Client Conflicts Lead Health Care Partner to Join Bracewell in a Match "Made in Heaven"

By Brenda Sapino Jeffreys April 20 , 2023

What You Need to Know

• Holland & Knight health care partner Carrie Douglas joined Bracewell as a partner in San Antonio .

• Her move was prompted by client conflicts after her firm , Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis , merged with Holland & Knight .

• Douglas represents hospital systems , ambulatory surgery centers and large physician practices in coverage and reimbursement disputes with health insurers and payors .

Due to a “ significant amount of conflicts ” once her firm was acquired by Holland & Knight , health care partner Carrie Douglas has moved to Bracewell , where she will practice with lawyers who similarly jumped to Bracewell in 2021 because of client conflicts .

Douglas joined Bracewell on Monday as a partner in San Antonio in the health care and life sciences practice . Her client conflict was created when her firm , Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis , merged with Holland & Knight in March .

The health care lawyer represents hospital systems , ambulatory surgery centers and large physician practices in coverage and reimbursement disputes with health insurers and payors .

At Bracewell , Douglas will work with a group of former Thompson & Knight health care lawyers with a similar practice who joined Bracewell in Dallas in August 2021 after their Dallas-founded firm merged with Holland & Knight . At the time , the group of health care regulatory and litigation lawyers cited insurmountable client conflicts with Holland & Knight .

Carrie Douglas , partner with Bracewell .

Douglas declined to identify her clients , but said they will benefit from her move to Bracewell .

“ I get access to some of the foremost minds in the health care legal side in Texas . It ’ s such a value add ,” she said . She said her move is a “ match made in heaven .”

Wilson Jones , a partner in Dallas who is chair of Bracewell ’ s health care and life sciences practice , wrote in a press release that Douglas is a “ highly regarded practitioner whose wealth of experience brings additional strength to the array of services we currently provide to clients .”

Douglas said that after the merger , she focused on matters without conflicts , but “ it was clear I had to make a move .” She said she started talking to Bracewell prior to the closing of the merger .

Bracewell represents leading non-profit health systems in Texas , along with the three largest for-profit hospital systems in the U . S . The group that joined in 2021 brought clients including HCA Healthcare , Community Health Systems , Tenet Healthcare Corp . and Apollo MedFlight .

Douglas had been working remotely at Holland & Knight in San Antonio , but was attached to the Austin office .

Asked for a comment on Douglas ’ departure , a spokesperson for Holland & Knight provided this statement : “ We wish Carrie well in her future endeavors .”

Courtesy photo

Reprinted with permission from the April 20 , 2023 edition of the Texas Lawyer © 2023 ALM Global Properties , LLC . All rights reserved . Further duplication without permission is prohibited , contact 877-256-2472 or reprints @ alm . com . # TXL-4192023-41243