Ann Adams joins XL Law & Consulting with over 25 years of experience in higher education, research administration, and compliance. She brings a wealth of knowledge in the realms of regulatory, legal, and compliance infrastructures that position institutions for success.

​

Ann most recently served as the Senior Associate Vice President for Research at Northwestern University. For over 15 yerars, she played a pivotal role in the Office of Research executive leadership team, during which time she managed various aspects of strategic planning and operational effectiveness, and ensured outstanding service to the institution’s research community, while simultaneously maintaining compliance with ethical, regulator, and legal requirements. Under Ann’s leadership, operations were scaled to accommodate a growth in research funding from $400M to $1B.

​

Prior to her time at Northwestern, Ann held positions as the Associated General Counsel for both the George Washington University and Northwestern University. In these roles, she oversaw a broad range of higher education matters, including research administration, compliance, and board governance. She has experience developing institutional legal strategies and managing complex federal investigations.​​​