Overview
Regina M. Federico is a civil litigator who focuses her practice on Title IX and conduct violations, academic misconduct, employment discrimination, and defamation. As a passionate advocate for due process rights, she places a particular emphasis in her practice on Title IX gender discrimination and Title VII employment discrimination matters. She handles cases prior to litigation and in all phases of litigation, including critical motion practice, such as motions to dismiss and summary judgment, as well as appeals. Regina utilizes a strategic approach to draw out the intricate nuances of each matter, highlighting what makes every client’s situation unique. Clients have described her as demonstrating “magnificent skill,” “grit,” and “aggressive advocacy,” while also easing their own stress when facing the difficult situation that brought them to seek counsel.
Regina is exceptionally well versed in navigating the complex waters of school disciplinary investigations and has extensive experience advocating for college and university students, including athletes, of all genders, as well as faculty, coaches, and staff, with respect to allegations of misconduct of all types during all phases, from initial notice of investigation, to live hearing, and through disciplinary level appeal. She has advised on numerous sexual misconduct proceedings, academic integrity violations and misconduct, safety, and other disciplinary violations. Additionally, she routinely conducts matters in general business litigation and defamation.
Prior to entering private practice, and during her time in law school, Regina worked in the legal department at a large international bank in various groups, including Global Wealth and Investment Management, Litigation, Marketing, and Employment. While at the bank, Regina focused her expertise on various contracts for advertising and commercial engagement, corporate legal support, comment letters submitted to several government entities, and litigation case management for employment and regulatory matters. Preceding law school, Regina was a litigation paralegal at a large Boston law firm, where she worked on a trial in the Southern District of New York and an amicus brief for the Supreme Court of the United States.
Notable Work
Regina’s creative legal thinking and unique, strategic approach have resulted in substantial in court and out of court victories and settlements, including:
Precedent Setting Representation of Professor in Litigation: Successfully defeated a motion to dismiss in the United States Federal Court, District of Massachusetts, resulting in the critical precedent setting decision that Title VII does not preempt Title IX claims. Farzinpour v. Berklee Coll. of Music, 516 F.Supp.3d 33 (D. Mass. 2021). Later overcame Defendant’s motion for summary judgment on five counts, including Title IX, gender discrimination under Title VII and Mass. Gen. L. ch. 151B, and retaliation under Title VII and Mass. Gen. L. ch. 151B. Farzinpour v. Berklee Coll. of Music, 616 F. Supp. 3d 98, 104 (D. Mass. 2022).
Litigation Representation of Wrongly Accused Coach Who Suffered Gender Bias: Defeated Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, allowing the Plaintiff to proceed on state and federal claims related to gender discrimination and pay equity. Stone v. President & Fellows of Harvard Coll., No. CV 24-11897-LTS, 2025 WL 1202030 (D. Mass. Apr. 25, 2025).
Representation of Student in Litigation as a Result of a Procedurally Flawed and Biased Title IX Proceeding: Overcame Defendant’s motion for summary judgment on Title IX and Breach of Contract, in decision that highlighted the critical standard for summary judgment in Title IX litigation. Doe v. Trustees of Hamilton Coll., No. 6:22-CV-214, 2024 WL 1675130 (N.D.N.Y. Apr. 18, 2024).
Litigation Representing Wrongly Accused Professor Under a Pseudonym: Successfully obtained rare pseudonym status for plaintiff professor/faculty member. “The public certainly has an interest in fair and unbiased Title IX proceedings. Those parties who wish to litigate the fairness of those proceedings are less likely to do so if it would require waiving their confidentiality and publicly associating themselves with the allegations and findings they challenge as erroneous.” Doe v. Trs. of Bos. Univ., No. CV 24-10619-FDS, 2024 WL 4700161, at *4 (D. Mass. Nov. 6, 2024).
Representation of Student and Mother who Faced Ostracization from Public School: Secured Federal District Court’s denial of Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss on all contested counts in a case concerning the School District’s mishandling of a Title IX report for a minor-aged plaintiff and retaliation against her Mother. Mother Doe and Jane Doe v. Dorchester School District Two, No. 2:24-cv-06490-RMG (D.S.C. Jul. 17, 2025), ECF No. 38.
Advocacy and Representation for Two Female Complainants Whose School Subjected them to Movement Restrictions After Their Complaints of Sexual Misconduct: Defeated Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on Title IX. Doe v. Town of N. Andover, No. 1:20-CV-10310-IT, 2023 WL 3481494 (D. Mass. May 16, 2023).
Litigation Representing Student Subject to Procedurally Flawed Process: Member of litigation team that represented John Doe in precedent setting decision establishing pseudonym paradigms for the First Circuit. Doe v. Mass. Inst. of Tech., 46 F.4th 61, 70-72 (1st Cir. Aug. 24, 2022).
Defamation Litigation: Overcame Defendant’s special Anti-SLAPP motion, in a critical decision where the Court ruled that the Anti-SLAPP statute did not apply. M.V. v. J.T., 85 Misc. 3d 808, 231 N.Y.S.3d 327 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2024).
Advisor of, and Advocate for, Students, Professors and Coaches in Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Proceedings: Advised many university students—including but not limited to nursing, PhD, and medical students— and prominent professors and coaches through Title IX investigations, hearings and appeals stemming from erroneous charges of sexual misconduct, resulting in successful findings of not responsible at the school disciplinary level.
Defense of Alleged Academic Integrity Violations: Guided numerous students, including undergraduate and graduate students, facing academic integrity violations through investigations and hearings, resulting in dismissal of all charges against them. In addition, aided undergraduate and graduate, including Ph.D., P.A., D.P.T., and M.D. students, though appeals resulting in a full reversal of findings and sanctions, including reinstatement into their respective programs.
Breach of Contract Litigation: Member of team that overcame Defendant’s motion to dismiss, where the Court permitted Plaintiff to proceed on breach of contract cause of action. Doe v. Univ. of Detroit Mercy Sch. of Dentistry, No. 24-CV-11106, 2025 WL 970405 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 31, 2025).
Defamation Litigation: Obtained rare pseudonym for plaintiffs litigating a defamation case in state court stemming from allegations that occurred when they were minors.
Representation of Collegiate Athlete at Private University: Settled a matter in litigation involving an erroneous sexual misconduct finding and wrongful suspension against student athlete against a private university.
Simultaneous Reversal of Six Findings Against Students Upon Appeal: Prepared six student disciplinary level appeals that resulted in the reversal of all six erroneous suspensions stemming from wrongful charges of violations of safety guidelines and findings of responsibility at a large private university upon appeal.
Representation of Nursing Student Wrongfully Discriminated Against on the Basis of Her Disability: Secured favorable settlement for nursing student at public institution prior to litigation that resulted in full reinstatement into the program.
Representation of Coaches at Division 1 Universities: Secured settlements prior to litigation in two separate matters for claims of gender discrimination at prominent universities for Division 1 coaches.
Title IX Litigation: Reached an advantageous settlement against a private institution after commencing action for violations of Title IX and breach of contract based upon the gender biased investigation and wrongful finding of sexual misconduct against a student, resulting in full expungement.
Employment Discrimination: Positively settled employment age and disability discrimination case after filings with the MCAD and EEOC, culminating in desirable outcome for client.
Business Litigation: Favorably settled business litigation contract dispute, resulting in successful outcome for prominent commercial business client.
Education & Admissions
Education:
- Suffolk University Law School, J.D.
- Journal of Health and Biomedical Law
- Saint Anselm College, B.A.
Admissions:
- Massachusetts
- United States District Court, District of Massachusetts
Media
- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Selects Regina M. Federico as an “Up and Coming” Lawyer
- Federico: Regina Federico to Serve as Panelist at the Civil Rights Section of the Federal Bar Association’s Etouffee on the Road in Atlanta
- Davis, Federico: Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP Present Webinar on the Title IX Process and Related Litigation
- Judge Denies Harvard’s Motion to Dismiss Former Hockey Coach’s Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
- Trump’s Order to Shutter Education Department Ushers in Period of Uncertainty for Universities
- Maine public universities have no transgender athletes. The Trump administration tried to pull funding anyway.
- Trump Wants To Dismantle the Education Department. What Would That Mean for Harvard?
- North Andover School District Faces Sexual Assault Response Trial
- Harvard Defends Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit from Former Hockey Coach Katey Stone
- Former Harvard women’s hockey coach sues school over dismissal
- Harvard alum can sue school over withheld diploma
- 1st Circuit sets ‘guidelines’ to allow civil suits by pseudonym
- North Andover High School, officials, ‘egregious’ in handling sexual assaults
- Boston College swim team files suit, asks to lift hazing ban
- Harvard Sued by Former Women’s Hockey Coach Over Alleged Sex Discrimination
Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, Title IX Developments: What you need to know, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, February 25, 2025
- Keynote Speaker, Third Annual Sexual Assault Prevention Conference, Delaware State University, April 12, 2024
- Panelist, How to Implement the New Rules on Handling Sexual Misconduct, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, May 2024
