The University’s appointment of Loren “Randy” Geller as its new general counsel, or the University’s main lawyer, last month made strides to appease transparency critics.
Although the new hire has seen little controversy so far, questions remain about Geller’s heightened salary and prior connections within Johnson Hall faculty.
Geller’s appointment comes six months after the position was vacated by former General Counsel Melinda Grier, who was personally reassigned by University President Richard Lariviere to the faculty of the Law School following former athletic director Mike Bellotti’s contentious $2.3 million buyout. When the University community discovered that a written contract for Bellotti’s employment never existed, Lariviere pledged a new era of transparency due to the subsequent media scrutiny.
“This institution did not follow acceptable business practices in the past,” Lariviere said in an April 6 news conference. “That will not be repeated under my administration.”
Geller, who was officially hired on Oct. 6 and started his job Oct. 15, will spend much of his new work week offering legal counsel and helping the University work through any legal concerns that should arise.
“I am often involved in assisting (the) drafting of contracts,” Geller said.
Since one of the primary functions of the general counsel involves creating and maintaining contracts, the blame for last year’s Bellotti ordeal was targeted at the Office of the General Counsel’s door, which caused Grier to be reassigned and investigated by the Oregon Department of Justice. However, Geller is hardly a stranger to the school’s administration.
Geller has been on the University’s payroll since 2003, and served as Deputy General Counsel from 2006 until Grier’s reassignment. KEZI, which did not release its source, was the first to report on Geller’s appointment on Oct. 27. Though the implications of KEZI calling Geller an “insider” can be interpreted in any number of ways, the Law School’s dean Margaret Paris is convinced that Geller is only an insider in the sense that he has prior experience with the University’s legal matters.
“It really isn’t like that … it’s not a politically charged job,” Paris said. “He’s not an insider in that sense of the word.”
Paris chaired the search committee to fill the vacant general counsel position, which consisted of an open national search with approximately 40 applications submitted. Geller beat out the other contenders for the job, Paris said, because he exhibited the professionalism of an experienced lawyer and not because of his past networking with University officials.
“There is a huge learning curve,” Paris said. “The institution is complex, (and his) practice experience here at the UO made (him) even more important. I would never participate in anything that was a rigged sort of deal.”
Lariviere shares Paris’ opinion of the new general counsel, agreeing that his work with higher education law in Oregon made him a shoo-in.
“He has demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of higher education law and current legal issues in Oregon and the nation,” Lariviere wrote in a Oct. 6 letter announcing the new hire.
Geller will be starting off with an annual salary of $200,000, which is more than the $184,710 Grier earned as a 12-year-employee in the same position. Again, University administrators argue this is no cause for suspicion.
“When you negotiate a new contract, you negotiate a really true market rate, and the institution has to pay (that) rate” Paris said.
In other words, Geller’s wage was determined by incorporating the value of a general counsel’s work at campuses across the nation, taking into account state salary freezes and a number of other factors.
“He was just clearly the best-qualified candidate in the pool,” Paris said.
Paris added the University chose to pay him accordingly.
Geller declined to comment on any questions regarding his salary or the search process.
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