Firm: Phelps Dunbar LLP.
Location: Birmingham - AL
-
2001 Park Place North Suite 700
Birmingham, AL 35203
USA
- Tel : 205-716-5200
- Fax : N/A
- Email : tom.sullivan@phelps.com
For over 30 years, Tom Sullivan has represented clients in almost every aspect of the health care industry, from hospitals and nursing facilities to physicians and surgeons, suppliers, consultants and vendors. His early career experience as a contract litigator taught him not only how to try a case but also how to identify potential issues when drafting documents and address them before they result in contract provisions that produce future litigation. He applies this linear and pragmatic approach when drafting business contracts and transaction documents and advising his clients in the health care field.
Working in the health care field also means being available to assist clients at any time—an approach that has often helped prevent transactions from failing. Tom makes it a point to be available for clients when needed, whenever and whatever the circumstances.
Some of the issues he assists clients with include:
- Advising on corporate matters and business operations
- Counseling on facility acquisitions or sale transactions, joint venture arrangements and real estate transactions
- Evaluating risks and benefits of potential litigation
- Offering regulatory guidance
- Preparing leases and business contracts
In addition to his health care-based practice, Tom serves as an arbitrator on the panels of the American Arbitration Association and the American Health Law Association Dispute Resolution Service, on which he served as Chairman for several years.
Experience
- Counseled multiple dental and medical specialty practices through sales to venture capital-backed entities.
- Advised national faith-based hospital system in ad valorem tax and sales tax issues resulting from unwinding of 501(c)(3) bond transaction.
- Led national hospital accreditation agency’s response to discovery in opioid litigation.
- Responded to a Medicare UPIC audit to obtain relief from a suspension without notice from the Medicare program in connection with a claims audit and recoupment action taken against a skilled nursing facility, recovered the reimbursement withheld and ultimately resolved the audited claims for a small fraction of the initial amount.
- Transitioned ownership of a sizeable specialty medical group practice from its founder to its physician employees, handled integration of several new surgeons recruited from a competing practice, restructured ancillary services and revised practice compliance program.
- Facilitated the sale of several medical office buildings for a 501(c)(3) hospital system, as well as the imposition of restrictive covenants on the hospital campus in conjunction with the sale.
- Served as principal external counsel for a 501(c)(3) health care organization with multiple hospitals, including a merger transaction with national faith-based hospital system.
- Helped Medicaid managed care organization owned by a consortium of Birmingham area hospitals operate the Alabama Medicaid Maternity program.
- Represented a charitable foundation in an arbitration involving attempt by tenant to terminate its lease of client’s hospital facility, prevailing on all counts and protecting the revenue stream of the foundation.
Recognition
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Mid-South Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers (2019-2021)
- Corporate Law (2013-2024), Health Care Law (2012-2024), Insurance Law (2016-2024), The Best Lawyers in America
Education
- University of Alabama School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 1994
- Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, J.D., 1977
- Emory University, B.A., 1974
Credentials
- Alabama
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships and Affiliations
- Birmingham Bar Association
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Alabama State Bar Association
Civic
- American College of Healthcare Executives – Faculty Member
Phelps Dunbar LLP.
Companies with business interests across the South turn to Phelps Dunbar for counsel on their legal needs. With 13 office locations in the U.S. and in London, we serve clients in the region’s major commercial centers. Our 350-plus lawyers focus on six core areas: labor and employment, litigation, business, admiralty, insurance coverage and healthcare. But it’s more than our casework that sets our firm apart.
Our health law lawyers represent hospitals, physicians, managed care organizations and other health care providers throughout the Southeast as counsel on corporate, tax and regulatory matters. We also represent our health care clientele in a variety of health care related areas, including labor and employment, antitrust, employee benefits, intellectual property, financing, securities, and general litigation.