Lee Rosenberg

Lee Rosenberg is a founding partner of Rosenberg Cassady LLP, where he serves as general counsel to high quality California charter schools. His practice sits at an uncommon intersection, part litigator, part transactional counsel, part policy advisor, and he brings to each client the kind of broad institutional knowledge that only comes from having worked inside schools, school districts, government, and leading private sector firms serving sophisticated commercial clients.

Before practicing law, Lee taught middle school in the South Bronx as a Teach for America corps member. That experience, and the conviction that every student deserves access to an excellent school, has defined his career ever since. After earning a Master's in Teaching from Pace University, he clerked in the legal offices of the San Francisco Unified School District before entering private practice.

PRACTICE
Lee's practice spans the full operational and legal lifecycle of a charter school. He advises on charter petition drafting and renewal, countywide benefit petitions, authorizer relations, and charter defense at all levels. On the compliance side, he counsels clients on the Brown Act, California Public Records Act compliance, conflict of interest law, independent study, teacher credentialing, transitional kindergarten, attendance reporting and audit compliance matters, complaint handling, among numerous other topics. He advises on compliance with new laws and regulations, the California Education Code, compliance with charter petition provisions, MOUs, and policies, and vendor contracts. Lee drafts and refines school policies to best meet each school's needs. When complex or fast-moving situations arise, whether regulatory crises, investigations, or public relations challenges, clients call Lee first.

LITIGATION AND INVESTIGATIONS
Lee has litigated some of the most significant charter school cases in California in recent years. He has defended charter schools against opportunistic litigation brought by third parties seeking to profit from the charter sector, and has supported clients through investigations by the U.S. Department of Education Inspector General and the FBI.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Lee's work extends beyond individual client matters into the broader charter school movement. He has submitted extensive written comments opposing proposed state and federal regulations adverse to charter schools, presented at conferences held by the California Charter Schools Association, Charter Schools Development Center, and APLUS+. Lee was also invited by a leading California education advocate to present before the California Black Caucus on educational equity.

BACKGROUND
Before focusing exclusively on education law, Lee spent nearly a decade in complex civil litigation, including years at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Alston & Bird. Lee was involved in bet-the-company litigation for organizations facing existential crises. He brings that depth of litigation experience to every matter, while remaining focused on the practical outcomes that matter to his clients. As one client put it: "I greatly appreciate your brilliant mind and strategic thought processes." Another noted: "Your balanced approach was exactly what we needed, I really appreciate all of your expertise in getting us to a resolution that made sense in a tough situation."

Lee earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from UC College of the Law, San Francisco (Order of the Coif), his B.A. with honors in Philosophy from UC Berkeley, and his M.S. in Education from Pace University. He has been recognized as a Rising Star in schools and education by Super Lawyers magazine.