Overview
Jerry J. Sokol concentrates his national practice on the business aspects of healthcare law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and various contractual arrangements in the healthcare industry. Jerry is the global head of McDermott’s Healthcare Practice Group.
Jerry has a robust healthcare private equity practice with a focus on leveraged buyout transactions. Jerry and his team are uniquely qualified to perform the acquisition and finance components of these transactions, as well as the healthcare-specific due diligence and regulatory aspects of deals.
This unique combination of first-rate healthcare regulatory expertise and top-tier private equity corporate practice expertise provides private equity fund clients, as well as clients who are selling to private equity, a distinct advantage in the transaction process, as opposed to the large number of transactions in which these two critical legal components are bifurcated between firms.
Jerry has had a 25-year practice focus on the acquisitions and sales of large medical practices. His focus in this area dates back to the mid-1990s. He has substantial experience rolling up physician practices in a wide range of physician specialties (e.g., dermatology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, dental, orthopedics, urology, radiology, anesthesia, ER, pain). Jerry and his team are particularly adept at establishing and executing upon effective acquisition strategies for physician practice management companies. These strategies include adopting cutting-edge structures to protect the investment and position the PPM for growth by properly incentivizing physicians and ensuring their commitment to the enterprise, which is paramount for successful PPM companies.
Jerry has also developed a particular niche representing ambulatory surgery center (ASC) companies with all of their transactional and regulatory needs. His ASC transactional practice ranges from syndicating start-up ASCs, effectuating the sales of equity interests in existing ASCs to physicians, and buying and selling significant equity positions in ASCs on behalf of and to large corporate buyers and health systems.
Jerry also has substantial merger and acquisition experience with companies in a variety of other healthcare services subsectors, including hospitals, diagnostic imaging, urgent care, physical therapy, pharmacy and cancer treatment centers, among others.
Recognitions
- Chambers USA, Band 1 in Florida: Healthcare, 2008-2024
- Best Lawyers in America, Healthcare Law, 2007-2019 and 2021-2025
- SCALE Community, Top 40 Most Influential Healthcare Leader, 2023
- Daily Business Review, Distinguished Leaders, 2022
- Super Lawyers, Health Care, 2006-2010 and 2013-2019
- Legal 500 US, Recommended, 2018 and 2024
- Nightingale’s Healthcare News, Outstanding Healthcare Transaction Lawyers
Community
- Board Certified Healthcare Lawyer
- Previously a Florida licensed Certified Public Accountant
Credentials
Education
University of Florida Levin College of Law, JD, 1991
University of Texas at Austin, MPA, 1988
University of Texas at Austin, BBA, with honors, 1988
Admissions
Florida