People: Daniel Sternthal, Senior Counsel

Daniel Sternthal

Senior Counsel

Houston
Direct: (713) 238-1882
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Biography

Mr. Sternthal is a Senior Counsel in the Corporate Department in the Houston office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.  He represents clients doing business within the healthcare industry and represents providers across the continuum of care including individual and group medical practices, hospitals, long term care facilities, and ancillary service providers.  Mr. Sternthal concentrates his practice on advising clients on issues relating to regulatory, operational, and corporate matters.

In January 2012, Mr. Sternthal was appointed to the Legal Committee of LeadingAge as a Core Member for a three year term.  LeadingAge is a national association that represents the interest of over 5,400 not for profit long term care providers.  Mr. Sternthal has repeatedly been named by Texas Monthly as one of the Texas Rising Stars in the field of health law.  In 2008, Mr. Sternthal received the UNT Time and Talent Award for Distinguished Service.  Prior to relocating to Houston, he served as Vice-President and President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Northeast Austin and was an active Board Member with the Austin Groups for the Elderly and the Childhood Development Center.

Mr. Sternthal is a Senior Counsel in the Corporate Department in the Houston office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.  He represents clients doing business within the healthcare industry and represents providers across the continuum of care including individual and group medical practices, hospitals, long term care facilities, and ancillary service providers.  Mr. Sternthal concentrates his practice on advising clients on issues relating to regulatory, operational, and corporate matters.

In January 2012, Mr. Sternthal was appointed to the Legal Committee of LeadingAge as a Core Member for a three year term.  LeadingAge is a national association that represents the interest of over 5,400 not for profit long term care providers.  Mr. Sternthal has repeatedly been named by Texas Monthly as one of the Texas Rising Stars in the field of health law.  In 2008, Mr. Sternthal received the UNT Time and Talent Award for Distinguished Service.  Prior to relocating to Houston, he served as Vice-President and President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Northeast Austin and was an active Board Member with the Austin Groups for the Elderly and the Childhood Development Center.

Education

  • J.D., University of Texas School of Law (2001)

  • M.A., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1999)
    with honors

  • B.A., McGill University (1996)
    with honors

Admissions

  • Texas

Courts

  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association:  Health Law
  • American Health Lawyers Association
  • Houston Bar Association (Health Law Section)
  • Leading Age
  • Leading Age of Texas
  • State Bar of Texas  (Health Law Section)

Representative Engagements

Representative Projects

  • Advise rural hospital client on provider-based attestation process;
  • Advise client regarding healthcare reform and assist in planning and development of an Accountable Care Organization;
  • Draft medical staff bylaws and compliance plans for hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other health care providers;
  • Advise clients on purchase and sale of ORFs and CORFs and other rehabilitation facilities;
  • Advise clients on applicability of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act in the long-term care context;
  • Draft Admissions Agreements for long-term care providers;
  • Advised and assisted clients in obtaining Texas State Medical Board certification as non-profit organizations;
  • Drafted and negotiated a wide range of health-care related agreements, including employment agreements, provider agreements, ca-coverage agreements, locum tenens agreements, and admission agreements;
  • Assisted in representation of providers in formation, mergers, reorganizations, acquisitions, including individual and group medical practices;
  • Advised clients on the consequences of various compliance issues such as HIPAA, EMTALA;
  • Monitored state and federal legislative and regulatory initiatives related to the health care industry and advising health care providers of the potential ramifications of same;
  • Reviewed and revised medical staff bylaws; 
  • Advised non-profit charitable organizations in regard to corporate and compliance issues related to the maintenance of their tax-exempt status;
  • Interpreted and. analyzed compliance with federal and state anti-fraud and abuse statutes and applicable regulations, and the Stark statute and regulations;
  • Represented clients in licensure related issues in order to operate in Texas as a health maintenance organization, third party administrator, and utilization review agent;
  • Reviewed and negotiated agreements between payors and providers;
  • Created management companies for managing medical practices and other health care providers;
  • Served as outside general counsel to a state association that represents physical therapists;
  • Represented nursing facilities, home-health agencies, and assisted living facilities in Informal Dispute Resolutions with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services;
  • Represented group home provider in litigation involving zoning and compliance with city ordinances;
  • Assisted in representation of physicians in front of the Texas Medical Board;   

Presentations

  • “Fair Housing Compliance in Senior Housing,” Long Term Care and the Law, American Health Lawyers Association, Phoenix, Arizona (February 2012)
  • “How to Buy, Sell or Merge your Rehabilitation Practice,” 8th Annual SynerImages Rehabilitation Facility Conference, San Antonio, Texas (January 2012)
  • "Surviving Difficult Families," Maine and New Hampshire LeadingAge Annual Trade Show and Conference, North Conway, New Hampshire (September 2011)
  • “Healthcare Reform in the Long Term Care Context,” Colorado Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Annual Conference (May 2011)
  • "Community Benefit in the Long Term Care Context," New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Annual Conference, Syracuse, New York (September 2010) 
  • "Hot Topics in Employment Law," Outpatient Independent Rehabilitation Association Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas (January 2010)
  • "Identity Theft Red Flag Rules: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know," ABA Physician Issues Teleconference, (May 2009)
  • “Operational Issues in Senior Housing,” Colorado Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Vail, Colorado (May 2009) 

Publications

  • “Are Physical Therapists Exempt from Overtime? It Depends.” Synergy, newsletter of the Texas Physical Therapy Association ,Volume 66, No. 4 (Winter 2011)
  • "Contractual Relations," and "Fair Housing and Ethical Decision-Making," University of North Texas National Certification for Aging Services Training Materials (April 2010)
  • “Healthcare Chronicles: Are You Ready to Comply with the Red Flags Rule?” DOTmed Business News (May 2009)
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