Paul Pitts

Paul Pitts specializes in health care transactions and regulatory compliance and has established himself as a go-to legal advisor in complex transactional and regulatory matters, with a particular focus on the radiology/imaging and telehealth sectors. He is known for advising clients on business transactions, joint ventures, service agreements and providing regulatory guidance on various health care laws and regulations such as the Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act and HIPAA/privacy matters.

One of Pitts’ recent achievements was providing specialized regulatory and privacy counsel to McKesson in a high-profile joint venture with HCA Healthcare. The joint venture involved combining the clinical research organizations and site management organizations of the two companies, aiming to expand clinical research, accelerate drug development and increase access to clinical trials for community oncology providers and patients. This transaction was significant in the oncology clinical trial space and garnered significant attention.

Additionally, Pitts led the Reed Smith team that advised Advanced Radiology in its sale to Radiology Partners. Advanced Radiology consists of 18 sub-specialized board-certified radiologists providing imaging services to health care clinics and hospitals in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. The Reed Smith team handled various aspects of the transaction, including deal work, health care regulatory matters, tax structuring, executive compensation and employment issues.

According to Pitts, some significant challenges in the fast-changing space of digital health include understanding technology solutions and their impact on the health care system, as well as advising clients on the risks associated with new business models. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how systems interact to share data, facilitate care and potentially influence the type of care delivered.

“There’s much more to know and understand than the basics of health law in order to drive value and progress for our clients,” said Pitts.

In terms of trends in the health care field, he said, “Consolidation and vertical integration in the health care system is a trend that is likely to continue and intensify. Changes in the debt market have slowed some acquisition activities. However, the overall interest in creating economies of scale and investing in technology and new care delivery models continues at a fast pace.”

“We expect companies in the health care and life sciences space to continue to make strategic investments — whether through early-stage investment, acquisitions of more mature companies, or joint ventures between well-established organizations,” he continued. “We expect to see a significant focus on digital health in particular. We also expect the government to focus its attention on monitoring the digital health space for potential fraud and abuse. The government’s tools for fighting corruption in health care were designed with brick-and-mortar delivery systems in mind. We are starting to see how the government will apply these laws and new rules to the digital health space.”

Pitts’ involvement in the health care field goes beyond his professional practice. He is actively engaged in several professional and community organizations, including the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section, where he serves as the vice chair of the Life Sciences Interest Group. He is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, California Society for Professionals in Healthcare, California Society for Healthcare Attorneys and the Radiology Business Management Association.