Sidley lawyers represent professional associations and accreditation and certification organizations on a wide range of matters. We advise these clients on a wide variety of work in virtually every area of law that might affect a professional association or credentialing board including advice regarding regulatory, credentialing (accreditation and certification), examination, association and professional liability, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, discipline, contract, not-for-profit tax, corporate, antitrust, publications, trademarks and copyright, industry relationships, and appeals and other due process matters. We also advise regarding the preparation of briefs amicus curiae on substantive issues of interest to the association and its members, and monitoring of legislative and other legal developments that may be important for professional associations.
In addition, we have represented associations and credentialing organizations in a large variety of litigation projects. Representative matters include:
- Obtained a significant monetary judgment for a certifying board against an exam preparation course provider who was persuading exam takers to memorize questions and report them back to him for inclusion in his course materials.
- Represented a major national medical association in an antitrust action challenging the residency match program, by which medical school graduates are assigned to programs in graduate medical education.
- Represented a major national medical association in an antitrust suit challenging the association’s decision not to assign a specific medical code to a medical procedure.
- Represent numerous accreditation and certification organizations in antitrust, due process and other cases challenging decisions not to accredit or certify a program or individual.
- Represent organizations of real estate professionals in challenges to rules governing the conduct of such professionals and access to MLSs.
- Represent the umbrella organization for medical certifying boards in a case challenging its Maintenance of Certification Program.