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Overview

With his guidance on real-time issues, Sean helps colleges and universities navigate the complex regulatory landscape and make strategic decisions to achieve their institutional goals.

Sean has served the multifaceted needs of public and private colleges and universities for more than a decade and serves as the PSC leader for the firm’s Education team. He provides day-to-day counseling services, helping institutions consider and manage legal risks so that they can focus on their educational mission and business objectives. Sean enjoys working in the education field because his clients are passionate about doing good in the world, and he values the opportunity to help them further that mission on an everyday basis.

In addition to his general advising, Sean also assists clients with transactions and accompanying federal and state regulations. His experience includes school combinations and collaborations as well as extensive work with online program management services and online offerings.

Sean also provides counsel and representation in data privacy matters: like most sophisticated businesses, colleges and universities maintain large amounts of sensitive information about employees, students, research and other matters that is regulated by federal and state agencies. Sean helps clients on the front end with their data privacy and security programs, as well as on the back end with breach analysis and response.

Sean’s practice reaches beyond national borders, as he represents various overseas schools, global private equity firms and international organizations in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia wanting to operate in the United States. Sean assists these sophisticated clients with state and federal regulations, tax questions, and immigration and other labor and employment matters. In addition, he also works with U.S. organizations looking to expand abroad.

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • Chambers USA, Higher Education, Nationwide, 2024
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Education, Recommended attorney, 2023 and 2024
  • Ingram’s magazine 40 Under Forty, 2019
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2012; Education, 2013-2017
  • Eagle Scout

Education

  • J.D., University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
    • cum laude
    • Pierce Law Review, Senior Editor
  • M.S., Kansas State University
  • B.S., Kansas State University

Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • National Association of College and University Attorneys
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals
Experience

General Counseling

  • Served as interim general counsel for private university.
  • Served as interim general counsel for large regional public university.
  • Provide day-to-day advising to dozens of colleges and universities throughout the country.

Transactional

  • Negotiated OPM and LMS agreements.
  • Assisted colleges and universities with program expansions.
  • Oversaw combinations and collaborations of educational institutions.

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

  • Conducted detailed audits of multiple public and private institutions' data privacy and security policies, then worked closely with institutions to implement data privacy and security programs that comply with U.S. Department of Education guidelines.
  • Served as breach counsel and handled all aspects of phishing attack experienced by large state university.
  • Guided multiple institutions through data breach response, including restoring system integrity, notifying law enforcement, conducting forensic analysis, and issuing required notices to regulatory agencies and impacted individuals.
  • Trained colleges and universities on data privacy and security best practices.

International

  • Advised international institutions on U.S. regulatory issues associated with creating programs in the United States.
  • Worked with international private equity firms to acquire and establish institutions in the U.S.
  • Worked with international education corporation to establish operations in the U.S.

Litigation

  • Defended private university in Northern District of Indiana against nursing student who alleged that university discriminated against her after being dismissed for failing to maintain minimum academic standards. Court entered summary judgment in favor of university on all counts.
  • Obtained precedent-setting order from Missouri federal court holding that former students' undergraduate programs lacked standing to assert claim under Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Outside the Office

Sean spends most of his free time with his wife, his two young children and friends.

He gets outdoors when possible to fly-fish in the West and hunt upland game with his dad. Sean also enjoys grilling and watching the Kansas City Chiefs with his family on Sundays.