About Our Authors
FRANK R. CIESLA
Mr. Ciesla is chair of the firm’s Health Care Law Practice Area. His practice is primarily devoted to Health Care and Government Contracts Law. He counsels clients on legal developments facing healthcare providers in the modern health care environment. Firm clients include hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and physician groups, individual practice associations, home health agencies, ambulance carriers and industry-wide associations.
Mr. Ciesla advises such clients on business structures, mergers and consolidations, joint ventures, reorganization of health care providers, ongoing operation, establishment of new providers and purchases of existing providers. He counsels on issues such as certificate of need laws, corporate practice of medicine, Medicare and Medicaid certification, medical staff privileging issues, peer review activities, tax issues and anti-trust issues. He also represents clients in reimbursement litigation and third party payor issues.
Mr. Ciesla represents nonprofit institutions in tax exempt bond transactions, in the Office of Administrative Law and the state and federal courts, on a variety of matters including contract disputes, certificate of need appeals, reimbursement and medical staff privileging issues. Mr. Ciesla also assists clients with federal government procurement regulations and appeals processes.
BETH CHRISTIAN
Ms. Christian’s practice is devoted to Health Care Law and legal issues facing Health Care facilities licensed professionals and non-profit organizations. She has over twenty years of experience counseling clients on legal issues facing the modern health care and non-profit communities.
In the area of health care law, Ms. Christian specializes in regulatory and transactional issues. She counsels clients and drafts transactional documents in the areas of practice formation; professional practice acquisitions and asset sales; employment and management contracts, clinical co-management agreements, telemedicine agreements, contracts with vendors and other transactional matters. She regularly counsels clients on the requirements of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (“EMTALA”); the Medicare conditions of participation and the accreditation requirements of The Joint Commission, and has assisted numerous hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other health care providers in preparing plans of correction in response to federal, state and Joint Commission deficiency findings. She advises clients on operational issues such as certificate of need and licensure; corporate compliance; fraud and abuse; the Stark, anti-kickback and New Jersey physician self-referral laws; joint venture formation; real estate leases; tax exempt organizations; professional licensure; medical staff privileging issues and peer review activities. She has been recognized as a leading New Jersey health care lawyer by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2010).
She also counsels clients and drafts policies regarding numerous patient care issues such as informed consent, advance directives, patient transfer and HIPAA issues. Ms. Christian advises clients on business structures including choice of entity, bylaws, joint ventures and consolidation.
Ms. Christian has assisted numerous entities in applying for and obtaining tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. She has worked with religious bodies with regard to the integration and consolidation of congregations, including the preparation and negotiation of integration and consolidation agreements and the provision of consultation and advice regarding consolidation issues.
SHARLENE A. HUNT
Ms. Hunt devotes her practice primarily to Health Care Law. She counsels both individuals and entities, and advises clients with regard to pertinent legal developments facing health care providers in the modern health care environment. She also advises nonprofit clients regarding proper formation, obtaining and maintaining tax exempt status, and compliance with regulatory restrictions on tax exempt entities including the intermediate sanctions provisions.
Ms. Hunt represents health care providers and individual practitioners in the preparation and negotiation of contracts including partnership, shareholder and operating agreements, employment agreements, managed care agreements, clinical trial agreements, leases, and all types of contracts for services, supplies, etc. She advises clients on a broad array of regulatory compliance issues including licensure, confidentiality of patient information, fraud and abuse, self-referral laws, issues involved in clinical studies, and issues affecting the everyday operations of health care providers.
Ms. Hunt counsels clients regarding business structures including group practices, mergers and consolidations, establishment of joint ventures, and formation of new entities. Ms. Hunt advises clients in the purchase and sale of provider practices/businesses, including the preparation and negotiation of purchase agreements, loan documents, and supporting documentation.
ARI G. BURD
Mr. Burd practices in both the Labor and Employment Law Practice Area and the Health Care Practice Area.
In the Labor and Employment Practice Area, Mr. Burd devotes his time to litigation and counseling employers with regard to traditional employment and labor related issues. Mr. Burd has extensive experience in both the state and federal courts in areas including retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, sexual harassment and race, age, gender and disability discrimination. Mr. Burd also has considerable experience in assisting negotiating and drafting employment related agreements as well in counseling clients on employment and labor law issues, including hiring and termination decisions, wage and hour requirements, COBRA compliance, and the ADA.
In the Health Care Practice Area, Mr. Burd provides counsel to hospitals, physicians, and physician groups in transactional, regulatory, corporate and litigation related matters. Mr. Burd often provides assistance in a wide array of matters involving issues such as breach of contract, anti-trust, charity care, Stark, Anti-kickback and HIPAA.
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