Northwestern vice president and general counsel Thomas Cline (School of Law ‘80) announced Monday he will retire at the end of the calendar year.

Although he is stepping down, Cline will remain available to help University President Morton Schapiro and the Board of Trustees with the transition to his successor.

Serving as NU’s chief legal officer since 2001, Cline led the University’s legal strategies and provided counsel to Schapiro and the trustees. In 2007, he helped NU negotiate an agreement to create a campus in Doha, Qatar.

Cline worked on prominent court cases, including the National Labor Relations Board decision on unionization efforts by NU football players, and contributed to the creation of an affiliation agreement between NU and Northwestern Memorial Healthcare. He served as chair of the National Association of College and University Attorneys board of directors in 2014-15.

“Northwestern has given me an extraordinary opportunity over the last 27 years,” Cline said in a news release. “It’s been an honor to serve an institution that I care so deeply about and to work with the many dedicated and talented colleagues I have come to know during that time.”

In the news release, Schapiro said Cline provided important legal guidance to the University as general counsel.

“While our conversations often concerned difficult and complex issues, I knew that I could rely on his thoughtful insight and legal acumen,” Schapiro said.

William Osborn, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said Cline was a key advisor to the board.

“His work will benefit the University for years,” Osborn said. “We thank Tom for his many years of service and wish him all the best in retirement.”

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Twitter: @peterkotecki