Colleges and universities are facing a raft of challenges, including a shrinking student-age population, a reduction in government support, and a wholesale transformation of the college athletics system. To help its clients respond, Husch Blackwell, a national Am Law 100 law firm, has launched a consulting firm to work alongside its nationally recognized higher education legal practice.
Husch Blackwell Consulting (HBC), a non-legal subsidiary of the law firm, provides data-driven strategic, financial and operations advisory services to help institutions fulfill their missions sustainably over the long term. The team is led by a longtime college president and features advisors with more than 100 years of combined senior-level experience in higher education finance, athletics, education, enrollment management, and external relations.
“Higher education leaders are facing an ever-shifting labyrinth of minefields and roadblocks,” said Hayley Hanson, partner and co-chair of Husch Blackwell’s higher education practice. “For decades, we have advised higher education leaders on their most challenging legal and regulatory issues. With the launch of HBC, we can now blend legal and consulting services into an unmatched package, each element of which strengthens the other to help clients manage the full range of interlocking issues they face. I don’t believe any other provider can offer the broad perspective and deep experience of our legal and consulting teams.”
Approximately two-thirds of all degree-granting public and private nonprofit colleges have exhibited at least one of the three key indicators of financial stress: consistently losing money, fewer students enrolled than a decade ago, or a decline in state appropriations or endowment value. Meanwhile, the seismic changes underway in the athletics environment create massive risk and uncertainty for schools. While most of the focus on athletics upheaval has been on the Power 4 schools, these changes will impact schools of all sizes, whether they are pursuing a “collegiate” or “professional” athletics model, and the enforcement, eligibility and compliance matters affecting student-athletes.
“We exist to help boards and senior leaders guide their institutions, clearly and confidently, to a sustainable future,” said Chuck Ambrose, leader of HBC, who spent 23 years as a college president. “HBC is designed to help schools unlock new opportunities for growth and long-term health and, working with Husch Blackwell lawyers, to navigate the legal and regulatory questions that inevitably arise along the way.”
The launch of HBC is the latest innovation for Husch Blackwell, a firm that has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of the nation’s most innovative law firms.
“HBC is the latest step in our commitment to expanding our capabilities beyond traditional legal services to help our clients navigate complex challenges and achieve their goals,” said Jamie Lawless, Husch Blackwell Chief Executive.
HBC is launching with a set of core services focused on the greatest current needs of colleges and universities, including:
- Strategic Governance & Leadership
- Financial Stability
- Innovation Driven Partnerships and M&A
- House Settlement Impact Assessment & Planning (for athletics)
HBC’s services are powered by a proprietary data and analysis tool, Campus Compass™, created by Ambrose, which helps leaders make informed, proactive decisions sufficiently quickly to stay ahead of their challenges. It provides a clear, objective view of a school’s performance, both in absolute terms and relative to its peers. And it identifies the next level of analysis using tools like an academic portfolio and athletic value study to guide financial and operating decisions most critical to success and therefore most worthy of leaders’ focus.
As part of HBC’s launch, Ambrose and Hanson will host a joint webinar on May 19, where they will present a case study on navigating institutional challenges and provide strategies for addressing operating deficits, declining endowments, rising discount rates, and the complex process of ‘right-sizing’ an institution.
SOURCE: Husch Blackwell
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.