Michael R. Hess
Michael Hess leads the firm’s Specialty Pharmacy & Pharmaceuticals Practice Group. His ability to balance legal issues with business issues has earned him a reputation as a go-to lawyer in the specialty pharmacy industry.
Mike’s ability to provide practical and impactful advice to specialty pharmacies is rooted in his first-hand experience as former Chief Counsel & VP of Strategic Development of Accredo Health Group, former Assistant General Counsel of Medco Health Solutions and as a private practice attorney to the industry. He now supports 40 percent of the largest independent specialty pharmacy companies located from Los Angeles to Orlando, serving as the outside general counsel. In addition, he has participated in many of the specialty pharmacy transactions coming to market during the past three years. Mike’s strategic business advice and transactional and regulatory guidance helps manufacturers and pharmacies get high-cost, complex specialty drugs from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the patient’s door, safely, legally, effectively and efficiently.
Memberships
American Health Law Association (AHLA) — RAP Practice Group, Vice Chair (2004-2007)
Institute for Health Law & Policy (iHeLP), University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law — Advisory Board
Memphis Leadership Academy — Board of Trustees
National Infusion Center Association — Advisory Board
Make-a-Wish of the Mid-South — Board of Directors
Representative Experience
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Representation of Parthenon Capital, a growth-oriented private equity firm, as healthcare regulatory counsel in its investment in RxSense, a high-growth healthcare technology company that utilizes its proprietary technology platform to provide innovative prescription savings solutions to consumers and pharmacy benefits administration and analytics to enterprise customers
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Representation of Kinderhook Industries, LLC in its investment in AbsoluteCARE, value-based primary care provided headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, for $105 million. Kinderhook Industries, LLC is a private investment firm that manages over $3.3 billion of committed capital.
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Representation of Linden Capital Partners, a Chicago-based healthcare private equity firm, as healthcare regulatory counsel in its acquisition of UroGPO from Nautic Partners. UroGPO is a urology-specific Group Purchasing Organization and provider of educational programs for providers.
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Representation of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in the spinoff and sale of the management services organization responsible for the operational and strategic management of Chartwell to CarepathRx, a platform company formed by Nautic Partners that offers pharmacy solutions to patients undergoing complicated medication therapies. Nautic will manage the UPMC pharmacy moving forward. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of OptionOne, a specialty pharmacy providing home and alternate-site infusion therapies through a comprehensive clinical approach to patient care, in its sale to Amerita, Inc., a specialty infusion company focused on providing complex pharmaceutical products and clinical services to patients outside of the hospital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of Linden Capital Partners, as lead healthcare regulatory counsel, in its investment in Vital Care, Inc., a pharmacy franchisor of home infusion services. Linden Capital Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry
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Representation of PipelineRx, a developer of a cloud-based pharmacy platform intended to optimize and transform pharmacy and amplify its impact on patient care, as regulatory and deal counsel in its sale to CarepathRx, a platform company formed by Nautic Partners that offers pharmacy solutions to patients undergoing complicated medication therapies
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Representation of Oak HC/FT, a venture capital firm investing in early to growth stage tech-enabled companies, as healthcare regulatory counsel in its $75 million Series C investment in Truepill. Truepill currently owns and operates six pharmacies across the U.S. The funds will be used to launch an at-home lab testing network – a new service that will further expand Truepill’s ecosystem of direct-to-patient capabilities, which includes Truepill Health telehealth network, pharmacy fulfillment, a custom-built EMR, and more.
Publications
Past Events
Media Mentions & Firm News
Additional News & Insights
Additional Presentations:
- Panelist – “Understanding the Contractual, Operational, Regulatory Nuances of Specialty Pharmacy Contracting,” The World Congress Summit on Specialty Market Access and Channel Optimization (July 2014)
- Presenter – “Specialty Drugs & Limited Distribution Networks Roundtable,” 17th Annual 340B Coalition Conference (July 2014)
- Panelist – “Specialty Pharmacy Issues Impacting Oncology Practices,” Oncology Circle Annual Meeting (October 2013)
- Moderator – “Specialty Pharmacy Mergers & Acquisitions (MA): Trends, Strategies, and Opportunity,” National Association of Specialty Pharmacies Strategic Business Exchange (October 2013)
- Moderator – “340B in the Trenches: What You Should Know About 340B Audits,” American Health Lawyers Association (August 2013)
- Presenter – “Specialty Drugs & Limited Distribution Networks Roundtable,” 17th Annual 340B Coalition Conference (July 2013)
- Presenter – “Current Oncology Practice Trends,” Oncology Physician Resources 2013 Annual Meeting (May 2013)
- Panelist – “Ongoing Controversies in 340B,” Pharmaceutical Care Management Association – 2013 Specialty Pharmacy Business Forum (March 2013)
- Panelist – “How to Structure 340B Contract Pharmacy Agreements,” American Bar Association webcast (September 6, 2012)
- Presenter – “Specialty Drugs & Limited Distribution Networks,” 16th Annual 340B Coalition Conference (July 2012)
- Presenter – “Nuts & Bolts of Contract Pharmacy Implementation and Compliance,” 8th Annual 340B Coalition Winter Conference (March 2012)
- Presenter – “Drug Supply Policy, Challenges & Solutions,” 8th Annual 340B Coalition Winter Conference (March 2012)
Additional Article:
- Co-author – “HHS Issues Guidance on Permitted Remuneration for Prescription Refill Reminders in the Absence of Patient Authorization,” Health Lawyers Weekly (October 11, 2013)
Accolades
Chambers USA — Healthcare (2016-2020)
BTI Client Service All-Stars (2016, 2019)
Martindale-Hubbell — AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated
The Best Lawyers in America© — Health Care Law (2014-2021)
Best Lawyers® — Memphis Health Care Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2018)
Client Choice Award — Healthcare & Life Sciences (2019)
Mid-South Super Lawyers (2009, 2018-2020)
Education
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University of Mississippi School of Law - J.D., 1996
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Mississippi State University - M.A., 1993
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Mississippi College - B.A., 1992
Admissions
- Alabama, 2005
- Tennessee, 2003
- Mississippi, 1996
Chambers USA
"Michael Hess is highly regarded for his expertise in advising specialty pharmacies on transactions. Market sources remark that he is 'a very creative thinker and understands business' while a client comments: 'Above all, he is a person who takes a complex matter and makes it simple.'"
From Chambers USA 2020
BTI Consulting Group
