Legal Assistance
The legal needs of medical equipment, pharmaceutical and supply companies are complex, and Walter & Haverfield's attorneys have the in-depth experience and capabilities in all related areas of legal practice to serve as seasoned counselors, advisors and advocates. Regulated companies need counsel with a keen understanding of the regulatory laws and their implications for business transactions, as well as a team approach to developing solutions. Our long experience in all aspects of healthcare legal matters has earned us a reputation as well-informed, tenacious and highly visible practitioners and advocates.
Amy S. Leopard (aleopard@walterhav.com) is our contact person for the Argosy Group. Amy focuses on advising clients on complex healthcare industry strategic, reimbursement and transactional matters. She handles a variety of issues including structuring strategic alliances and business ventures and advising HMEs on business issues and corporate compliance. Amy is a frequent speaker at Medtrade and co-authored three chapters for the Matthew Bender Health Care Compliance Manual, including the chapter on “Durable Medical Equipment and Supply Company Compliance Guidance.”
Health care providers have come to rely on our advice and counsel. Responding to the wide range of requirements presented by HME companies, we provide such services as: general counsel; corporate compliance plans and policies; and development of contractual arrangements between and among healthcare providers. We have assisted with transactional and legal issues related to accreditation (JCAHO, HQAA) and state licensing issues, and often counsel providers on HIPPA privacy and security rules as well as antikickback, Stark, reimbursement and billing, and EMTALA issues. In particular, we have developed and implemented fraud and abuse, Medicare, HIPAA and antitrust compliance programs for a national DME and medical supply company; trained medical products company sales employees on the Robinson-Patman Act, evaluated the antitrust implications of contracts between two competing suppliers of health care products, and prepared antitrust checklists for sales contracting.
Our lawyers act are often called upon to serve as advocates for the industry or for individual suppliers. On behalf of Medicare beneficiaries and suppliers, we filed the case in the Northern District of Ohio, Premier Medical Supplies v. Leavitt, seeking to halt the CMS implementation of the first round of the Medicare Competitive Bidding program. The case was withdrawn when Congress delayed the program implementation. Our litigation group includes experienced attorneys who practice before federal and state courts and administrative agencies and includes a former Chief of the White Collar Crime Unit who oversaw health care fraud investigations as government counsel. In addition, we provide advice and counsel on OIG, FTC, DOJ and FDA criminal and civil investigations, Medicare and Medicaid audits, and voluntary disclosures.
We also have the necessary expertise to handle such matters as acquisitions, divestitures and mergers of suppliers; contract negotiations with hospitals, health systems, manufacturers, distributors, and group purchasing. Our healthcare business transaction team reviews and prepares hundreds of contracts each year, including:
- supply agreements
- joint venture agreements
- retail clinic leases
- services agreements
- management agreements
- consulting agreements
- employment agreements
- manufacturing agreements
- product distribution agreements
- product development agreements
- advertising and marketing agreements
- intellectual property license agreements
- asset purchase agreements
- stock purchase agreements
Amy S. Leopard
Walter & Haverfield LLP
aleopard@walterhav.com |
216.928.2889 direct phone
216.916.2328 direct fax