Strasburger Expands Health Law Practice with the Addition of Five Attorneys

OCTOBER 31, 2005 (Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texas) — Strasburger & Price, LLP is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its health law practice with the recent addition of five attorneys. This brings the total number of firm attorneys practicing in the health law area to more than 30.

The firm's Austin office has added William D. Darling and Kathryn Midboe Darling as partners, and Kevin M. Wood as an associate. R. Bradley Fletcher has joined the Dallas office as of counsel, and C. Scott Nichols has joined the Houston office as a partner.

"Strasburger & Price has been representing Tenet Healthcare and its affiliated hospitals in litigation nationally for many years. The addition of these experienced health care attorneys will surely enhance Strasburger's reputation as an excellent health care law firm," remarked John Tilly, an assistant general counsel for Tenet.

Brian Hamilton, chair of Strasburger's health law group, added, "The firm's health law practice has been a leader in handling litigation for the heath care industry for the last 30 years. The firm is now focusing on expanding that leadership into the transactional side of the industry. The addition of these five talented attorneys will extend the wide range of health law services we provide to our clients in both the litigation and transactional areas."

Bill Darling has practiced health law for over 30 years. He advises health care clients on a multitude of matters and has extensive experience in analyzing organizational and operational issues, antitrust issues, regulatory compliance issues and contractual issues. Mr. Darling's regulatory experience includes fraud and abuse compliance, provider reimbursement, peer review matters, health care planning, and structuring of health care entities and joint ventures. Mr. Darling has represented clients before various state and federal regulatory and licensing agencies, peer review organizations and in Texas and federal courts. He received his J.D. in 1966 and his B.A. in 1964, both from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Darling is listed in Chambers USA Guide and was recently named a "Texas Super Lawyer" by Law & Politics magazine and a "Best Lawyer in America."

Kathy Darling specializes in advising health care entities in structuring business transactions, including business formation, financial arrangements and joint ventures. Her practice focuses on compliance with the regulatory aspects of business arrangements. She has advised clients on Stark and anti-kickback requirements, HIPAA, negotiating contracts for start-up companies, and promoting new ventures through private placement of equity interests. In addition, she advises health care providers and administrators on the Texas State Medicaid Managed Care program. Ms. Darling received her J.D. in 1983 from Temple University School of Law and her B.A. from Wittenberg University in 1966. Ms. Darling recently was named a "Best Lawyer in America."

Brad Fletcher focuses on tax law primarily in the health care industries and for tax-exempt entities. Mr. Fletcher's practice includes tax planning, IRS representation, and advising clients on issues unique to health care and tax-exempt organizations including joint ventures with taxable entities, applications for recognition of tax-exempt status, unrelated business income, physician compensation structure, private inurement, private benefit, Intermediate Sanctions, and private foundation excise taxes. He received his J.D. in 1994 and his B.A. in 1991, both from Southern Methodist University, and in 1996 he received his LL.M. in health law from DePaul University College of Law.

Scott Nichols is a litigator who defends and counsels clients in health care matters. His clients include hospitals, physicians and other health care providers. Mr. Nichols has tried cases in jurisdictions including the District of Columbia, California and Texas. He was one of the lead trial team members in Kelly A. v. NME, Inc., et. al., chosen by The National Law Journal as one of 1999's biggest defense wins in civil cases nationally. Mr. Nichols is licensed to practice law in California and Texas. He received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School Law in 1987 and his B.B.A. in Finance in 1984 from the University of Texas at Austin.

Kevin Wood counsels health care providers and entities on a variety of corporate and administrative matters. Mr. Wood's experience includes analyzing federal and state privacy requirements, interpreting and applying state and federal fraud and abuse and self-referral prohibitions, developing provider compliance programs, and advising clients on the organizational structures available for business entities. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2001 and his B.A. summa cum laude in 1992 from Hardin-Simmons University. Mr. Wood was recently named a "Texas Rising Star" by Law & Politics magazine.
  

Strasburger's Health Law Practice

For more than three decades, Strasburger has aggressively defended medical liability claims against physicians, hospitals, day surgery facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, preferred provider organizations and other health care organizations and providers. In addition to representing companies in general business litigation matters, the firm's health law attorneys have represented a diverse range of medical and health product manufacturers and distributors, as well as medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers in lawsuits alleging defective or dangerous products. Areas of representation also include licensing, credentialing, Medicare, Medicaid, and state and federal regulations.

Strasburger's health law attorneys have significant transactional experience including the representation of multimillion dollar acquisitions involving hospitals, nursing homes and HMOs. They have represented clients in matters regarding Medicare fraud and abuse, physician contracts and recruiting, joint ventures, maintenance of tax-exempt status and regulatory matters. Areas of expertise include Stark analysis, HIPAA compliance, long-term care, managed care contracting, third-party reimbursement and legislative and governmental affairs.

     
STRASBURGER & PRICE, LLP