Naomi May

Practice Areas

Naomi advises companies and organizations that deliver educational products and services at all stages of learning, from early childhood education to workforce development. Innovators, investors and operators in the space – whether early-stage edtech founders or established university leaders – rely on her for practical, business-minded counsel to help them navigate a complex regulatory environment. Naomi collaborates with colleagues across the Cooley platform to provide industry-informed strategic commercial and product counseling, compliance assessments, targeted advice in administrative actions and litigation, and leadership in complex transactions. Her work is energized outside the firm by deep engagement in the nationwide edtech community and within Cooley through diverse relationships and leadership on committees and in affinity groups.

Naomi joined Cooley in 2013, bringing her experience at public and private schools, as well as service in the Office of the General Counsel at the US Department of Education, where she assisted with litigation, rulemaking processes and program services related to Title IV federal student aid. During law school, she worked in the offices of University Counsel and Institutional Analysis and Effectiveness (now Institutional Accreditation & Effectiveness) at William & Mary, combining her legal training and accreditation background to work on governance issues, torts, compliance with state and local regulations, student learning assessment, and data reporting.

Before law school, Naomi provided private K-12 and higher education institutions with accreditation counseling, development and analysis of customized surveys and inventories, and solutions for integrating strategic planning, budgeting and assessment.