Overview
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce Denise Burke as partner and Lester Perling as senior counsel to our globally recognized Healthcare Practice Group. Denise and Lester bring more than 70 years of combined experience advising healthcare companies on compliance with federal and state fraud and abuse laws including Stark Law, False Claims Act, anti-kickback laws and the variety of regulations governing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
“Denise and Lester are two of the most seasoned and reputable regulatory healthcare lawyers in the country,” Jerry Sokol, global head of McDermott’s Healthcare Practice Group said. “Given McDermott’s unique position as the gold standard for healthcare law, any additions to our regulatory practice must satisfy our “best in class” standard. Lester and Denise clearly meet this standard. Adding these two preeminent regulatory powerhouses to our current stable of global regulatory partners makes us even more indispensable to our clients.”
“I’m excited to join McDermott’s second-to-none healthcare team and look forward to creating resilient compliance solutions and regulatory pathways for clients that will enable them to succeed in an increasingly complex market,” Denise said.
Denise has more three decades of experience counseling hospitals, post-acute care providers, physician practice management companies, private equity investors, venture capital funds, medical device manufacturers, and other healthcare clients on a wide range of healthcare regulatory matters. Her in-house experience in hospital, home health, durable medical equipment and physician practice management settings make her a trusted and enthusiastic strategic advisor on both day-to-day and long-term programs that sustain government scrutiny and meet organizational goals. She is certified in healthcare compliance by the Health Care Compliance Association. Prior to joining the Firm, Denise was a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis.
Lester notes, “The depth and breadth of McDermott’s healthcare practice offers countless opportunities for my experience to benefit current and prospective clients. I am thrilled to have joined this team.”
Lester counsels healthcare providers on a variety of regulatory, compliance, enforcement and reimbursement matters, with particular focus on fraud and abuse compliance and investigations. He leverages decades of health industry experience, including 10 years of experience as a healthcare executive, to develop creative approaches to complex legal concerns. He is board-certified in health law by The Florida Bar and certified in healthcare compliance by the Health Care Compliance Association. Lester joined McDermott from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.
McDermott is the nation’s leading health law firm and is the only health practice to receive top national rankings from U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms,” Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US and Law360. The practice was also recognized by Chambers as “Healthcare Team of the Year” in 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2022. McDermott has also held the top spot in PitchBook’s League Tables as the most active firm for healthcare private equity since 2017.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
