Education Services

Our Practice - What We Do
Public and private educational institutions. The firm's seasoned and experienced education lawyers regularly assist clients with the rapidly evolving legal challenges facing "brick and mortar" and "virtual" schools, colleges and universities.

Our Team is well-versed in the legal areas essential to educational institutions, including taxation, compliance; governance and administration; accreditation; donor issues; financial aid; student and faculty rights, tenure privacy and records; discipline and due process; dispute resolution; special education and IDEA compliance; Title IX and National Collegiate Athletic Association compliance; and regulation, including OSHA, EPA, and related state, federal and international legal requirements.

We regularly assist clients with risk management policies and administrative, operational and academic procedures. Our Team has represented educational institutions in regulatory proceedings and hearings, negotiations, mediations, arbitrations and litigation before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.

Our clients also benefit from access to Snell & Wilmer's full range of comprehensive legal services, such as corporate planning and formation; real estate acquisition; zoning and construction; public and private financing; intellectual property licensing and development; employee benefits; immigration; employment law matters. Our tax Team has a significant level of experience representing organizations in the unique areas surrounding "not for profit" and "for profit" reorganizations and structuring of transactions.

Our Attorneys - Who We Are
Our Education Services Team of attorneys is comprised of experienced lawyers, including former in-house university counsel and tenured faculty members who regularly work with educational institutions. Our attorneys are familiar with the nuances and rapidly changing legal issues that challenge this highly regulated arena.

By understanding academic institutions, our attorneys provide the collaborative counsel that is essential to the success of educational institutions. Our Team is committed to providing prompt, useful and cost-effective legal advice, while always keeping the client's business goals in mind.

Our Clients - Who We Represent
Our law firm's founding partner was instrumental in establishing The Thunderbird School of International Management more than fifty years ago, and we continue to serve the school today. Our Team serves a wide range of educational clients, including public and private universities; colleges; medical and specialty schools; K-12 private and charter schools; and several "not for profit" education oriented foundations.

Our Experience - What We've Done
Snell & Wilmer's Education Services Team has a proven track record assisting clients with educational institution planning and development, taxation, administration, risk management, dispute resolution, litigation, regulatory compliance and enforcement.

• The Thunderbird School of International Management - Counsel on a wide range of matters, including business organization, employment, transactional, dispute resolution, education and international legal matters.
• University of Phoenix (Apollo Group, Inc.) - Representation in administrative and employment matters, dispute resolution, education and services related to its international expansion.
• University of Utah - Counsel on transactional and litigation matters, including contract negotiations and licensing with its Office of Technology Transfer.
• Medical and specialty schools - Extensive representation of private medical and allied health specialty schools.
• Denver School of Science and Technology - Representation in public finance and transactional matters.
• University of California Foundation and Medical School - Representation on joint venture agreement, First Amendment and dispute resolution.
• Arizona Charter Schools - Represent a number of top performing charter schools, including one of the nation's largest charter school organizations in education, real estate acquisition and land use, employment and administration and litigation.
• Privatization - Counsel to public and private entities in connection with efforts to privatize university facilities.
• Salt Lake City Community College - Lead outside counsel in the acquisition and development of its new downtown Metro Campus.