Healthcare operates under regulatory scrutiny that no other industry faces. Federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid impose conditions of participation, billing compliance requirements, and fraud enforcement mechanisms that can end careers and close practices. State licensing boards investigate complaints with authority to revoke the credentials that practitioners spent years obtaining. The intersection of patient care, business operations, and regulatory compliance creates legal challenges that general business attorneys cannot adequately address.
Texas hosts major medical centers, sprawling hospital systems, thousands of independent practices, and an expanding telehealth sector. Each entity navigates overlapping federal and state requirements including HIPAA privacy rules, Stark Law physician self-referral prohibitions, Anti-Kickback Statute criminal provisions, and Texas Medical Practice Act professional standards. Compliance failures trigger investigations, audits, penalties, and exclusion from federal programs that most practices cannot survive.
What Healthcare Law Attorneys Handle
Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management
Healthcare attorneys develop compliance programs tailored to practice type, size, and risk profile. They conduct audits to identify billing errors before government auditors do. They structure physician compensation arrangements to satisfy Stark Law fair market value requirements. They draft policies addressing HIPAA security, Anti-Kickback safe harbors, and Texas-specific regulations. Strong compliance programs prevent the investigations that defense attorneys address after problems emerge.
Government Audits and Investigations
When CMS contractors request medical records, when the OIG initiates an investigation, or when the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit contacts your practice, immediate legal response determines outcomes. Healthcare attorneys manage document production, communicate with investigators, negotiate settlements, and defend against false claims allegations. They understand audit methodologies, statistical sampling challenges, and administrative appeal procedures.
Licensing Board Defense
Complaints to the Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing, or other licensing authorities threaten the credentials that enable practice. Healthcare attorneys represent providers through informal settlement conferences, formal hearings, and appeals. They address standard of care allegations, boundary violations, impairment issues, and criminal matter notifications that trigger board review.
How to Choose a Healthcare Law Attorney
Board certification. The Texas Board of Legal Specialization certifies attorneys in Health Law. Fewer than 100 attorneys statewide hold this credential, indicating demonstrated expertise through examination and substantial healthcare law experience.
Provider-side focus. Healthcare law encompasses patient rights, insurance disputes, and provider representation. Verify the attorney represents healthcare providers rather than patients or insurers if provider defense is your need.
Transaction experience. Healthcare M&A, joint ventures, and practice sales require attorneys who understand both deal mechanics and regulatory implications unique to healthcare. Ask about recent transaction experience.
CME accreditation. Some healthcare law firms provide continuing medical education courses for physicians, indicating deep integration with the medical community and current knowledge of practice-relevant legal issues.
Texas Healthcare Law Attorneys
Weaver Johnston Nelson, PLLC
Location: Dallas, Texas (statewide practice)
Website: https://weaverjohnston.com
Phone: (214) 705-3515
Multiple attorneys at this Dallas-based firm hold Board Certification in Health Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, an honor held by fewer than 100 attorneys statewide. Weaver Johnston Nelson is the only Texas law firm accredited by the Texas Medical Association to offer continuing medical education courses. The firm represents hospitals, surgery centers, physician groups, dental practices, and other healthcare providers across Texas.
Practice Focus: HIPAA compliance, Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute guidance, healthcare transactions and M&A, Medicare enrollment, payor audits and disputes, licensing board defense
Hendershot Cowart P.C.
Location: Houston, Texas (national practice)
Website: https://www.hchlawyers.com
Phone: (713) 528-8793
With more than 100 years of collective experience, this Houston firm has earned national recognition for healthcare compliance defense. The attorneys represent providers facing audits, investigations, and allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse from the Office of Inspector General, Texas Attorney General, and private insurers. They develop compliance programs and defend providers when those programs face scrutiny.
Practice Focus: Healthcare regulatory compliance, False Claims Act defense, Anti-Kickback and Stark Law compliance, HIPAA implementation, audit defense, fraud investigations
Jackson Walker LLP
Location: Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio (statewide)
Website: https://www.jw.com
Phone: (713) 752-4200
This Texas-based firm’s healthcare practice represents research institutions, academic medical centers, hospitals, health systems, physicians, and healthcare enterprises throughout the state. The team advises on transactional matters, regulatory compliance, and operational issues including Medicare revocations, Stark repayments, reimbursement appeals, and HIPAA breaches. Their attorneys include former in-house counsel who bring practical operational perspective.
Practice Focus: Healthcare transactions and joint ventures, compliance program development, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, HIPAA breach response, provider licensing, managed care contracting
Costs and Fees
Healthcare law fee structures vary significantly by service type. Compliance program development may cost $10,000 to $50,000 depending on organization size and complexity. Transactional matters typically proceed at hourly rates of $350 to $600 or negotiated flat fees for defined scope. Audit defense and investigation response require hourly billing, often with initial retainers of $10,000 to $25,000. Licensing board defense typically ranges from $5,000 for informal resolution to $50,000 or more for contested hearings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggers a Stark Law violation?
The Stark Law prohibits physicians from referring Medicare patients to entities with which they have a financial relationship unless a specific exception applies. Violations occur when compensation arrangements fail to meet fair market value requirements, when space or equipment leases contain percentage-based rent, or when referral patterns suggest compensation is tied to volume. Even technical violations trigger repayment obligations.
How quickly must we respond to a HIPAA breach?
Covered entities must notify affected individuals without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovering a breach. Breaches affecting 500 or more individuals require immediate notification to HHS and prominent media outlets. Breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals must be logged and reported annually. State attorneys general may also require notification under Texas breach notification laws.
Can the Texas Medical Board suspend my license during investigation?
Yes. The Board may issue a temporary suspension without notice or hearing if it determines a physician’s continuation in practice poses a continuing threat to public welfare. The physician then receives opportunity for a hearing within 14 days. Immediate legal representation when investigation begins helps prevent emergency suspension.
This directory provides general information about healthcare law attorneys in Texas. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Healthcare law involves complex federal and state regulations with significant penalties for violations, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult directly with a qualified healthcare law attorney about your specific situation.
Last Updated: January 2026
Disclaimer: This directory is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, endorsement, or recommendation of any attorney or law firm. Information about attorneys and law firms was compiled from publicly available sources and may not be current or accurate. We make no representations or warranties about the qualifications, experience, or quality of any attorney listed. Fee estimates are approximations only and actual costs may vary significantly. Always verify attorney credentials with the State Bar of Texas, confirm current contact information, and conduct your own due diligence before hiring legal counsel. No attorney-client relationship is created by use of this directory.