Intellectual Property: We help universities protect and commercialize innovation through strategic intellectual property counseling. Our services include IP policy development, patent prosecution, technology transfer agreements, research collaborations, licensing, and enforcement.
- Legislative & Public Policy: Our bipartisan team develops and advances legislative and appropriations strategies tailored to higher education institutions. We advise on federal funding, major legislative initiatives, and regulatory developments affecting colleges and universities, and have secured significant policy and appropriations outcomes for our clients.
- Life Sciences: We partner with universities on life sciences research and commercialization, including structuring research collaborations, forming incubators, and managing conflicts between academic priorities and commercial interests. Our experience spans biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and academic research ecosystems.
- Real Estate: We partner with universities on life sciences research and commercialization, including structuring research collaborations, forming incubators, and managing conflicts between academic priorities and commercial interests. Our experience spans biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and academic research ecosystems.
- Tax-Exempt: We counsel institutions on obtaining and maintaining Section 501(c)(3) status, including IRS audits, tax-exempt bond compliance, unrelated business income issues, and government investigations. We also advise on governance, endowment management, alternative investments, joint ventures, and major gifts to ensure compliance and alignment with institutional mission.
- White Collar Defense & Investigations: We counsel institutions on obtaining and maintaining Section 501(c)(3) status, including IRS audits, tax-exempt bond compliance, unrelated business income issues, and government investigations. We also advise on governance, endowment management, alternative investments, joint ventures, and major gifts to ensure compliance and alignment with institutional mission.
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