JD Journal » health care practice

King & Spalding Adds Practice Head from Sidley Austin

joshua — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:13:57 +0000

King & Spalding has snatched Patrick Morrissey, a former partner at Sidley Austin, who joins the firm as a partner and co-chair of its FDA/life sciences practice in Washington D.C. Morrisey will also serve as a member of King & Spalding’s health care and public policy practice.

Edward M. Basile, co-leader of King & Spalding’s FDA/life sciences practice, called Morrisey “one of the leading experts in the country on healthcare reform, Medicare and Medicaid issues.

“In addition to representing eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical/biotechnology manufacturers as well as eight of the top 10 medical device manufacturers, King & Spalding also has the largest health care law practice in the nation,” said Basile said in a press release. “Patrick’s arrival simultaneously adds depth to both our regulatory and legislative practices and provides us with an unsurpassed opportunity to counsel clients on the intricacies of the new health care reform law.

Morrisey has successfully represented clients before the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Congress on precedent-setting matters pertaining to coding, coverage and payment of Medicare-related items and services.

Morrisey focuses a large portion of his practice on providing companies with regulatory and legislative analysis and strategic counseling on health care reform.

King & Spalding, which is celebrating 125 years of service, is an international firm with more than 800 lawyers in Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Houston, London, New York, Paris, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.

Jones Walker Bolsters Health Care Practice

joshua — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:17:29 +0000

Jones Walker added to its health care practice with the additions of Lynn Barrett as special counsel and Molly Monceaux Demosthenidy as associate.

Barrett hails from Miami and most recently served as Deputy General Counsel for the South Broward Hospital District from 2005-2009. Prior to joining Jones Walker, Demosthenidy worked as an associate attorney at Sullivan, Stolier & Resor in New Orleans as a member of that firm’s health care practice. She also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at Tulane University.

“Health care continues to be a focus of our firm, given our client base and the range of health care issues facing companies today,” said William H. Hines, Jones Walker’s managing partner.

Jones Walker has offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Louisiana and Texas and also serves international clients.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:47:17 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Former Georgia state senator Rusty Paul joins Arnall Golden Gregory, to head the Atlanta law firm’s government affairs & public policy practice. He is a Sandy Springs city councilman, and was previously a federal assistant cabinet secretary and chairman of the state Republican Party. Paul served in the Department of Housing & Urban Development under President George H.W. Bush, as assistant secretary for congressional & intergovernmental affairs. He founded his own government affairs firm, iSquared Communications.

Harold Creel Jr. joins lobbying firm Alcalde & Fay as a partner. Creel is a former federal Maritime Commission chairman under Clinton and GW Bush, and will lobby on behalf of the Cruise Lines International Association. Previously, he was senior counsel to the Merchant Marine subcommittee of the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. His JD is from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Sir Ian Kennedy joins the UK’s Beachcroft LLP to head its new NHS health advisory service. Kennedy was previously chair of the Healthcare Commission, a member and chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and a member of both the General Medical Council and the Medicines Commission. He is Emeritus Professor of Health Law, Ethics and Policy at University College London. Kennedy was knighted in 2002 for services to medical law and bioethics.

Much Shelist Brings on Health Care Team

Erik Even — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:16:25 +0000

Much Shelist has added three attorneys to its health care practice.

Kevin Ryan joins from Epstein, Becker & Green as a Principal in the Much Shelist Business & Finance group and a member of the firm’s Health Care Law practice. He concentrates his practice on legal and regulatory issues facing the health care industry. He has his JD from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Special counsels Abraham Stern and Frances Meehan join from Reed Smith. Stern spent the majority of his 30-year career with Sachnoff & Weaver, a Chicago firm that merged in 2007 with Reed Smith. He advises clients in a broad range of commercial and regulatory areas, with an emphasis on health care issues, including long-term care and senior housing. He also got his JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and an LL.M in taxation from New York University School of Law.

Meehan also practiced at Sachnoff & Weaver and Reed Smith, before joining Much Shelist. Earlier, she served as Chief Counsel for the Illinois Department of Public Health. Meehan focuses her practice on legal and regulatory issues affecting nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, supportive-living facilities, hospices, home health agencies and other providers. She is another Chicago-Kent College of Law grad, which is quite a coincidence.

Founded in 1970, Much Shelist Denenberg Ament & Rubenstein is a full-service, Chicago-based business law firm. It has about 80 attorneys.

Foley & Lardner Brings on New Partners

Erik Even — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:06:37 +0000

Foley & Lardner announced two new hires this week.

Jeffrey Thrope joins in New York from Manatt Phelps & Phillips as a partner in the firm’s health care practice. He represents hospitals, nursing homes, public health facilities, not-for-profits, and other health care providers.

Etsuo Doi joins in Tokyo from Paul Hastings as a partner in the intellectual property practice. He will co-head the office with Michael D. Kaminski.

Foley & Lardner LLP is an international general practice law firm started in 1842 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It employs 1,000 attorneys, and is the 24th largest firm in the United States.

Sonnenschein Sued Over Attorney Hires

Erik Even — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:26:59 +0000

Sonnenschein, which brought on three lawyers from Huron Consulting, has been sued by the Chicago-based firm, claiming the attorneys were illegally recruited. Huron seeks $30 million.

The three lawyers are Sonnenschein health care managing director Nancy Freeman, compliance director Judy Ringholz, and Linda Robinson.

The suit accuses Sonnenschein health care partner Lisa Murtha, a former Huron employee, of arranging the recruitment of the three lawyers from her former company. Huron claims that Sonnenschein is a direct competitor to its health care consulting business.

Huron accuses Murtha of directing the employees to steal the firm’s data and clients. The suit alleges breach of fiduciary duty, violation of trade secrets laws and computer fraud.

Chicago’s Huron Consulting has 20 offices, including in Jordan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Singapore.

Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP is an international law firm with 700 lawyers and other professionals in the United States and Europe. Founded in Chicago in 1906, it has 14 offices in the US and Europe.

Wiley Rein Hires Two in DC

Erik Even — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:09:30 +0000

Wiley Rein has added Douglas Walgren and Nova Daly to its Washington, DC office.

Walgren, former Democratic US Representative from Pennsylvania, joins the firm as a consulting counsel. He served on the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the House Science & Technology Committee. He will lobby on health care and energy.

Daly, a former deputy assistant Treasury secretary, joins Wiley Rein’s international trade practice as a public policy consultant. He will advise clients on issues related to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Wiley Rein LLP is a Washington, DC law firm, founded in 1983 under the name Wiley, Johnson and Rein.

Covington & Burling Brings on Lawyers [Correction]

Erik Even — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:30:18 +0000

Covington & Burling has brought on Demetrios Kouzoukas and David Kornblau.

Kouzoukas was principal associate deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He is joining Covington’s health care and food & drug practice groups in Washington DC.

Kornblau was SEC chief litigation counsel. He joins Covington as a partner in the white collar & securities enforcement and litigation practices in New York.

Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. It consistently ranks among the top 20 on The American Lawyer’s prestigious “A-List.”

CORRECTION: This story originally characterized David Kornblau as a “Bush administration refugee.” In fact, Kornblau joined the SEC in 1995, during the Clinton years, and was never a political appointee. From 2005-2009, he was with Merrill Lynch, so his move to Covington has nothing to do with the change in administrations.

JDJournal regrets the error.

Cox Smith Adds Health Care Team to Austin Office

Erik Even — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:38:30 +0000

Texas’ Cox Smith Matthews has added two health care regulation experts to its Austin office, Kathy Poppitt and Catherine Greaves.

Poppitt, formerly of Thompson & Knight, will focus on health care regulatory law, health care litigation and administrative law. She received her JD from the University of Texas in 1988.

Also formerly with Thompson & Knight, Greaves advises clients involved in all aspects of the health care industry. Her JD is from the University of Houston, 1985.

Founded in 2004, Cox Smith Matthews is headquartered in San Antonio, with offices in Austin, Dallas and McAllen. The Firm employs 130 attorneys with diverse experience in 17 primary practice areas and more than 25 areas of specialization.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius Adds More Sonnenschein Lawyers

Erik Even — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:07:38 +0000

Philadelphia’s Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, which poached six partners from Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal earlier this month, has added two more partners and five associates from the Chicago-based firm.

The team of health care attorneys will join Morgan Lewis’ Washington, DC office, where five of the previously hired partners will be based.

Philadelphia-based Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is a law firm that was founded as Morgan & Lewis in 1873. It has 1,400 lawyers in 22 offices worldwide.

Barnes & Thornburg Expands into Georgia

Erik Even — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:43:16 +0000

Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg has opened its eighth office, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stuart C. Johnson and Jason A. Bernstein, previously partners in the Atlanta office of Bryan Cave, will join the firm to open the Atlanta office.

The firm will recruit lateral attorneys in all practice areas, with the intention of building a full-service office in Atlanta.

The new office will focus on health care, life sciences and software industries.

Barnes & Thornburg has offices in Elkhart, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Washington, DC. It employs 500 attorneys and staff.

Morgan Lewis Lures Away Sonnenschein Partners

Erik Even — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:16:38 +0000

Six partners from Sonnenschein have joined Morgan Lewis’ health care regulation practice.

Joyce Cowan, Kathleen McDermott, John Rah, Albert Shay, and Howard Young are joining Sonnenschein’s Washington office, while Reece Hirsch is joining the firm in San Francisco.

Sonnenschein has 18 lawyers in its FDA and health care regulation practice.

Philadelphia-based Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is a law firm that was founded as Morgan & Lewis in 1873. It has 1,400 lawyers in 22 offices worldwide.

Lawyers Leave Wachler to Start New Firm

Erik Even — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:31:15 +0000

Five lawyers from Royal Oak, Michigan-based health care law firm Wachler & Associates have left the firm, to found Health Law Partners in Southfield.

Former Wachler partners Adrienne Dresevic, Robert Iwrey, Carey Kalmowitz and Abby Pendleton all announced their resignations from the firm last week, to be shareholders in the new firm. Senior associate Jessica Gustafson also will be part of the new operation.

The only remaining partner at Wachler is managing partner Andrew Wachler, along with associates Jeffrey Campbell and Adele Jorissen.

Wachler & Associates was founded in 1984, and has law offices in Royal Oak and Detroit.

Arent Fox Brings on New Partners

Erik Even — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:04:24 +0000

Arent Fox has hired two new partners, one on each coast.

Maurice Bellan joins the litigation department in Washington, DC. Previously with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division and a partner at Saul Ewing, Bellan has handled litigation involving trademark infringement, construction design, whistle-blower actions, and contract and employment claims.

In Los Angeles the firm has brought on new partner Thomas Jeffry Jr. to its health care practice. He will advise on compliance programs, health care fraud, mergers, and health privacy. Jeffry most recently was a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine.

Founded in 1942, Arent Fox LLP, formerly Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn, was ranked by the National Law Journal in 2007 as the 137th largest in the US.