Well-regarded by clients for its ‘impeccable service and attention’, the department at Husch Blackwell LLP is a strong choice for a range of advisory and contentious education mandates. Core areas of expertise include handling investigations, litigation, and advising on corporate transactions and regulatory compliance. The team advises universities, academic medical centers, religious institutions, for-profit institutions, and K-12 school districts. Two Kansas City-based partners share leadership: Hayley Hanson handles investigations, litigation, arbitration, and mediation, and also advises institutions on compliance with Department of Education regulations. Alongside her, Sean Tassi focuses his practice on the provision of day-to-day compliance and transactional counsel. In Chicago, Lisa Parker is described as a ’true asset’ and provides regulatory counsel to institutions, as well as acting for them in litigation before trial and appellate courts. Julie Miceli, who previously acted as deputy general counsel for higher education and federal student aid at the Department of Education, is lauded for her ‘personalized service’ and majors on transactions and compliance issues. Scott Schneider left the group in August 2023.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Expertise in all facets of issues related to management of higher education instruction; talented and accessible teams, impeccable service and attention, diverse staffing at every level; understand and communicate risks in a comprehensive and common-sense manner.’
‘Lisa Parker is a true asset to our organization. She works efficiently and is a fantastic lawyer. She knows her firm well. She consistently selects responsive and very capable lawyers to assist us. Her teams are smart and always apply common sense to tough legal questions. This firm stands above the rest in their litigation and higher education practice.’
‘The experience and practical advice given by individuals at Husch is incomparable. The partners here have had direct in-house experience with many regulators, and that is invaluable.’
‘Julie Miceli gives personalized service and tailors her advice to the organization's risk tolerance. She is always available, and her prior experience at the Department of Education gives her a competitive edge that other firms could not offer.’
‘The team at Husch has deep knowledge of state and federal education regulatory framework and issues. Their prior in-house and government experience help them provide practical advice and support focused on designing solutions that allow us to accomplish our mission and goals in a compliant manner.’
'Lisa Parker is wildly responsive and provide timely feedback no matter how unreasonable our timeline might be. Lisa has been a true partner to me and my team.'
Key clients
- Chicago State
- Franciscan University of Steubenville
- Indiana State University
- MidAmerica Nazarene University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Northwest Missouri State University
- St. Louis University
- Texas A&M University
- United Educators
- University of Illinois
Work highlights
- Represented the University of Utah’s athletics department in an external investigation of its women’s gymnastics coach, who was alleged to have engaged in verbal and emotional abuse of student athletes.
- Represented Northwest Missouri State University in a First Amendment case.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Hayley Hanson; Sean Tassi
Other key lawyers
Lisa Parker; Julie Miceli