Health Care, Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals
The health care, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries are some of the most highly regulated and constantly changing sectors globally. Organizations operating in these areas are continuously affected by transformation, while trying to maintain an edge in competitive markets.
HOW WE HELP
At Seyfarth, we are uniquely positioned to partner with clients to develop successful strategies for navigating and responding to industry-specific pressures. We foster a collaborative approach, offering our clients comprehensive, thoughtful and real-world solutions that positively impact their strategies and operations. We collaborate across all areas of practice to guide our health care, life sciences, and pharmaceutical clients through the maze of global laws and regulations affecting their businesses.
With a long history of representing clients across the entire health care, life sciences and pharmaceutical ecosystems, we apply our industry expertise in practical ways to protect our clients’ businesses, assets, and competitive edge. We guide clients through the complex regulations addressing fraud and abuse, provider reimbursement, anti-kickback, licensing, certification, health information privacy and security and HIPAA. Serving as strategic advisors who know our clients’ business deeply, we maintain our firm-wide commitment to providing clients innovation, continuous process improvement, and transparency in these industries.
Relying on multi-disciplinary specialties and cross-border teams, our clients include:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Pharmaceutical companies, including brand name drug and device manufacturers
- Physician practices and medical groups
- Medical clinics
- Academic medical and research institutions
- Managed care companies
- Medical device manufacturers and distributors
- Digital health companies
- Technology and service companies
- Skilled nursing, assisted living and other types of long-term care facilities
- Generic drug makers
- Dialysis provider companies
- Industry trade associations
- Providers of debt and equity capital
- Personalized medicine developers
We are frequent speakers and thought leaders at national trade and industry organizations, including the American Health Law Association, American Hospital Association, American Health Information Management Association, the Center for Healthcare Innovation Conference, and the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). We are also premier sponsors and engaged members of leading health care organizations, including the Health Care Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel – Houston, the Annual Health Law Conference at the University of Texas at Austin, the California Society of Hospital & Healthcare Attorneys, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, and the New England Council Health Care Committee.
THE SEYFARTH EXPERIENCE
We are not only known for delivering exceptional client service and outstanding results, but for doing so in true partnership with clients through our acclaimed service delivery platform. This innovative approach, which combines our vast legal acumen with process design and robust technology resources, sets us apart in the market. We continually demonstrate and provide value through a clear understanding of client needs and desired outcomes, transparent communication and collaboration, right-sized staffing approaches, and the use of data to efficiently drive alternative fee arrangements.
To see our team in action, watch this video produced in collaboration with the American Health Law Association on the topic of Health Law Disruption: Cybersecurity and Emerging Data Risks.
- M&A Due Diligence. Advise a university hospital system during its acquisition and consolidation of two local hospitals. We provided benefits support, advised on all aspects of the acquired hospitals’ benefits programs and executive compensations arrangements, and otherwise continued to maintain the existing hospital benefit programs in compliance with applicable legal requirements. This included handling separation agreements, deferred compensation, severance and related issues for departing executives resulting from the acquisitions.
- Tax-Exempt Governance. Represent one of the nation’s largest organ and tissue procurement organization on various governance matters, including the development and adoption of a director compensation program.
- Wage and Hour Litigation. Represent one of the largest for profit and several not-for-profit health systems and academic medical centers in high stakes wage and hour litigation filed across Massachusetts, reaching favorable resolutions in all cases. The defense team provides comprehensive compliance guidance to these clients in areas that include pay practices, employee classification, contractor and contingent staffing models, joint employment and pay equity.
- ERISA Litigation. Represent a health plan in obtaining a favorable motion to dismiss following a suit from a surgical center and its affiliated entities under ERISA and California law seeking unpaid or underpaid benefits for orthopedic, podiatry, and gastrointestinal services alleged rendered to Plan members.
- Mergers and Acquisitions. Serve as legal counsel to a publically traded cell therapy company in the merger agreement to acquire a privately-held clinical-stage developer of a transformative, non-genetically engineered, multi-antigen T cell therapy platform.
- ADA and Title III. Represent one of the nation’s leading health plan hospitals in its Title III and ADA access issues, including website accessibility.
- Bankruptcy. Successfully represent a Massachusetts health care insurance company in connection with multiple bankruptcy and receivership cases, especially issues arising in connection with insured and self-insured contracts for health insurance.
- Patent Prosecution. Managed the prosecution of all pending US patent applications, in the name of an Indian biotechnology company, before the US Patent and Trademark Office.
- Telemedicine. Represent a telePsychiatric company in the sale of its management company to a national telemedicine company operating in multiple states. We had previously served as its general counsel and were responsible for the due diligence and regulatory reviews.
- Employment Counseling. Advise a California-based health system’s general counsel in managing and reviewing a variety of contracts and fielding a number of legal issues, including corporate and labor & employment counsel related to its anticipated sale to another health system.
- Trademark Protection. Successfully represented a global pharmaceutical company in a federal court lawsuit involving an attempt to introduce an over-the-counter product under a mark used by client.
- Data Privacy. Advise a health care system in evaluating potential data privacy breaches under state and federal law, and further developing and implementing mitigation response protocol.
- Hatch-Waxman Litigation. Represented a generic drug company in Hatch-Waxman litigation for a blood thinner prescribed for stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and other thrombic events. The litigation marks the first time the client has filed for generic entry as a “first-to-file” applicant in the United States.
- Tax Counsel. Served as tax counsel to a health and medical insurance provider in connection with its $100 million acquisition of a health plan that serves members in Arizona, California, and Texas.
- Employment Training. Conducted Board-level workplace optimization training, clinician remediation one-on-one sessions, risk-mitigating manager training, and staff workplace civility and workforce management trainings for employers across the globe.
- Non-Compete and Wrongful Termination. Represent health care advisory, health care management and utilization management review companies in actions involving breach of contract, wrongful denial of benefits, personal injury claims and non-competes.
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Represent a nursing home portfolio in connection with the refinance of an approximately $60 million mortgage term loan and the refinance and split of its revolving credit line, which resulted in seven separate loans: four separate mortgage loans insured by HUD; a bridge-to-HUD loan with an institutional lender; and two separate revolving credit lines.
- Joint Venture and Alternative Investment. Serve as special counsel to a top tier privately owned real estate development company in its joint venture with a senior living operator in connection with the anticipated future development, construction, and operation of skilled nursing, assisted living and/or memory care facilities across the US. Our team led the negotiation of the form of management agreement and certain ancillary agreements to be entered into between the property owner and wholly-owned affiliates of the senior living management company.
- Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review. Successfully advocated in physician due process hearing on behalf of medical staff and hospital system, resulting in upholding physicians' summary suspension, revocation of clinical privileges, denial of reappointment and removal from hospital medical staff.
- False Claims Act Litigation. Successfully defended managed health care plan and secured involuntary dismissal of high stakes qui tam action under California False Claims Act for alleged Medi-Cal fraud.
Related News & Insights
-
Speaking Engagement
Sept 23 & 24, 2026
Torrey Young to Present at 2026 AHLA Fraud and Compliance Forum
-
Speaking Engagement
07/22/2026
Annette Tyman to Speak at MHA Workforce Summit on Panel "AI and the Future of Healthcare Talent Acquisition"
-
Sponsored Events
Jun 28 - Jul 1, 2026
Seyfarth to Sponsor and Attend AHLA's 2026 Annual Meeting & In-House Counsel Program
-
Webinar
06/25/2026
Half an Hour for Health Care: Part 2: Wage Hour Audits and Assessments in the Health Care Industry
Recognition
-
Recognition
06/02/2026
Torrey Young Appointed Co-Chair of NYCBA Health Law Committee
-
Recognition
04/03/2026
Law360 Selects 10 from Seyfarth for 2026 Editorial Boards
-
Recognition
03/19/2026
Modern Healthcare Continues to Rank Seyfarth Among the Largest Healthcare Law Firms in 2026
-
Recognition
08/21/2025
231 Seyfarth Lawyers Selected as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2026; 8 Seyfarth Attorneys Honored as “Lawyer of the Year” in Their Practices
The health care, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries are some of the most highly regulated and constantly changing sectors globally. Organizations operating in these areas are continuously affected by transformation, while trying to maintain an edge in competitive markets.
HOW WE HELP
At Seyfarth, we are uniquely positioned to partner with clients to develop successful strategies for navigating and responding to industry-specific pressures. We foster a collaborative approach, offering our clients comprehensive, thoughtful and real-world solutions that positively impact their strategies and operations. We collaborate across all areas of practice to guide our health care, life sciences, and pharmaceutical clients through the maze of global laws and regulations affecting their businesses.
With a long history of representing clients across the entire health care, life sciences and pharmaceutical ecosystems, we apply our industry expertise in practical ways to protect our clients’ businesses, assets, and competitive edge. We guide clients through the complex regulations addressing fraud and abuse, provider reimbursement, anti-kickback, licensing, certification, health information privacy and security and HIPAA. Serving as strategic advisors who know our clients’ business deeply, we maintain our firm-wide commitment to providing clients innovation, continuous process improvement, and transparency in these industries.
Relying on multi-disciplinary specialties and cross-border teams, our clients include:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Pharmaceutical companies, including brand name drug and device manufacturers
- Physician practices and medical groups
- Medical clinics
- Academic medical and research institutions
- Managed care companies
- Medical device manufacturers and distributors
- Digital health companies
- Technology and service companies
- Skilled nursing, assisted living and other types of long-term care facilities
- Generic drug makers
- Dialysis provider companies
- Industry trade associations
- Providers of debt and equity capital
- Personalized medicine developers
We are frequent speakers and thought leaders at national trade and industry organizations, including the American Health Law Association, American Hospital Association, American Health Information Management Association, the Center for Healthcare Innovation Conference, and the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). We are also premier sponsors and engaged members of leading health care organizations, including the Health Care Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel – Houston, the Annual Health Law Conference at the University of Texas at Austin, the California Society of Hospital & Healthcare Attorneys, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, and the New England Council Health Care Committee.
THE SEYFARTH EXPERIENCE
We are not only known for delivering exceptional client service and outstanding results, but for doing so in true partnership with clients through our acclaimed service delivery platform. This innovative approach, which combines our vast legal acumen with process design and robust technology resources, sets us apart in the market. We continually demonstrate and provide value through a clear understanding of client needs and desired outcomes, transparent communication and collaboration, right-sized staffing approaches, and the use of data to efficiently drive alternative fee arrangements.
To see our team in action, watch this video produced in collaboration with the American Health Law Association on the topic of Health Law Disruption: Cybersecurity and Emerging Data Risks.
Key Contacts
Related Practices
- Bankruptcy & Restructuring
- Bid Protests
- Class & Collective Actions
- Commercial Finance
- Corporate Counseling & Governance
- Employee Benefits
- ERISA & Employee Benefits Litigation
- Executive & Equity Compensation
- Institutional Investors
- Intellectual Property Counseling & Prosecution
- Labor Management Relations
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Privacy Compliance, Litigation & Cybersecurity
- Product Liability & Complex Tort
- Real Estate
- Real Estate Finance
- Tax-Exempt Organizations
- Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud & Non-Competes
- False Claims, Whistleblower, and Internal Investigations
- White Collar Defense & Investigations
Related Key Industries
Blogs
- ADA Title III News & Insights Blog
- Beneficially Yours Blog
- Through the Immigration Lens Blog
- BioLoquitur Blog
- California Peculiarities Employment Law Blog
- Carpe Datum Law Blog
- Employer Labor Relations Blog
- Employment Law Lookout Blog
- Future Enterprise Blog
- The Blunt Truth Blog
- The Construction Seyt
- The Global Privacy Watch Blog
- Wage Hour Litigation Blog
- Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog
-
Health Care Privacy and Data Security
Health Care Privacy and Data Security
Thought leadership and resources from our knowledgeable attorneys.
Additional Resources
- M&A Due Diligence. Advise a university hospital system during its acquisition and consolidation of two local hospitals. We provided benefits support, advised on all aspects of the acquired hospitals’ benefits programs and executive compensations arrangements, and otherwise continued to maintain the existing hospital benefit programs in compliance with applicable legal requirements. This included handling separation agreements, deferred compensation, severance and related issues for departing executives resulting from the acquisitions.
- Tax-Exempt Governance. Represent one of the nation’s largest organ and tissue procurement organization on various governance matters, including the development and adoption of a director compensation program.
- Wage and Hour Litigation. Represent one of the largest for profit and several not-for-profit health systems and academic medical centers in high stakes wage and hour litigation filed across Massachusetts, reaching favorable resolutions in all cases. The defense team provides comprehensive compliance guidance to these clients in areas that include pay practices, employee classification, contractor and contingent staffing models, joint employment and pay equity.
- ERISA Litigation. Represent a health plan in obtaining a favorable motion to dismiss following a suit from a surgical center and its affiliated entities under ERISA and California law seeking unpaid or underpaid benefits for orthopedic, podiatry, and gastrointestinal services alleged rendered to Plan members.
- Mergers and Acquisitions. Serve as legal counsel to a publically traded cell therapy company in the merger agreement to acquire a privately-held clinical-stage developer of a transformative, non-genetically engineered, multi-antigen T cell therapy platform.
- ADA and Title III. Represent one of the nation’s leading health plan hospitals in its Title III and ADA access issues, including website accessibility.
- Bankruptcy. Successfully represent a Massachusetts health care insurance company in connection with multiple bankruptcy and receivership cases, especially issues arising in connection with insured and self-insured contracts for health insurance.
- Patent Prosecution. Managed the prosecution of all pending US patent applications, in the name of an Indian biotechnology company, before the US Patent and Trademark Office.
- Telemedicine. Represent a telePsychiatric company in the sale of its management company to a national telemedicine company operating in multiple states. We had previously served as its general counsel and were responsible for the due diligence and regulatory reviews.
- Employment Counseling. Advise a California-based health system’s general counsel in managing and reviewing a variety of contracts and fielding a number of legal issues, including corporate and labor & employment counsel related to its anticipated sale to another health system.
- Trademark Protection. Successfully represented a global pharmaceutical company in a federal court lawsuit involving an attempt to introduce an over-the-counter product under a mark used by client.
- Data Privacy. Advise a health care system in evaluating potential data privacy breaches under state and federal law, and further developing and implementing mitigation response protocol.
- Hatch-Waxman Litigation. Represented a generic drug company in Hatch-Waxman litigation for a blood thinner prescribed for stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and other thrombic events. The litigation marks the first time the client has filed for generic entry as a “first-to-file” applicant in the United States.
- Tax Counsel. Served as tax counsel to a health and medical insurance provider in connection with its $100 million acquisition of a health plan that serves members in Arizona, California, and Texas.
- Employment Training. Conducted Board-level workplace optimization training, clinician remediation one-on-one sessions, risk-mitigating manager training, and staff workplace civility and workforce management trainings for employers across the globe.
- Non-Compete and Wrongful Termination. Represent health care advisory, health care management and utilization management review companies in actions involving breach of contract, wrongful denial of benefits, personal injury claims and non-competes.
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Represent a nursing home portfolio in connection with the refinance of an approximately $60 million mortgage term loan and the refinance and split of its revolving credit line, which resulted in seven separate loans: four separate mortgage loans insured by HUD; a bridge-to-HUD loan with an institutional lender; and two separate revolving credit lines.
- Joint Venture and Alternative Investment. Serve as special counsel to a top tier privately owned real estate development company in its joint venture with a senior living operator in connection with the anticipated future development, construction, and operation of skilled nursing, assisted living and/or memory care facilities across the US. Our team led the negotiation of the form of management agreement and certain ancillary agreements to be entered into between the property owner and wholly-owned affiliates of the senior living management company.
- Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review. Successfully advocated in physician due process hearing on behalf of medical staff and hospital system, resulting in upholding physicians' summary suspension, revocation of clinical privileges, denial of reappointment and removal from hospital medical staff.
- False Claims Act Litigation. Successfully defended managed health care plan and secured involuntary dismissal of high stakes qui tam action under California False Claims Act for alleged Medi-Cal fraud.
Related News & Insights
-
Speaking Engagement
Sept 23 & 24, 2026
Torrey Young to Present at 2026 AHLA Fraud and Compliance Forum
-
Speaking Engagement
07/22/2026
Annette Tyman to Speak at MHA Workforce Summit on Panel "AI and the Future of Healthcare Talent Acquisition"
-
Sponsored Events
Jun 28 - Jul 1, 2026
Seyfarth to Sponsor and Attend AHLA's 2026 Annual Meeting & In-House Counsel Program
-
Webinar
06/25/2026
Half an Hour for Health Care: Part 2: Wage Hour Audits and Assessments in the Health Care Industry
Recognition
-
Recognition
06/02/2026
Torrey Young Appointed Co-Chair of NYCBA Health Law Committee
-
Recognition
04/03/2026
Law360 Selects 10 from Seyfarth for 2026 Editorial Boards
-
Recognition
03/19/2026
Modern Healthcare Continues to Rank Seyfarth Among the Largest Healthcare Law Firms in 2026
-
Recognition
08/21/2025
231 Seyfarth Lawyers Selected as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2026; 8 Seyfarth Attorneys Honored as “Lawyer of the Year” in Their Practices