How big is our practice group?
More than 60 professionals.

What do we do?
Academic and research institutions face complex regulatory, fiduciary and ethical requirements. Our practice provides sophisticated solutions to more than 100 of the most respected institutions in the country, and to many located overseas. We have worked diligently for nearly 150 years to provide exceptional client service, and as one of the few firms representing a broad array of colleges and universities, we have resources nationwide supporting our efforts.

Firm-wide collaboration allows us to provide insightful, targeted advice on every possible business and legal issue while maintaining intimate knowledge of our clients’ unique needs.

We advise clients in the areas of endowment matters, bond financing, charitable giving, tax, benefits, compensation, university governance, labor and employment, student affairs, health care and academic medical centers, and compliance.

• We advised Harvard University on its recent charter amendment to expand the Harvard Corporation and on other aspects of governance.
• Ropes & Gray represented Stanford University, Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in negotiating an agreement with GE Medical Systems (GEMS) for the purpose of transforming Stanford’s radiology department into a fully digital operation. Also negotiated related agreements under which the Stanford organizations and GEMS agreed to work together in the areas of research, development and education related to PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems) technology.
• We represent Yale University in a patent infringement action (Enzo Biochem, Inc. v. Amersham Biosciences) alleging infringement of Yale’s patents involving technology relating to detection and sequencing of DNA and RNA and the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. The case has been stayed.
• Ropes & Gray worked with the technology transfer office at Carnegie Mellon University and its exclusive licensees for the past seven years. We have drafted and prosecuted the world-wide portfolio of applications relating to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents and methods for their use.
• We conducted an independent investigation on behalf of a university after it became aware of possible inaccuracies in admissions data reported to the American Bar Association (ABA) by its law school in prior years. The investigation provided the university with important information, and resulted in the university removing those people who were responsible from the university. As a result of our work, the law school admissions reporting process and organizational structure is being reconfigured as part of the university’s commitment to a reporting system which is above reproach. To read more about the associate who worked on this matter, please click here.
• We represented the University of Southern California (“USC”) in connection with the health care regulatory, tax, employee benefits and environmental aspects of the $275 million acquisition of USC University Hospital and the USC Norris Cancer Hospital from Tenet Healthcare Corporation (“Tenet”).
• We represented the University of Southern California with respect to a full range of employee benefit matters. During 2009 and 2010, Ropes & Gray guided USC through the process of establishing a new 401(k) plan, including drafting the new plan document and summary plan description, reviewing related vendor contracts, and advising on plan administration matters. Ropes & Gray also advised USC on the implementation of Roth contributions under USC's 403(b) and 401(k) plans; our role included preparing related plan amendments and reviewing participant communications.

“Through my work as part of the firm’s Investment Management Group, I have had the opportunity to work with a number of university clients. My work has focused on investment activities of university endowments and has included negotiating a variety of trading and other agreements. More recently, I have helped to advise clients regarding the impact of the recent financial reform legislation on their investment and derivatives trading activities. Because Ropes & Gray advises some of the country’s largest university endowments, the work is sophisticated and challenging and also very rewarding.”

When do we meet?
We have a lunch meeting monthly where members give informal presentations to update the group on current work.

Our Service Areas
Endowment Matters
We advise extensively on investment vehicles and direct investment programs. Our broadly diversified investment management practice provides clients seeking advice on fund investments with in-depth knowledge of the industry and virtually all major funds, and intimate knowledge of “market” terms, resulting in cost savings and influence in the negotiation process.

Bond Financing
Drawing on our specialized knowledge of tax-exempt bond markets, we serve
as borrower, underwriter, and bond counsel to several of the nation’s leading universities on simple fixed-rate borrowings for new projects, complex refundings with derivative products, and post-closing compliance efforts.

Charitable Giving
We advise on all aspects of charitable giving and development, including gifts of property, planned giving, income and estate tax consequences, and the administration of charitable trusts and support organizations.

Tax
A wide variety of tax issues affect colleges and universities, including the unrelated business income tax, joint ventures with taxable and tax-exempt organizations, IRS audits, and state and federal information and tax returns. We advise on these issues as well as scholarship and fellowship payments, lobbying and political activities, and faculty and staff housing programs.

Benefits
Our attorneys advise clients on employee benefits, plan administration, compliance, U.S. Department of Labor and IRS audits and investigations, litigation, and changes or proposed changes in the law.

Compensation
We assist many colleges and universities in negotiating employment agreements for their presidents and other key employees, structuring deferred compensation arrangements, developing procedures to comply with the IRS “intermediate sanctions” rules, and drafting compensation disclosure on the IRS Form 990.

University Governance
Combining our traditional strengths in corporate and tax law with our extensive work for charitable boards and management, we provide insightful solutions to university governance questions.

Labor & Employment Matters
We provide full-spectrum guidance on all labor and employment matters, including faculty and staff collective bargaining, union organizing, employee discipline, discrimination, immigration, record retention and privacy, and affirmative action compliance.

Student Affairs
Many colleges and universities seek our advice regarding student disciplinary matters, disability access and accommodations, student health services, and admissions policies and practices.

Healthcare Matters and Academic Medical Centers
Our interdisciplinary health care practice focuses on all aspects of internal and external relationships affecting universities that operate programs of medical education and biomedical research in conjunction with both related and unrelated teaching hospitals.

Compliance
We help private and public universities, academic medical centers and research institutions ensure compliance with general and industry-specific regulatory requirements, ranging from fiduciary and governance concerns to financial reporting and the use of human subjects for scientific and medical research.

We also represent numerous teaching hospitals, post-secondary schools, a range of scientific, technical, biotechnology and medical research organizations, and world-renowned museums. We rely on our General and Specialized Litigation, Intellectual Property, and Real Estate Groups for settling disputes, protecting knowledge, and guiding development efforts.