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Colleges and Universities
Colleges and Universities are confronted with a variety of special legal challenges. In addition to assisting our college and university clients with issues common to all nonprofit organizations, Bricker & Eckler has assembled a team of lawyers with the necessary skills to handle the unique issues faced by educational
organizations.
Our Nonprofit Organizations Group provides services to colleges and universities throughout the United States in the following special areas:
Institutional Governance
At Bricker & Eckler, our large base of educational clients has given us substantial expertise in ensuring that clients meet their institutional governance obligations. In addition to our general expertise in drafting organizational documents and protecting directors, officers and board members from liability, we can assist you with some of the unique governance challenges you face as an educational
institution.
Some of the special institutional governance services we offer our clients include:
- Drafting and review of student handbooks
- Drafting and reviewing judicial board procedures
Employment and Labor
Colleges and Universities are confronted with a number of employment issues.
At Bricker & Eckler, we assist our educational clients in dealing with all of their employment related issues, including:
- Negotiating and reviewing faculty contracts
- Assisting with union negotiations
- Drafting and reviewing employee handbooks
- Representing colleges and universities during employee terminations
- Reviewing Title IX compliance
- Analyzing of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Federal Tax Compliance
As tax-exempt institutions, colleges and universities must work diligently to ensure that they comply with all requirements to maintain their tax-exempt status. At Bricker & Eckler our large base of tax-exempt clients allows us to proactively assist our educational clients to:
- Enter into joint ventures and partnership with for-profit entities
- Comply with the private inurement regulations
- Identify and avoid "automatic" excess benefit transactions
- Engage in political and legislative activities
- Disclose tax return information for public inspection
- Solicit charitable contributions
- Engage in estate planning with donors and alumni
- Accept donations of conversation easements
- Seek state real property tax exemption for college and/or university property
Real Estate
Colleges and universities must actively seek to both preserve and expand their campuses and surrounding areas. Simultaneously, colleges and universities are under tremendous pressure to modernize and update their facilities. At Bricker & Eckler, we understand these conflicting pressures and our team of real estate specialists assists our educational clients:
- Obtain bank financing and construction loans
- Acquire additional real estate to preserve and expand campus space
- Obtain zoning variances
- Obtain conservation easements to protect campus and surrounding areas
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