Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, a full-service business law firm with offices throughout New York, is pleased to announce that partner Theresa A. Conroy has been selected to receive a 2016 Attorney of the Year Award by The Daily Record.
Conroy leads the Higher Education practice group at Harter Secrest & Emery, where she helps guide institutions through the unique legal, operational and regulatory challenges colleges and universities face. She counsels institutions on a wide range of matters including compliance with Title IX and other state and federal governmental regulations; conducting and responding to internal and government investigations; governance, operational, business and employment matters; and crisis management and response, among others.
Her work with higher education clients is grounded in Conroy’s experience serving in faculty and administrative roles on college campuses. Prior to rejoining Harter Secrest & Emery in 2000, Conroy spent seven years at the State University of New York College at Brockport as a faculty member, academic administrator, Director of Affirmative Action, and Associate Director of Human Resources. As the Director of Affirmative Action, she worked directly with the President of the College and was responsible for ensuring the College’s compliance with certain labor and employment laws and policies. Her responsibilities also included key areas of student affairs, including Title IX and Section 504.
More recently, she spent an academic year on a college campus working as special counsel, focusing on Title IX programs and compliance. Her practice calls upon her real world, on-campus experiences and her understanding of higher education’s mission, culture, and challenges. In addition to deepening her understanding of higher education law, Conroy’s on-campus experiences highlight the importance of building collaborative relationships across campus.
“Challenges and opportunities are never about only the law; innovative and effective problem-solving occurs when sitting side-by-side with clients, helping them work through complex legal issues within their unique culture, while always remaining focused on student growth and development and academic mission,” she said. “Higher education changes lives. I am grateful to be recognized for working with clients in a field that I am very passionate about.”
Conroy is among those chosen to receive the Leaders in Law Award, which is presented to attorneys who demonstrate professional accomplishment, exceptional character, integrity and ethics, and commitment to their clients and the community .
“The 2016 Attorneys of the Year Awards celebrate the best of our legal community,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, publisher of The Daily Record. “Their bright minds, compassion, due diligence and honor demonstrate their commitment to bettering the communities where they live and work. The Daily Record congratulates them for what they have contributed and what they will continue to contribute to our community and beyond.”
Conroy previously received the Top Women in Law Award from The Daily Record in 2013. In addition to her legal practice, Conroy is active in several professional and community organizations. She is the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Aquinas Institute of Rochester, and a vice president of the Board of Trustees for Geva Theatre Center, as well as a member of the Roberts Wesleyan College Executive Advisory Board, the State University of New York College at Brockport Foundation Board of Directors, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.