OUR Experience
Higher Education
Stradley Ronon’s high-level practice is adept at handling the issues that are specific to colleges and universities while remaining sensitive to the priorities of each institution. We have represented higher education institutions in real estate acquisitions, contract negotiations and financings, including tax-exempt bond transactions, provided Title IX advice, performed internal investigations, defended civil rights claims and claims of unlawful fraternity hazing, provided a broad range of intellectual property services and appeared before zoning and planning agencies and before city government agencies regarding taxation issues, licenses, zoning, and land-planning and tax-exempt issues at the local, state and federal levels.
We have served as outside counsel to Saint Joseph’s University for more than 50 years and as general counsel to Manor College and Chestnut Hill College, and have provided legal counsel to Temple University, LaSalle College, Villanova University, University of the Arts, Eastern University, Lafayette College, Rowan University, Andrews University, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and many others.
Our experience includes:
- Representing Temple University:
- In a significant victory in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Court granted summary judgment to Temple on all the plaintiff’s discrimination claims, entering judgment in Temple’s favor and ending the case without the need for a trial.
- In a significant win. The matter involved a Plaintiff who brought race claims under Section 1981 and Title VII for his discipline and termination against Temple and two individual defendants. The Stradley litigation team had five days of trial, and the jury deliberated for six hours before returning a complete defense verdict on all counts.
- Advising Saint Joseph’s University:
- In connection with the construction and equipping of a new residence facility for approximately 410 students.
- On intellectual property law matters, including securing trademark protection for logos and brands.
- On a $7 million suit arising from actuarial malpractice and the University’s pension plan, which was settled for less than six figures.
- Assisting the University of Scranton in parsing and applying the religious employer exemption in faculty negotiations.
- Representing the Jewish Campus Board on behalf of Hillel House in connection with the permitting, development, financing and construction of new, state-of-the-art dining facilities on both the University of Pennsylvania’s and Temple University’s campuses.
- Representing Andrews University where an employee was terminated for repudiating the teachings of the church in a letter that referred to the church’s beliefs as “heresy.”
- Assisting the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College’s counsel in changing the U.S. Department of Education’s rules on student loan forgiveness to allow rabbinical students to participate by filing a petition for rulemaking with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, seeking revocation of that restriction as not intended by the authorizing statute and not required by the First Amendment.
- Representing the Penn State University Interfraternity Council, a student-run organization, against allegations by a former student that it was negligent and responsible for hazing that he allegedly endured while pledging for a fraternity, and securing early dismissal of virtually all the claims asserted.
- Representing the University of the Arts in merging a well-known nonprofit organization into the University and separately serving as University counsel in connection with a nonprofit affiliation with and sale of real estate to the Kimmel Center for the Arts.
Charter Schools
We have represented a number of charter schools in a variety of areas, including lobbying, tax-exempt financing, zoning, acquisition and leasing, construction and development projects, tax assessment and tax-exemption appeals and labor and employment matters. Our charter school clients include:
- Alliance for Progress Charter School
- Antonia Pantoja Charter School (an affiliate of Aspira)
- Catholic Partnership Schools, Inc.
- Franklin Towne Charter Schools
- Imani Education Circle Charter School
- Imhotep Institute Charter High School
- Lancaster Leadership and Learning Academy Charter School
|
- Maria Bracetti Academy Charter School
- Northwood Academy Charter School
- Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter School
- Pan American Academy Charter School
- People for People Charter School
- Philadelphia Academy Charter School
- Philadelphia Montessori Charter School
- Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School
|
Pre-K through 12
Stradley Ronon attorneys represent public, private and religious schools on a wide range of issues. We have represented:
- Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School, a premier Jesuit college preparatory school, in a variety of matters, including the recovery of a seven figure settlement from a professional services provider to the school.
- AIM Academy, a private school of approximately 310 students with language-based learning differences, in the purchase of its 4.5-acre campus and in its initial interim and subsequent tax-exempt refinancings.
- The Green Tree School in the relocation and consolidation into a new school to be constructed on a three-acre site in Oak Lane, including obtaining zoning approval for the new site, financing and construction of the new school and the disposition of existing school buildings.
- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia-St. Edmond’s Parish in connection with the acquisition of a 30-acre environmentally sensitive site, and obtaining conditional use (zoning) approval for the development of an 1,800-seat church and a K-8 elementary school with a gym, rectory and related facilities.
Education Institution Finance & Real Estate Development
Our skilled team handles all aspects of financing and development transactions for various educational institutions, giving us deep experience with owners, developers, institutional lenders, investors, REITs, contractors and brokers. Our lawyers have negotiated and drafted a variety of financing documents and grants through government agencies on behalf of colleges and universities, including:
- Served as bond counsel:
- in the issuance of $170 million of Central Bucks School District Bonds.
- In the issuance of Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Securities, Drexel University Revenue Bonds, Series A of 2007, in the aggregate amount of $95 million.
- In the issuance of $94.9 million in Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority La Salle University Revenue Bonds, Series 2012.
- Acting as underwriter counsel:
- In the issuance of $34.7 million in Revenue Bonds (Rowan University General Capital Improvement Projects), Series 2015A; $69.5 million in Revenue Refunding Bonds (Rowan University Project), Series 2015B; and $51.5 million in Revenue Bonds (Rowan University Business and Engineering School Projects), Series 2015C.
- In the issuance of $51.6 million in Industrial Development Bonds (University of the Arts).
- On behalf of Drexel University, for Jefferies & Company in connection with the issuance of $156.7 million in Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority Bonds.
- Representing the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in several tax-exempt financings, the most significant of which was a $30 million public bond issue for construction of the new Bishop Shanahan High School.
- Advising Lafayette College:
- On hedge fund investments, including the negotiation of side letters related to the investments.
- In analyzing and negotiating a $25 million investment in Anchorage Capital Partners Offshore Ltd., a Cayman Islands-domiciled private investment fund.
- In analyzing and negotiating an investment by its endowment into the Radcliffe Ultra Short Duration Fund Ltd.
- Representing affiliates of Radnor Property Group in connection with the development of a parcel at Drexel University – comprising a 16-story mixed-use tower, including a 180-person early-learning child care center and 164 market-rate apartments – in all phases of the transaction, including a long-term ground lease with Drexel University, a sublease with a child care operator, and debt and equity structuring and negotiation.
- Representing lenders in providing credit facilities in support of tax-exempt bonds to finance student housing projects at West Chester University, East Stroudsburg University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
- Procuring Redevelopment Capital Assistance Grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University), AIM Academy and Holy Redeemer Health System.
- Representing Customers Bancorp and Customers Bank in connection with its $42 million agreement to acquire the higher education disbursement business of Higher One Holdings, which included a service to streamline the financial aid refund disbursement process for more than 800 colleges and universities.
OUR Industry Engagement
Stradley Ronon lawyers are professionally and personally engaged in the education industry. Several are members of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and numerous attorneys serve on education boards.
- Chairman Emeritus William R. Sasso is a long-serving member of La Salle University’s board of trustees.
- Co-Chairman and Managing Partner Jeffrey A. Lutsky served as chairman and member of the board of trustees of the University of the Arts.
- Partner Michael O’Mara serves on the boards of The Center for Autism and Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS).
- Partner Philip J. Foret serves on the board of directors and as treasurer for the Great Valley School District in Malvern, Pennsylvania and served on the board of directors for the Chester County School Authority.
- Partner William T. Mandia serves as vice chair on the board of trustees for Holy Family University and as vice chair on the board of specified jurisdiction for Father Judge High School.
- Partner and Co-Chair, Nonprofit & Religious Practice Chair Mark E. Chopko serves on the advisory board of the Theological College/Catholic University of America and served two terms on the board of advisors of the National Center on Philanthropy and the Law at New York University Law School.
- Partner and Securities Litigation Co-Chair Paula D. Shaffner serves as president of the West Chester University Foundation and on the advisory board at Bridge Way School.
- Partner and Insurance Practice Chair Steven B. Davis serves on the board of governors of Saint Joseph’s University Academy of Risk Management and Insurance.
- Partner Gretchen Santamour serves as vice chair on the board of trustees at Arcadia University.
- Partner and Investment Management Co-Chair Bruce G. Leto is a long-serving member of Settlement Music School’s board of trustees and executive committee.
- Partner and Environmental Co-Chair Catherine M. Ward serves as the board chair of the Wynnefield Overbrook Redevelopment Corporation, a nonprofit redevelopment entity affiliated with Saint Joseph’s University.
- Partner and Vice Chair of Business Caroline C. Gorman serves on the board of directors of Pan American Academy Charter School, a local bilingual charter school in North Philadelphia and works with the alumni board for Mount Saint Joseph Academy.
- Partner John C. Hook serves on the board of directors and development committee for Catholic Partnership Schools.
- Partner Stephanie E. Sanderson-Braem serves on the board of directors for The Catholic Partnership Schools and serves as secretary on the board of directors of the Knights Education Foundation.
- Partner Thomas O. Ix serves on the law alumni board of Georgetown University Law Center and is president of the board of trustees at the Princeton Child Development Institute.
- Managing Counsel Samantha Kats serves as vice president of the board of directors of Children’s Village, a nonprofit organization that provides early childhood education and school-age academic enrichment distinguished by excellence and family diversity.
In these roles, we have gained practical experience and a stakeholder’s perspective on organizational and financial issues, enabling us to better serve our education clients with tailor-made solutions. By way of example, we represented the Penn State Alumni Association (PSAA), an organization with more than 174,000 members, in connection with a petition for preliminary injunction filed by four members of the board of trustees of The Pennsylvania State University against the PSAA, arising out of an attempt by those trustees to be included on the ballot for election to its Alumni Council, the governing body of the PSAA.