Barnes & Thornburg has announced the hire of Daniel A. Cohen as a partner in its Atlanta office. Cohen, who joins the firm’s Litigation Department, represents educational institutions and their athletics departments in significant sports law and Title IX cases.
Cohen has over two decades of experience counseling universities, colleges, and other educational institutions in matters including Title IX athletics and sexual misconduct; athletics strategic planning; name, image, and likeness (NIL) compliance; litigation; sports law; labor and employment; and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Cohen’s current and recent representations of colleges and universities in Title IX matters span 32 states, including representing major research institutions in 23 of those states and athletics departments in every Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference.
“Dan has built one of the most robust collegiate athletics practices in the industry. The breadth of his experience in this area will further equip our higher education team to address the pressing issues facing educational institutions and their athletics departments,” said Christopher J. Bayh, co-chair of the firm’s Higher Education Practice Group. “We’re thrilled to add an attorney of his caliber to our ranks.”
Cohen performs athletics audits and compliance reviews, develops strategic planning initiatives, and represents schools in investigations, litigation, and appeals. Cohen also has a robust NIL practice, in which he drafts NIL policies for collegiate athletics departments, advises universities on legal and equitable aspects of NIL programs, and represents Division I institutions in NIL litigation.
“With NIL agreements becoming increasingly prominent in collegiate sports, combined with ongoing Title IX enforcement as well as a shift in recruiting practices and scholarship offerings, Dan’s deep knowledge and skillset will be incredibly valuable to our clients looking to navigate this complex and evolving landscape,” added D. Randall Brown, chair of the firm’s Litigation Department.
In Title IX sexual misconduct matters, Cohen drafts policies and procedures, leads extensive sexual misconduct investigation and adjudication training, and conducts investigations. He also litigates Title IX athletics and sexual misconduct matters on behalf of schools, including defending colleges against class actions and investigations by the federal Office for Civil Rights. Cohen has been appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General by two states to represent their public universities in Title IX matters.
“Dan has built an impressive practice and maintains longstanding relationships with numerous institutions in Georgia and across the country,” said John T.L. Koenig, managing partner of the Atlanta office. “As we continue our growth trajectory in Atlanta, the addition of a well-respected practitioner like Dan further illustrates our commitment to establishing a strong regional footprint spanning a wide range of practice areas and service offerings.”
Cohen is a frequent industry speaker, giving presentations to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), LEAD1, and various collegiate athletic conferences. He has also led Title IX sexual misconduct trainings for multiple state college systems and individual schools.
Cohen earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Duke University.
