© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Brooks Igo – (October 29) – Memphis-based Baker Donelson recently announced it beefed up its healthcare practice in Houston by adding four attorneys from Strasburger & Price.
The attorneys – shareholders Stuart Miller and Marissa Arreola, senior counsel Ivan Wood, Jr. and associate Matthew Maruca – are an ideal fit for the firm, says office managing shareholder Brad Chambers.
“It connects one of the strongest portions of our firm to one of the strongest sectors in Houston,” he said.
Chambers says the firm’s goal is to “represent as best as possible the market in Houston.” In addition to healthcare, he added the firm is looking to add depth to its energy, corporate, transportation and financial institutions practice.
“The Houston legal market is as dynamic as it has ever been at the shareholder level,” he said.
Miller handles health care joint ventures, M&A, entity formation and private placement securities offerings, in addition to drafting various health care contracts, including asset and stock purchase agreements, management agreements, service agreements and employment agreements. He also advises clients regarding compliance with the Federal Anti-Kickback Act, the Stark Act and HIPPA.
The UT School of Law graduate is the immediate past chairman of the HBA’s Health Law Section.
Arreola’s practice includes representing physician groups in acquisitions by private equity backed entities; developing, drafting and negotiating salary, productivity and non-compete models for physician employment agreements; and advising clients regarding Stark, Anti-Kickback, Federal False Claims Act and other health care fraud and abuse laws.
She has previously served as director of legal services for The Methodist Hospital System, a five-hospital network and academic center in Houston. The University of Houston School of Law graduate is the current vice chair of the American Health Lawyers Association’s Physician In-House Counsel Affinity Group.
Wood represents clients in medical staff matters, Medicare fraud and abuse, maintenance of tax-exempt status, risk management, regulatory matters and the development and implementation of joint ventures, partnerships, private offerings and corporate reorganizations.
Maruca focuses his practice on negotiating and drafting health care facility management agreements, operating agreements, partnership agreements, medical director agreements, staffing agreements and facility and equipment leases. He spent nearly three years as corporate counsel and corporate secretary at Houston-based Northstar Healthcare, Inc.
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