Baker & McKenzie announced today the enhancement of its Health Law Practice in North America with the addition of four health law lawyers, all joining the Firm’s Dallas office from Jenkens & Gilchrist. Partner Ken Gordon leads the group, which includes partner Wilson Jones and associates Nneka Egbuniwe and Pamela Nix.
Ken Gordon comes to Baker & McKenzie with more than 18 years of experience in health law, most recently serving as the national leader of Jenkens & Gilchrist’s health law practice. The North American Health Law Practice will focus not only on healthcare mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other corporate transactional matters unique to healthcare providers and all participants in the healthcare industry, but also on a diverse range of regulatory and other specialty issues facing those providers, suppliers, and vendors involved in the healthcare industry. It expands the Firm’s current health law capabilities, which includes a European Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Practice Group comprising over 50 lawyers from 17 offices within the European region.
“In the face of rising costs, higher patient demands and new government regulations, the healthcare industry faces a turbulent yet opportunistic future,” said North American Managing Partner John Conroy. “Ken and his team represent a significant acquisition for the North American region as access to health-specific legal services is an important aspect to our clients’ businesses. The Health Law Practice will advise clients in growing legal areas such as fraud and abuse defense, strategic planning, HIPAA compliance, managed care, third-party reimbursements, operational matters and FHA-insured financings.”
Commenting on the new Health Law Practice, Partner Mark D. Taylor of the Firm’s Dallas office said, “This talented group brings to us important expertise specific to the operation of healthcare providers and institutions. They represent a regional firm effort to advance our capabilities in the area of health law and the complex transactions and regulations that are unique to healthcare delivery. We are delighted to welcome them to the Firm and to the Dallas office.”
R. Kenneth Gordon entered private practice in 1984, working as an associate for Wood, Lucksinger & Epstein, a Texas healthcare boutique. He served 11 years at Jenkens & Gilchrist and was a member of its executive oversight committee. He is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and received his Masters of Management from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1984.
Wilson G. Jones focuses on transactional issues and operations and has broad experience with various contractual arrangements, operational matters and arrangements under federal and state statutes and the Stark Law. He is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law (1992) and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas Tech University (1988).
Nneka Egbuniwe earned a Masters of Public Health degree from John Hopkins University School of Hygiene & Public Health and is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center (2001).
Pamela Nix is a graduate of the University of Tulsa School of Law (2000) and completed the L.L.M. program in Health Law of the University of Houston Law Center. Pam is also a certified public accountant.
