Butzel Long expands national health care practice in New York

Alan Lambert, M.D., an attorney with a diverse practice representing healthcare providers and institutions, has joined Butzel Long and is Of Counsel in the firm’s Health Care practice. He is based in New York.

Dr. Lambert is a physician and honors graduate of the Harvard Law School with over 16 years of experience in the practice of health law. A significant focus of his practice is dedicated to serving hospitals and other healthcare facilities, physicians, dentists, podiatrists and other licensed health care professionals. He also represents physician professional societies. His practice provides advocacy, counseling and representation on health law, compliance and practice risk management matters that can impact the ability to practice.

“Alan’s interdisciplinary training in law and medicine offers health care clients a unique blend of expertise across a range of areas,” said Philip J. Kessler, chairman of the firm. “As we expand our long established national health care practice in New York, his comprehensive understanding of the issues faced by physicians, hospitals and other medical providers is invaluable.”

Dr. Lambert’s practice has included representing physicians and other licensed health care professionals in a wide variety of matters including professional conduct investigations and hearings (OPMC, BPMC and OPD), medical staff peer review and privilege matters, reimbursement audits (Medicare, Medicaid and private third party payers), and managed care provider applications and hearings. He has also counseled physicians on practice risk management matters and billing compliance issues as well as with employment and partnership agreements, office and equipment leases and business/vendor agreements. He has represented physician groups in negotiating agreements with hospitals for the provision of various specialty services. He has also represented medical practices dedicated to Complementary and Alternative Medicine ("CAM").

Prior to joining Butzel Long, Dr. Lambert had his own practice. Previously, he served as associate general counsel at one of New York’s leading hospitals where he played a lead role in implementing the peer review process, addressing medical staff appointment issues and counseling the medical board, chiefs of service and residency training program directors. Additionally, he served as director of quality & billing compliance for a large department at one of New York's top academic medical centers. His expertise includes JCAHO accreditation, compliance with ACGME and RRC requirements, and LCME accreditation standards. With respect to New York State law, Dr. Lambert has counseled hospitals and medical staffs regarding compliance with Article 28 of the Public Health Law and NYCRR Title 10, Part 405 minimum standards for hospitals. He also has experience with hospital and medical school affiliation agreements, physician – hospital joint ventures, fraud and abuse, HIPAA compliance and third party payer agreements, and counsels clients with respect to responding to Department of Health investigations of adverse events, risk management and malpractice prevention.

Dr. Lambert received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, with honors, and an M.D. from the Downstate Medical Center. Prior to attending law school, he completed his postgraduate medical training with a preliminary year of internal medicine training and a residency in neurology.

Moreover, Dr. Lambert is an accomplished lecturer and teacher in the area of health law. Dr. Lambert currently holds an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor of legal medicine in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center where he lectures on legal medicine and ethics issues. Previously, Dr. Lambert held a faculty appointment as a special professor of law for five years at the Hofstra University School of Law where he developed and taught one of the first managed health care law courses in the country. He has lectured extensively to medical students, graduate staff (residents) and attending physicians at all levels of their training and careers at both academic medical centers and community hospitals.