Law360 and Reuters were among the national media outlets that covered the Nov. 29, 2021, arrival of partner Sarah Wake, who joined the firm’s Labor & Employment Department and its education industry team in Chicago.
Wake returned to McGuireWoods from Northwestern University, where she served as associate general counsel and interim associate vice president for equity. She previously oversaw Title IX and equal opportunity programs at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame after beginning her career as a McGuireWoods associate.
Wake told Law360 that her return to McGuireWoods comes at a time when “law firms want people who have been on the ground and understand what’s happening, particularly at colleges and universities which are going through some unprecedented challenges right now.”
“I understand the gray areas,” she added. “Law firms want people who understand a university’s mission and its commitment to faculty and students. That allows lawyers to give better advice because we’ve been there.”
Wake told Reuters that she anticipates “the framework that governs Title IX and all forms of discrimination and harassment will continue to change.”
“I know not only how to navigate those changes, but I actually know what it’s like to be on the ground, running the business unit,” she said.
Bloomberg Law, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and HR.com also published announcements on Wake’s return to the firm.