McDermott's Health Industry Advisory Practice Group recognized as Health Team of the Year

McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the Firm's Health Industry Advisory Practice Group was honored as the "Health Team of the Year" during the Chambers USA Awards in New York on June 10, 2010. This is the first time an award in this category has been given on a national basis by Chambers, and McDermott was selected over four other finalist firms. The award, based on research conducted on lawyers and law firms across the country for the 2010 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, reflects McDermott's overall pre-eminence in health law practice and the Firm's achievements.

“Chambers' recognition reinforces to our clients that McDermott will be their co-collaborator to deal with the health care market's unprecedented business and legal changes”

In addition, Chambers USA 2010 ranked McDermott's Health Industry Advisory Practice Group in Tier 1 nationally and in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. McDermott was the only firm to earn a Tier 1 ranking in the first ever national health law rankings.

Chambers called McDermott "a gigantic presence in the world of U.S. health care, advising a range of industry heavyweights on the most complex issues." A client added, "The 800-pound gorilla of the healthcare world. It provides a first-rate service across the board and is the premier destination for healthcare providers." The Firm's 80-lawyer health law practice counsels leading organizations in every major health care and life sciences sector on transactional, regulatory and dispute resolution matters. The health team is also involved in precedent-setting work, such as the first-ever sale of a Catholic nonprofit health system to a private equity firm.

"This award is another realization of McDermott's history of leadership in serving the health care sector," said Mike Anthony, a member of the health team and Leader of the Firm's international Transactions Business Unit. "It is a testament to the collective vision, creativity, leadership and hard work by lawyers over the years and who in the past year have been on the front lines of health care reform in the United States and are the 'go-to' choice for guidance in high-stakes health care transactions and disputes worldwide. From experienced senior partners to health law's brightest rising stars, our team richly deserves this honor and is committed to sustaining this level of excellence."

Key factors supporting the Chambers USA award to McDermott illustrate the Firm's exceptional strengths and accomplishments in the rapidly changing health care market. They include:

• Leadership in health care and life sciences sector private equity deals (including the first-ever sale of a Catholic nonprofit health system to a private equity firm)
• High-profile capabilities in complex transactions at the cutting edge of hospital acquisitions of other hospitals and physician practices, including ancillary services ventures involving ambulatory surgery and imaging centers
• Extensive education and counseling for providers and health plans/insurers regarding their new responsibilities under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• Insightful guidance on Medicare/Medicaid compliance, reimbursement and self-referral/fraud & abuse concerns of provider organizations
• In-depth knowledge of technologies aimed at enhancing health care delivery (from proton beam therapy to electronic health records and health information exchanges) and developing business structures (such as accountable care organizations)
• Thought leadership on data protection, clinical and data base research and emerging concepts of quality measurement, improvement and benchmarking
• Authoritative advice to nonprofit health care providers on governance and tax issues

As one of the largest and most prestigious health law practices in the world, the Firm's international health law team is resident in the Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Munich, New York, Rome, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. offices. This global prominence places McDermott at the center of major health sector legal and business developments worldwide. The Firm's international health law presence in such key European centers as Munich and Rome is unprecedented among American law firms. McDermott lawyers have taken the lead on innovations like the founding of Germany's first corporate medical center, and are well-versed in dealing with the impact on the health care sector from the European Community's extensive privacy regulations. Multijurisdictional health regulatory experience in such issues as the marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the licensing of health care providers and the design and implementation of international clinical trials further demonstrates the breadth of the Firm's global practice.

"Chambers' recognition reinforces to our clients that McDermott will be their co-collaborator to deal with the health care market's unprecedented business and legal changes," said Stephen Bernstein, leader of the Firm's international Health Industry Advisory Practice Group. "In the U.S., we advised on many of the Congressional inquiries and issues ultimately incorporated into the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's overhaul of the nation's health care system. The health care sector worldwide will undergo continued regulatory, transactional and technological upheaval, as concerns over the cost of and access to care accelerate in North America and Europe. We are honored by the recognition of our Health Team's ability to anticipate change and provide creative, cost effective solutions to the daily issues facing the health and life sciences organizations that depend on us."

SOURCE McDermott Will & Emery