Michele McKinnon > McGuireWoods LLP > Charlotte, United States > Lawyer Profile

Praised as ‘masterful at getting to know and understand their clients’ needs’, the ‘knowledgeable’ lawyers at McGuireWoods LLP assist higher education institutions, K-12 schools, school board, academic medical centers, and foundations with the range of education mandates. Core areas of practice for the group include representing universities in government investigations and Title IX litigation, corporate governance, and education-related labor and employment mandates. Washington DC-based Farnaz Thompson steers the practice and handles litigation, investigations, and due diligence in education-related transactions, including in the edtech industry. Additional key contacts include Chicago-based Sarah Wake, who takes on both contentious and advisory mandates, and Virginia-based Michele McKinnon, who majors on providing tax compliance assistance to universities and their affiliated foundations. In Atlanta, Shelby Guilbert routinely works on insurance recovery actions, contract disputes, and cross-border litigation.

McGuireWoods LLP acts on behalf of a range of prominent charitable organizations and nonprofits as well as numerous high-net-worth donors is active across Virginia and the Southeast. Gerald Thomas is an Atlanta-based expert in corporate transactions and restructurings and co-leads the department alongside the highly experienced Michele McKinnon, who works from Richmond and advises on governance, endowment and investment matters. Also key are Jean Gordon Carter in Raleigh, who is former co-chair of the firm’s private wealth services group, and Bradley Ridlehoover of Richmond, who works closely with McKinnon and is active in both contentious and non-contentious tax matters.