Higher Education

The firm's Higher Education Practice, led by Walter P. DeForest, former General Counsel of Carnegie Mellon University, represents and counsels leading educational and research institutions in connection with their diverse and often complex legal challenges in areas including:

Labor and Employment
The firm represents higher education clients in connection with labor and employment matters affecting both faculty and staff. Our broad experience with the personnel challenges that arise in a university enables us to provide such representation with unmatched efficiency and expertise.

Admissions, Student Discipline, Diversity, and Privacy
The firm provides legal counsel to institutions of higher learning to help them meet the unique challenges that confront them in pursuing academic excellence.

Sponsored Research and Technology Transfer
The firm provides legal guidance and support to major research universities in developing and operating sponsored research and technology transfer programs, in collaborating with industry and other academic partners through the formation of research consortia, and in creating spin-off companies.

Campus Development and Real Estate
The firm provides legal counsel to institutions of higher education in connection with campus expansion, development and similar matters.

Dispute Resolution and Litigation
The firm attorneys regularly represent higher education clients in disputes related to commercial transactions, real estate, employment, technology licensing, intellectual property, student affairs, and numerous other matters.

For more information about the firm's Higher Education Practice please contact:
Walter P. DeForest, deforest@deforestlawfirm.com
Jacqueline A. Koscelnik, koscelnik@deforestlawfirm.com