(Sacramento) – LawFuel.com – DLA Piper announced today that a group of 9 lawyers will join the firm’s Sacramento office on April 2, 2010. Four will be partners who will bring a thriving health care practice to DLA Piper. Stephen Goff will lead this team, which includes partners John Barnes, Daniela Almeida and Brian Taylor. The lawyers join DLA Piper from McDonough Holland & Allen PC.
The arriving group brings a broad and diverse base of litigation, transactional and regulatory experience in health care matters for several of the largest health care systems that operate in California.
“Steve, Daniela, John and Brian are valuable additions to DLA Piper, as they are among the most highly regarded lawyers in their field,” said David Gross, regional chair of DLA Piper’s U.S. Litigation practice. “They are at the forefront of the hot issues facing major hospitals and health care providers and will be tremendous resources for our clients in this area.”
This group represents the latest move in the continued expansion of DLA Piper’s health care capabilities, which also includes the recent addition of Senator Tom Daschle.
“Northern California has played a leading role in the evolution of innovative approaches to health care management, focusing on structural issues that are now at the center of the public policy debate about health care reform,” said Gilles Attia, Managing Partner of DLA Piper’s Sacramento office. “This group brings a wealth of experience and will undoubtedly contribute to our already solid health care litigation platform in Northern California and nationally.”
DLA Piper has a team of more than 1,400 litigators worldwide who focus on pursuing and conducting litigation for national and international clients, and arbitration proceedings, including mediation.
“DLA Piper’s unique global platform will support and provide a catalyst for the growth of our practices,” said incoming partner Stephen Goff. “Working alongside the firm’s other specialized practices will greatly enhance our ability to provide the highest quality service to our clients.”
About the New Partners
Stephen Goff, formerly the lead attorney in McDonough’s Health Care practice group, focuses on contract and quasi-contract disputes between health care providers and payers. He has acted as lead trial counsel in a wide variety of disputes and assists health care clients in developing contractual and operational strategies.
Serving as the principal outside legal advisor for some of the largest health care providers in California and nationwide, Goff has led specialized teams of lawyers in all aspects of litigations between providers and health plans, negotiating large managed care contracts, responding to Congressional and other government investigations, developing compliant systems to improve revenue cycle management, and handling the numerous types of commercial disputes that arise in the context of these businesses. He has also worked with business teams on hospital acquisitions and spin-offs, large physical group acquisitions and network development, and hospital and ancillary site development and construction.
He received a J.D. from the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law and a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Davis.
Daniela Almeida’s practice includes a broad range of complex heath care litigation matters, including a matter springing from a spin-off of a hospital from an integrated health care delivery system, health care insurance bad faith cases, managed care disputes and disputes between health plans and non-contracted providers.
She received a J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a B.A., from Willamette College.
John Barnes’ practice focuses on complex managed care litigation, including risk contracting, capitation and fee-for-service reimbursement, collection practices and network access. He counsels health care entities on issues concerning federal and state regulatory compliance, charity and indigent care, contract termination, continuity of care and business office practices. He also has significant experience representing health care entities subpoenaed by the government to produce information on indigent care, chargemaster pricing and self-pay discounts.
He received a J.D., with distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego.
Brian Taylor advises hospitals, health systems, medical foundations, IPAs and physician groups on a variety of business and litigation issues. He has been active in complex contractual disputes between health care providers and health care service plans. He has also represented providers in a broad range of lawsuits, including actions involving hospital liens, uninsured/indigent policies, reasonableness of charges, coding for services, unfair competition and medical device defects.
He received a J.D., with distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a B.A. from Brigham Young University.
About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)
DLA Piper has 3,500 lawyers in 29 countries and 67 offices throughout the US, UK, Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.
