Nashville, Tenn., (November 18, 2021) – Bass, Berry & Sims is enhancing its nationally-ranked healthcare regulatory practice by adding seven highly-experienced attorneys. With practices that range across a variety of healthcare sectors and regulatory areas of focus, the expansion further broadens and deepens the firm’s healthcare regulatory practice, and brings the firm’s healthcare industry group to over 230 attorneys.
“Our national Healthcare Practice combines deep knowledge and experience in the areas of regulatory, transactional, operational, and compliance and enforcement to help healthcare companies navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges as they drive efficiency in the industry,” said Angela Humphreys, chair of the firm’s Healthcare Practice and co-chair of its Healthcare Private Equity Team. “Adding these seven esteemed healthcare attorneys will enhance our ability to provide sophisticated counsel to healthcare organizations on an even broader array of issues.”
Bass, Berry & Sims is ranked the third largest healthcare law firm in the U.S. by the American Health Law Association for 2021, was recognized as one of Law360’s “Practice Groups of the Year” in the Health Care category for 2020, and is ranked the No. 4 most active law firm in healthcare private equity for the second quarter of 2021 by Pitchbook.
Adding Fraud & Abuse, Reimbursement, 340B and Government Experience
The attorneys joining Bass, Berry & Sims bring complementary skills and experience to the firm’s Healthcare Practice and are established industry leaders, including regular speakers before national and state industry groups and two attorneys who previously led healthcare law practices at national law firms. They routinely advise leading healthcare industry clients on their most sensitive regulatory matters, including those related to fraud and abuse and reimbursement. They are:
Kristin M. Bohl (Member; Washington, D.C.): Bohl advises healthcare service providers in compliance and regulatory matters, including fraud and abuse, alternative payment models, and provider and physician alignment strategies. Before entering private practice, Bohl was the technical advisor in the Division of Technical Payment Policy at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where she concentrated on Stark Law matters. Bohl previously was a shareholder in the Health Law Practice group at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.
Kristin Bohl is admitted to practice in Maryland. Her D.C. Bar application is pending.
Jeffrey I. Davis (Member; Washington, D.C.): Davis advises healthcare organizations on Medicare and Medicaid billing and reimbursement issues, with a special focus on the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. He also counsels clients on emerging healthcare regulatory issues – including COVID-19 relief funding, surprise medical billing and hospital price transparency – and on public policy matters under consideration by the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, such as drug pricing policy. Davis previously was of counsel in the Health Law Practice group at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC and co-led the firm’s Reimbursement Group.
Leslie Demaree Goldsmith (Member; Washington, D.C.): Goldsmith has more than 30 years of experience grappling with Medicare payment and related compliance issues, including billing and claims matters, such as provider-based status, co-location, medical education payments and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) calculations. She counsels clients on potential overpayment issues and has represented many healthcare providers before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB), CMS and the federal courts. Goldsmith previously was a shareholder in the Health Law Practice group at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC and co-led the firm’s Reimbursement Group.
Travis G. Lloyd (Member; Nashville): Lloyd counsels healthcare companies on complex healthcare regulatory matters related to fraud and abuse, reimbursement, and health information privacy and security, as well as the licensure, certification and accreditation of healthcare facilities. He has served as regulatory counsel for some of the nation’s premier healthcare companies in numerous high-profile deals, including public company mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and other transformative transactions. Lloyd previously served as chair of the Healthcare Practice Group at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP.
William T. Mathias (Member; Washington, D.C.): Mathias draws on over two decades of experience to help healthcare companies and investors mitigate legal and compliance risks in potential transactions. He advises healthcare companies on complex fraud and abuse and Stark Law issues, especially involving physician arrangements. Mathias previously was a shareholder and co-chair of the Health Law Practice group and the Fraud & Abuse Workgroup at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.
William Mathias is admitted to practice in Maryland. His D.C. Bar application is pending.
Christine M. Morse (Member; Washington, D.C.): Morse advises healthcare companies on fraud and abuse claims and regulatory compliance. She advises provider organizations on key federal healthcare laws, such as the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the False Claims Act (FCA). Morse also has deep knowledge of regulatory issues in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. Morse previously was a shareholder in the Health Law Practice group at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.
Christine Morse is admitted to practice in Maryland. Her D.C. Bar application is pending.
Laurence B. Russell (Counsel; Washington, D.C.): Russell has more than 35 years of experience, including as a legal advisor to state policy makers and regulators, with a wide range of regulatory issues. He has extensive experience with Medicare and Medicaid payment issues involving hospitals, physicians, pharmacies and other providers, and a deep knowledge of regulatory matters involving institutional and specialty pharmacies, and drug wholesalers and distributors. Russell previously was a shareholder in the Health Law Practice group at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.
Laurence Russell is admitted to practice in Maryland. His D.C. Bar application is pending.
Growing Washington, D.C. Presence
With Bohl joining Bass, Berry & Sims, the firm is now one of the only in the country to employ multiple former counsel in each of the following government agencies: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Counsel to the Inspector General’s (OCIG) Industry Guidance Branch, CMS, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and U.S. Attorneys’ offices.
Six of the seven new attorneys have joined the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, which has grown to 36 attorneys since the office opened in 2012.
“The growth of the firm in our nation’s capital mirrors the growth of Bass, Berry & Sims as a national law firm, both in size and in the breadth of experience with and knowledge of the legal issues our clients face,” said Todd Rolapp, managing partner and chair of the firm’s Executive Committee. “Our representation of healthcare companies and providers has propelled the firm into the national spotlight among some of the biggest firms in the U.S.”
About the Bass, Berry & Sims Healthcare Practice
Marked by an integrated approach and unmatched regulatory knowledge, the healthcare practice of Bass, Berry & Sims is a team of more than 230 experienced attorneys who leverage their diverse strengths to meet the unique demands of our clients. Our team encompasses the multitude of legal specialties necessary to service one of the largest, most highly regulated industries in the U.S. Read more here.
Media Coverage
This announcement was covered in several media outlets, including:
- “6-Strong Team Decamps Baker Donelson for Bass, Berry & Sims,” The American Lawyer/Law.com
- “Bass Berry Expands Healthcare Practice in D.C., Tennessee,” Reuters
- “Bass Berry Adds 7 Attys To Health Care Group In DC, Tenn.,” Law360 Pulse
- “Bass, Berry & Sims Strengthens Leading Healthcare Practice with Addition of Seven Top Attorneys,” Business Wire