Overview
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 3, 2014) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP successfully obtained a rare reversal of an administrative ruling that had prevented McDermott client George Washington University Hospital from establishing a kidney and pancreas transplant program in Washington, D.C.
After receiving an adverse ruling from the District of Columbia’s State Health Planning and Development Agency denying the requested certificate of need, McDermott pursued an appeal to the District’s Office of Administrative Hearings. In a lengthy decision, Administrative Law Judge Claudia Barber agreed with McDermott that a public need indeed exists for another kidney and pancreas transplant program focused on non-military adult residents of the District of Columbia. During the proceedings, McDermott also successfully fended off the intervention of a competing hospital.
“This was a complete victory for George Washington University Hospital and a rare reversal by an administrative law judge under these circumstances,” said McDermott Health regulatory partner Guy Collier. “This project will directly benefit the citizens of Washington, DC and help address longstanding health disparities in the city, particularly among African-American residents, as mandated by the State Health Plan.”
Barry Wolfman, CEO George Washington University Hospital Health, added, “we are thrilled with the result obtained by the McDermott team and look forward to moving forward with our plans to launch a kidney and pancreas transplant program to serve those District residents who suffer from end-stage renal disease and may become candidates for life-saving transplant surgery.”
“We appreciate Judge Barber’s careful consideration of the evidence and sound reasoning in adopting the McDermott team’s presentation of the case,” commented McDermott Trial partner Amandeep Sidhu.
Other members of the McDermott trial team included associates Mary Hallerman, Kate McDonald, and Erika Pont.
McDermott Will & Emery has one of the largest and most accomplished national health care litigation practices in the United States. The Health Care Defense Group consists of more than 50 experienced trial lawyers and more than 80 health regulatory, transaction and compliance lawyers in offices located across the United States and internationally
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,100 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
