Experience

Lead Counsel in a wide range of high-stakes cases, including:

• Education-related claims: defamation, Title IX violations, breach of contract, and employment-related disputes.

• Employment law disputes: FLSA collective actions, Title VII discrimination claims, Section 1983 actions, disparate impact claims, age discrimination (ADEA), ERISA litigation, wage-hour disputes, and FMLA violations.

Successfully represented institutions and organizations in high-profile cases involving multiple plaintiffs, complex procedural issues, and significant reputational risks.

Directed comprehensive reviews for higher education institutions and corporations, addressing:

• Institutional responses to sexual misconduct allegations at major public and private universities.

• Misconduct in athletics departments at leading public universities.

• Systemic racial discrimination claims within universities and organizational cultures.

• Responses to student suicides and Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) effectiveness.

• Risk management assessments and compliance reviews under public scrutiny.

Led sensitive investigations into:

• Serial sexual abuse allegations involving employees, students, and leadership.

• Misconduct by senior executives, athletics personnel, and faculty.

• Workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims.

• Other misconduct posing reputational, legal, or compliance risks to clients.

Presided as a hearing officer in complex civil rights cases, managing allegations of discrimination, harassment, and other sensitive matters while ensuring due process and compliance with institutional and legal standards.

Represented clients during federal and state investigations, focusing on Title IX compliance, wage-hour disputes, and employment law adherence.

• Managed matters before the NLRB, including representation cases, unfair labor practice charges, and labor arbitrations.

• Directed multimillion-dollar labor arbitrations, including disputes arising from Hurricane Katrina-related contractual breaches.

• Advised clients on collective bargaining, workforce restructuring, and union-management relations.

Drafted and implemented key policies, including:

• Risk management practices for experiential learning and minors on campus.

• Faculty handbooks, codes of conduct for students and employees, and health emergency leave policies.

• Workers’ compensation and light-duty protocols.

Provided guidance to institutional task forces addressing risk management, Clery Act compliance, and Title IX procedures.

• Conducted civil rights training for higher education institutions nationwide.

• Designed Tulane University Law School’s Title IX Certification Program.

• Served as faculty for:

  • State University of New York’s Student Conduct Institute, developing training on restorative justice and non-adjudicative resolutions.

  • National Center for Campus Public Safety, delivering trauma-informed sexual assault investigation and adjudication training.

• Delivered supervisor and workforce training on employment law, compliance, and leadership topics.

Negotiated high-value agreements, including:

• Exclusive provider agreements with Coca-Cola, Sodexo, and IMG.

• Master service agreements for IT services, such as:

  • Outsourcing email services via Microsoft.

  • Converting telecommunication systems to VOIP through Internet2.

  • Deploying a distributed antenna system in partnership with AT&T.

Provided expert testimony on Title IX compliance and related litigation, offering strategic insights in state and federal court proceedings.