(April 1, 2004) Reed Smith LLP, a top 20 international law firm, announced today that Susan de Mars, former Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel for AdvancePCS, Inc., a Fortune 500 health improvement services company, has joined the firm as a partner and member of the Health Care Group, resident in the Washington, DC office, effective April 1, 2004.
“Our firm has enjoyed a substantial and long standing relationship as outside counsel for AdvancePCS,” said Eugene Tillman, the firm’s Director of Legal Personnel. “Through our service to the company, we have had many opportunities to work closely with Susan on a range of very complex transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters. Susan is an exceptional attorney and highly regarded in the health care industry. We are fortunate that she has chosen to join Reed Smith.”
Ms. de Mars is a 1985 graduate of Harvard Law School and received her B.A. in economics from Claremont McKenna College. She was formerly a partner at Sacks Tierney, P.A., in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1995, she joined PCS Health Systems as Assistant General Counsel, and was promoted to Vice President and General Counsel in February 1999 and then to Senior Vice President in March 2000. For two years (1997-1998), Ms. de Mars was Vice President, Corporate Accounts, during which time she established, built, and managed a new sales and account management group for the company’s largest customer accounts. During her tenure at PCS Health Systems, Susan had direct and significant contact with the senior management and legal departments of many major health care businesses, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, health plans, and insurers.
When PCS Health Systems was acquired by Advance Paradigm, Inc., in late 2000, Ms. de Mars assumed her most recent post. In addition to managing the Law Department and Government Affairs, she was responsible for the business practice and compliance initiatives of the company. She also established AdvancePCS’s Washington office to enhance the company’s government relations capabilities, and oversaw the introduction of compliance programs company wide.
Ms. de Mars’ move to Reed Smith coincides with the acquisition of AdvancePCS by CaremarkRx, Inc. which will result in the consolidation of the combined companies’ corporate offices in Nashville.
“I am very enthusiastic about the opportunity to remain in Washington D.C. and to work with clients across all sectors of the health care industry as a part of Reed Smith’s highly regarded Health Care Group,” said Ms. de Mars. “During my time at AdvancePCS, I have developed a great deal of respect for Reed Smith’s effective approach to the delivery of legal services. Given the environment at Reed Smith, I look forward to continuing my work on issues surrounding the delivery of prescription drugs to patients through arrangements among PBM’s, health plans, pharmacies, and manufacturers.”
“Susan will be an immediate asset to our Washington, D.C., office,” said Judy Harris, Managing Partner of the firm’s office in the nation’s capital. “The insider’s view of the industry she possesses will doubtless be of tremendous value to our health care clients.”
