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Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

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United States • Industry focus

2

Education

Praised for its ‘amazing client service’, the education sector team at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP brings together attorneys from across the firm’s litigation, government investigations, real estate, IP, nonprofit, and employment practices to support higher education clients. Practice co-head Jeffrey P. Metzler, in New York, advises clients on complex civil rights defense, investigations, and compliance strategy. His expertise includes Title IX matters and discrimination related disputes. In San Francisco, co-head Jacob Sorensen leverages deep antitrust expertise to handle a range of class actions, contract disputes, and corporate governance matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Accolades

Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘This team brings amazing client service together with creative pricing models to meet our institution's needs. They are true experts in their field.’

  • ‘They make me feel like this case is their priority, with quick, thoughtful responses to all of my e-mails.’

  • ‘Our team at Pillsbury has been focusing on a class action litigation. This team distinguishes itself by being collaborative and sensitive to the needs a nonprofit college. I have appreciated the deep knowledge Pillsbury has brought to this rather specific litigation matter. The team understands higher education and has practitioners that have worked on campus before. This brings a cultural sensitivity that is a deciding factor in selection counsel.’

  • ‘Similar to the feedback on the team, it is the deep legal skills coupled with the higher education-specific experience that makes the biggest difference.’ 

  • 'The team structures engagements creatively and efficiently. They are easy to work with.'
  • 'Jeff Metzler is an excellent counselor and advisor to have in one’s corner or on speed dial.'
  • 'Very knowledgeable, especially partner Jeff Metzler, and the right combination of pragmatic and strategic. Jeff understands universities from the inside and has both depth and breadth of higher education law expertise.'
  • 'Very thoughtful, strategic, and pragmatic all at once. Jeff has great perspectives from the range of clients he works with and is a terrific partner in advancing and protecting the mission of higher education.'

Key clients

  • Stanford University
  • New York University
  • University of Kansas
  • George Washington University
  • University of Chicago
  • University of California
  • Pacific Lutheran University, et al. (60 institutions across the United States)
  • Abilene Christian University
  • Barnard College
  • Oberlin College
  • Pomona College
  • Trinity College
  • Vassar College
  • Wichita State University
  • Wake Forest University
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS)
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Missouri

Work highlights

Representing five elite colleges (Barnard College, Oberlin College, Pomona College, Trinity College, and Vassar College) who are among the thirty colleges and universities named as co-defendants in D’Amico v. Consortium on Financing Higher Education, et al., a putative class action filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Case No. 1:25-cv-12221).
Representing Stanford University in connection with two high profile wrongful death cases relating to students, which have received considerable international media attention.
Successfully defended New York University against a Title IX claim brought in U.S. District Court by a former student.
Practice head

Jacob Sorensen; Jeffrey Metzler

Other key lawyers

Jeffrey Gans; Laura Hurtado