Buoyed by its client roster of national insurers, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP's full-service team, led by William Bernstein, has been active in the transactional market, advising both Humana and Canopy Health on acquisitions and the creation of new insurance projects. In relation to this, the team also provides antitrust services for health sector clients. Litigation is another area of expertise, with a particular emphasis on reimbursement cases. California-based John LeBlanc is a key name in the practice, with experience advising on the full range of insurer-related disputes, as well as advising managed care providers. New York-based Robert Belfort is regarded in the market for his combination of transactional and regulatory advice, while California-based Paul Carr-Rollitt advises on major transactions. Also well regarded are ACA expert Michael Kolber, Medicaid expert Ann Karl, and regulatory expert Randi Siegel, all of whom are New York-based.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP offers a full slate of services for leading insurers and health networks. On the transactional front, the team expanded its private equity and venture capital work, advising groups such as Gigafund on their investments, and advising new insurance companies on working with venture capital groups. It also advised companies such as Ascension on the establishment of Medicare Advantage plans. Disputes are another area of expertise, with the team acting on claims cases, ERISA litigation and putative class actions. Particularly notable is the team’s regulatory and government advocacy team, with Washington DC-based partners Brian Stimson, Eric Zimmerman, Miami’s Jerry Sokol and DC’s Jason Caron providing support to healthcare trade organizations on the No Surprises Act. Jeremy Earl and Kate McDonald , also DC-based, provide strong regulatory support focusing on ACA compliance and government healthcare programs respectively. DC’s Ankur Goel is a well-respected litigator, and Gary Scott Davis leads transactions out of Miami. The team has also recently opened a new office in Atlanta.

Dentons‘ health insurer platform offers a full suite of transactional, regulatory and litigation services befitting of an international firm. The firm is known for its work with managed care organisations, with particular experience advocating for health plans regarding CMS’ denial of Medicare Advantage Applications. Its Honolulu office is another unique feature of the firm’s practice, with partner Dianne Winter Brookins advising on insurance litigation in the unique Hawai’ian market. Washington DC-based practice co-head Janice Ziegler is known for her expertise on Medicare Secondary Payer laws, advising both payer and provider stakeholders on regulatory and contentious matters within that space. Also based in DC is co-head Bruce Merlin Fried, who brings previous experience as the director of managed care at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Also recommended is New York associate Claire Bornstein, who advises on ACA issues, with an emphasis on childrens’ healthcare provision.

Greenberg Traurig LLP acts for both national and regional insurers, combining regulatory and transactional services. It has a particular niche working with managed care plans, with Albany-based Harold N. Iselinserving as lead outside counsel to The New York Health Plan Association. Also on the regulatory front, the team is able to act on Medicare/Medicaid payment plan reviews, OIG Audits, and matters regarding accreditation. Private equity transactions mark another key strength of the team. It also offers contentious services out of its Dallas office, with Joseph Coniglio acting on government investigations and claims litigation. Nancy Taylor and David Peck lead the overall healthcare team from Washington DC and Fort Lauderdale respectively. Albany-based Tricia A. Asarois recommended for transactions.

Hogan Lovells US LLP is known for its litigation services, acting for national insurers on civil and criminal cases. It offers particular expertise in class action matters, representing clients including UnitedHealthcare and Centene on challenges to coverage policies, ERISA cases and access denial matters. Claims cases, reimbursement disputes, and antitrust cases are other areas where the practice excels. Transactions are another piece of the team’s overall offering, acting for regional insurers on their dispositions and acquisitions. The Miami office is particularly noteworthy for its insurer focus, with notable lawyers there including Craig Smith, who acts on transactional matters, and David Massey, who advises Fortune 100 insurers on litigations. Los Angeles-based Michael Maddigan is another key litigator. Washington DC-based Ronald Wisor leads the overall group.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is known for its complex contentious work, with an emphasis on representing large scale, national health plans. Class actions are a particular area of strength for the team, having achieved victories either through litigation or settlement on behalf of Anthem and Cigna. It is equally capable of acting in reimbursement disputes with providers, and in appellate cases. The team also acts on insurer financings, with Philadelphia-based Stephen Janetta advising Independence Health Group on its $550m credit facility. San Francisco-based Molly Moriarty Lane is particularly well regarded for her class action work and expertise on the Mental Health Parity Act. Brian Jazaeri and Howard Young co-lead the team from Los Angeles and Washington DC respectively. LA-based Lisa Weddle also offers class action expertise.

The team at O’Melveny & Myers LLP is praised by clients as ‘exceptional in every way’, with the team offering particular strength on contentious matters. It is experienced in both civil and criminal cases, offering expertise on false claims act cases, state and federal government inquiries and class action cases. Notably, it has acted for a consolidated group of Kaiser Permanente plans on 6 False Claims act cases worth over $1bn. The team is led by David Deaton, who is based in Newport Beach and offers regulatory support. Lee Blalack heads the Washington DC-based litigation practice and is known for representing Anthem, Humana and OptumRx. San Francisco-based Caitlin Bair is also recommended for representing managed care organizations.

In the health insurer space, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is known for its advocacy efforts in class action and antitrust matters. Its most notable client is industry giant UnitedHealthGroup, for whom it acts on a number of different cases. The team also has experience acting for Aetna, with experienced Los Angeles-based partner Richard Doren representing them in a number of civil litigations. Also based in LA is Heather Richardson, who adds expertise in domestic and international arbitrations to her litigation practice.

The Washington DC-based healthcare team at Groom Law Group, Chartered prioritizes expert regulatory advice, covering Medicare coverage rules, HIPAA privacy requirements, and insurer responsibilities under the Mental Health Parity act. The team has been heavily involved in telehealth-related work, advising a number of health plan sponsors on adding telehealth aspects to their offerings. It also offers transactional support, advice on federal investigations and anti-kickback cases, as well as growing advice related to the federal No Surprises Act. Jon Breyfogle and Lisa Campbell co-lead the team, both bringing with them prior leadership experience in federal bodies. Ryan Temme is also recommended for his work on government audits on requirements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity acts.

Jones Day‘s ‘very knowledgeable' team focuses on regulatory and transactional work, with the team particularly known for its clinical integration expertise and value-based care advice. Much of its work is with regionally focused networks, taking advantage of its large network of offices. The team is co-led by three attorneys, Washington DC-based Alexis Gilroy and Kenneth Field, and Chicago-based Heather O’Shea. Columbus-based Lisa Han is known for her transactional work, and San Francisco-based David Morris acts on employer/payer contracting matters. Dallas's Kurt Copper offers contentious support to clients.

Latham & Watkins LLP provides a combination of high value transactional and complex litigation services to its clients. For transactions, the team is equally skilled with capital markets work, where it acted as counsel to Oscar Health in its $1.5bn IPO, and M&A, where it counselled AON on its proposed merger with Willis Towers Watson. In litigation, Boston-based Gwyn Williams and David Tolley are acting for UnitedHealth Group in a series of out-of-network underpayment claims in Arizona. Washington DC-based Daniel Meron brings expertise in False Claims Act cases, and Los Angeles-based Daniel Settelmayer offers regulatory and transactional advice to his clients. The overall healthcare group is led by John Manthei and Judith Hasko, based in DC and Silicon Valley respectively.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP continues to expand its presence in the healthcare space, particularly regarding insurance-related transactions. Risk contracting-based arrangements are a particular area of expertise for the team, as is the establishment of value-based care arrangements. It also acts on major M&A, serving as healthcare regulatory counsel to Cigna in its acquisition of telehealth provider MDLive. Much of the team is based in Century City, and as such, it has a strong presence in the California market. Eric Klein leads the team, offering major experience in market consolidation. Lynsey Mitchel focuses on HMO licensing advice, and San Francisco-based Eric Newsom advises on health tech.