Benjamin J. DeGweck

Ben is a Shareholder and a member of the firm’s Litigation and Education Practice Groups.

Ben splits his time between advising clients on higher education matters and defending institutions from employment and consumer-based claims. Over the course of Ben’s nearly 20-year career, he has worked both in-house and in private practice. He has significant experience in litigation, compliance, contract and vendor management as well as real estate and leasing matters. His broad experience allows Ben to bring unique insight to the table when advising his business and educational clients.

Ben regularly advises institutions of higher education on all manner of federal, state, and local laws that apply to colleges and universities, including, but not limited to, education-specific regulatory matters such as the Clery Act, FERPA, Title IX, and the Higher Education Act.

Ben also serves as a business adviser to these clients, helping them negotiate contracts, evaluate business and operational risks, and identify solutions to everyday legal problems.

Over the course of his career, Ben has represented and provided counsel to clients in a variety of complex EEO and labor and employment matters, including cases arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Section 1981, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, qui tam actions, and various other state tort laws. Ben has also successfully represented educational institutions in the defense of individual and class action student claims in court and arbitration.

In addition to his litigation and compliance experience, Ben has considerable experience in real estate development and leasing matters and was recognized for his contributions in overseeing leasing and development activities over a two-year period that resulted in the completion of 49 projects in 21 different cities that developed over 1 million feet of campus space for the client.

Ben has spoken at multiple industry conferences regarding compliance and employment matters and has published articles for industry trade group magazines.

Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America© for Employment Law - Management (2023 - present)