Healthcare Law

Healthcare Transactions Year in ReviewMarked by an integrated approach and unmatched healthcare regulatory knowledge, the healthcare practice of Bass, Berry & Sims is a team of more than 260 experienced healthcare attorneys who leverage their diverse strengths to meet the unique demands of our clients. We have contributed to the evolution of Nashville as the nation’s capital of healthcare delivery and entrepreneurialism. From this experience, we know that issues impacting healthcare organizations require a multidisciplinary team informed by historical perspective. Because of this depth, the firm was ranked as the fifth largest healthcare law firm in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare (2022) and fourth largest by American Health Law Association (2022).

We provide healthcare regulatory counsel to 35 publicly traded healthcare companies and more than 200 businesses in the healthcare industry located throughout the United States. We have extensive experience in representing investors, lenders and investment banking firms in financing transactions for healthcare companies. Our team has advised on more than $136 billion in healthcare transactions and more than $52 billion in debt and equity offerings.

At the core, our Healthcare Regulatory Team navigates complex state and federal regulations across all healthcare sectors including four major areas:

  • Mergers, acquisitions and dispositions
  • Joint ventures and syndications
  • Contracting, regulatory and operational matters
  • Compliance and investigations

We work directly with healthcare clients dealing with critical healthcare compliance, regulatory and operational needs including:

  • Affordable Care Act compliance
  • Anti-Kickback Statute
  • Stark Law
  • Reimbursement
  • Licensing and certification
  • Corporate compliance programs
  • Payor audits including RACs, ZPICs, and MICs
  • HIPAA privacy and security compliance
  • Internal and government investigations before the OIG and DOJ
  • Managed care contracting
  • Certificate of need and health planning

The firm’s legal proficiency draws on the backgrounds of numerous healthcare attorneys who have honed their skills with in-house counsel positions, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Attorneys’ offices.

For the last seven years, Chambers USA ranked the firm in the Nationwide category and in 2017 Bass, Berry & Sims was named a finalist in the Chambers USA 2017 Awards for Excellence, recognizing a firm’s pre-eminence in key practice areas. Chambers USA has ranked Bass, Berry & Sims as one of the top healthcare law firms in Tennessee for the past 15 years. In their research for the 2020 issue, Chambers concluded the firm had “Deep bench with varied expertise across both regulatory and transactional healthcare matters. Well equipped to handle significant multistate M&A deals, recapitalizations and dispositions. Regularly mandated on joint ventures and syndications, in addition to compliance matters and government investigations. Clients include healthcare companies, pharmacy groups, private equity investors and long-term care centers.” In the 2021 edition of Chambers, sources report “The client service is very good and very solicitous. They are not heavy-handed, but provide fast and thorough responses,” and “They have built a really good group. They do top-quality work at very competitive rates.” (from Chambers USA 2021) In previous Chambers editions, clients and sources say “They are consistent and very effective. They also work well with our team and are customer service-oriented” and that the team is “great to work with – they know what they’re doing.” (from Chambers USA 2020); “They are our go-to firm for pretty much anything,” adding “Their responsiveness and customer service is absolutely excellent, the best I have worked with. I have them on speed dial.” (from Chambers USA 2018)

  • Successfully defended a number of clients across industry sectors, including hospitals, physician practices, hospices, home health agencies and DMEPOS suppliers, in appealing audit results where statistical sampling was used to calculate to extrapolated overpayment demands.

    We successfully defended a number of clients across industry sectors, including hospitals, physician practices, hospices, home health agencies and DMEPOS...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • We served as lead outside counsel in working with a multi-hospital non-profit health system to develop and launch its Hospital at Home program, an innovative initiative that will allow eligible patients to heal from the comfort of their home rather than a hospital room. Our team analysed the potential options for structuring the program, provided advice on the state and federal regulatory requirements, worked with the in-house legal team to develop overall strategy, drafted template agreements and other required documents, and provided advice and support through the waiver processes administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid and state department of health. We continue to provide legal advice on the day-to-day operations and expansion of the program.

    We served as lead outside counsel in working with a multi-hospital non-profit health system to develop and launch its Hospital...
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    Client Type: Nonprofit
  • We successfully defended a regional home health agency in a responding to an audit conducted by the Office of Audit Services of the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG-OAS) and appealing the results recommended in the OIG-OAS final report. Our representation resulted in a reduction of the multi-million dollar overpayment in the OIG-OAS final report by 30 percent and recoupment to less than $10,000.

    We successfully defended a regional home health agency in a responding to an audit conducted by the Office of Audit...
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    Client Type: Private Company
  • We successfully defended a regional hospice in a responding to an audit conducted by the Office of Audit Services of the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG-OAS) and appealing the results recommended in the OIG-OAS final report. Our representation resulted in a reduction of the original overpayment in the OIG-OAS final report from $7.3 million to $79,000 on appeal.

    We successfully defended a regional hospice in responding to an audit conducted by the Office of Audit Services of the...
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    Client Type: Public Company
  • We successfully defended a home health agency in a responding to an audit conducted by the Office of Audit Services of the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG-OAS) and appealing the results recommended in the OIG-OAS final report. Our representation resulted in a reduction of the original overpayment in the OIG-OAS final report from over $7 million to $79,000 on appeal.

    We successfully defended a home health agency in a responding to an audit conducted by the Office of Audit Services...
    Read More
    Client Type: Private Company
  • We have successfully represented a multi-hospital non-profit health system in negotiating practice leases with several physician groups in specialties including orthopedics, gastroenterology and urology.

    We successfully represented a multi-hospital non-profit health system in negotiating practice leases with several physician groups in specialties including orthopedics,...
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    Client Type: Nonprofit
  • We provide outside general counsel services to a leading early stage healthcare technology company that uses objective data to measure...
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    Client Type: Private Company
  • We represented Olathe Health System, Inc., a nonprofit regional health system, in a member substitution transaction with The University of...
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  • Representation of Council Capital, a private equity and venture capital healthcare company, in its acquisition of SageWay Behavioral Health, a leading provider of ABA Therapy. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    We represented Council Capital, a private equity and venture capital healthcare company, in its acquisition of SageWay Behavioral Health, a...
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  • We represented Physical Rehabilitation Network, LLC, a leading provider of physical therapy services across the western United States, in a...
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John R. Adgent
Associate
Shayan A. Ahmed
Associate
Abigail Pirie Anderson
Associate
Taylor J. Ashley
Member
Dixon Babb
Associate
Michael K. Bassham
Senior Litigation Attorney
Annie Batcheller
Associate
Zachary  J. Baumann
Associate
Scott W. Bell
Member
Philip F. Berg
Senior Healthcare Attorney
Angela L. Bergman
Counsel
Shelby Bess
Associate
Nicholas M. Bessette
Associate
Courtney  L. Black
Associate
Kristin M. Bohl
Member
Kolby  A. Boyd
Associate
Robert L. Brewer
Member
Al Bright, Jr.
Member
Laura R. Brothers
Member
Justin K. Brown
Member
Nathan F. Brown
Associate
Whitney R. Burnley
Associate
Emily A. Burrows
Member
Bryan  P. Bylica
Member
Curtis Capeling
Member
Stefanie P. Carter
Healthcare Attorney
Zane Cavender
Associate
Claire S. Chen
Associate
J. Taylor Chenery
Member
E. Steele Clayton, IV
Member
Christopher J. Climo
Associate
Laura J. Cohen
Senior Corporate Attorney
Meredith Edwards Collins
Member
Kyle A. Conley
Associate
Bo R. Cook
Associate
Elizabeth  A. Cook
Associate
Krista Cooper
Member
Robert E. Cooper Jr.
Member
David Cox
Member
Lymari Martinez Cromwell
Member
Matthew M. Curley
Member
Taylor O. Curtis
Associate
Michael Dagley
Member
Michael G. Dashefsky
Member
J. Page Davidson
Member
Jeffrey I. Davis
Member
K. Stewart Day
Associate
Kean W. Devine
Associate
Kevin H. Douglas
Member
Felix R. Dowsley, III
Member
Colton Driver
Associate
Kristin C. Dunavant
Counsel
Delaney Durst
Associate
John C. Eason
Member
Richard Eiler
Associate
R. Todd Ervin
Member
Jeanne Marie Evans
Associate
Mallory Farrar
Associate
Lindsey Brown Fetzer
Member
Curtis L. Fisher
Member
D. Lee Flaherty
Member
Lara A. Flatau
Member
Mary Beth Fortugno
Member
John L. Fuller
Member
Lauren M. Gaffney
Member
Ali Gallagher
Associate
Scott D. Gallisdorfer
Member
Marianne C. Garner
Counsel
Ashley Gholston Fowler
Associate
Jeff H. Gibson
Member
Leslie Demaree Goldsmith
Member
Thomas Gossett
Member
Erica S. Gray
Associate
B. Riney Green
Member
Tabitha L. Green
Associate
R. Dale Grimes
Member
Anna M. Grizzle
Member
Maleaka N. Guice
Associate
Jeremy  A. Gunn
Associate
Mary Lindsey Hannahan
Associate
Nova D. Harb
Counsel
Dee Harleston
Associate
Brad L. Hart
Member
Caylyn G. Harvey
Associate
Grant Hauss
Associate
Lauren Huddleston Henschen
Associate
Clint D. Hermes
Counsel
Michael R. Hess
Member
Michael R. Hill
Member
S. Ryan Hoffman
Member
Caleb H. Hogan
Senior Litigation Attorney
Johnathan D. Holbrook
Member
Michael J. Holley
Member
Robert W. Horton
Member
Angela Humphreys
Member
Joelle L. Hupp
Associate
Tyler Huseman
Associate
J. James Jenkins, Jr.
Member
Stewart W. Kameen
Member
Philip Kassel
Associate
Juedon B. Kebede
Associate
Ben Kelly
Associate
Kris Kemp
Member
John Keny
Associate
Braxton R. Kinney
Associate
David A.G. Kitchin
Associate
Jay H. Knight
Member
Eric J. Knox
Member
Michael R. Kuffner
Member
Howard H. Lamar III
Member
Jason S. Lewallen
Member
Noah J. Lewis
Associate
Philip M. Lewis
Member
James R. Litzow
Corporate Attorney
Dante G. Lizza
Associate
Travis G. Lloyd
Member
Gregory F. Maczko
Associate
Mark Manner
Member
David W. Marshburn
Associate
William T. Mathias
Member
Richard F. Mattern
Member
William Logan McCallie
Associate
Timothy B. McConnell
Member
Wesley McCulloch
Associate
Allie Miller McNamara
Associate
R. Davis Mello
Member
Jennifer  E. Michael
Member
Sarah B. Miller
Member
Amy Sanders Morgan
Associate
Christine M. Morse
Member
Whitney Mosey
Associate
Sheaniva H. Murray
Associate
Elaine C. Naughton
Associate
Jennifer H. Noonan
Member
Andrea N. Orr
Member
J. Allen Overby
Member
Carter-William Palek
Associate
Janice Parmar
Senior Healthcare Attorney
Tatjana Paterno
Member
Rebecca Payton
Associate
Heather M. Pearson
Associate
Frank M. Pellegrino
Member
Erica Vick Penley
Member
Dawn Perez-Slavinski
Member
W. Brantley Phillips, Jr.
Member
Mary Leigh Pirtle
Member
Brianna R. Powell
Associate
Neerja  Razdan
Associate
Cynthia Y. Reisz
Member
Aleah Reno-Demick
Associate
Marc A. Rigsby
Counsel
Lisa S. Rivera
Member
Brian D. Roark
Member
Brittany F. Roberts
Labor & Employment Attorney
Steffie Rosene
Associate
Molly K. Ruberg
Member
Laurence B. Russell
Counsel
Angelique M. Salib
Associate
Taylor M. Sample
Associate
John S. Seehorn
Member
Cynthia N. Sellers
Member
Scott B. Shanker
Member
Grant Sharp
Associate
D. Mark Sheets
Member
Emily Shiever
Associate
Rhea Shinde
Associate
Sehrish Siddiqui
Member
Susan V. Sidwell
Member
Brian L. Sims
Member
J. Paul Singleton
Member
Danielle M. Sloane
Member
Megan E. Smit
Associate
David W. Smith
Counsel
Lucas Ross Smith
Member
Page Minton Smith
Associate
Amanda Elliott Stanley
Counsel
Jonathan D. Stanley
Member
Jacob  B. Stansell
Associate
Jamie Gordon Steakley
Associate
Greg Stevens
Senior Counsel
Craig Stewart
Associate
Michael A. Stewart
Member
Julia Tamulis
Member
W. Benjamin Tarpley
Associate
T. Stephen C. Taylor
Member
Molly Terrell
Senior Attorney
G. Scott Thomas
Member
Oscar L. Thomas
Counsel
Ryan D. Thomas
Member
Shelley R. Thomas
Member
Meredith Mallard Thompson
Counsel
David A. Thornton
Member
Nesrin Garan Tift
Member
David R. Venturella
Associate
Julie C. Walker
Senior Corporate Attorney
Leigh Walton
Member
Elizabeth S. Warren
Member
Patton L. Webb
Associate
Nikki Wethington
Associate
Shannon Wiley
Member
Price W. Wilson
Member
Taylor K. Wirth
Member
Roy Wyman
Member
Bradley L. Yenter
Associate
Abby Yi
Associate
Jessalyn H. Zeigler
Member

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Our healthcare attorneys encompass the multitude of legal specialties necessary to service one of the largest, most highly regulated industries in the United States. We bring our multidisciplinary, team approach to our representation of the following sectors and facilities:

  • Academic medical centers.
  • Ambulatory surgery centers.
  • Behavioral health.
  • Cancer therapy.
  • Clinical laboratories.
  • Dermatology.
  • Diagnostic imaging.
  • Health plans, managed care companies and benefit management companies.
  • Healthcare information technology.
  • Home health.
  • Hospice.
  • Hospitals and health systems.
  • Life sciences.
  • Managed care.
  • Medical device.
  • Nonprofit providers.
  • Orthotics and prosthetics.
  • Pharmaceuticals and pharmacies.
  • Physician practices, outsourced physician services and management companies.
  • Private equity.
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
  • Revenue cycle management.
  • Senior housing and long-term care.
  • Specialty pharmacy and pharmaceuticals.
  • Telemedicine.
  • Urgent and retail care clinics.
  • Wellness and disease management.