The law firm of Baker Donelson has named Ashby Q. Burks co-chair of Baker Ober Health Law, one of the largest health law practices in the country. Mr. Burks will serve as co-chair of the group alongside Julie E. Kass, a shareholder in the Firm's Baltimore and Washington, D.C. offices, assuming the role previously held for ten years by Philip McSween, who has recently been named executive vice president and general counsel for TeamHealth.
Mr. Burks, a shareholder in Baker Donelson's Nashville office, engages in a broad corporate practice, emphasizing mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other business transactions and has served as counsel in the purchase, sale or joint venture of more than 150 hospitals and other investor-owned and not-for-profit health care businesses. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Burks served as vice president, secretary and general counsel for Quorum Health Group, developing strategy, setting policy for the company and leading the legal team which oversaw the negotiation and completion of the company's acquisition by Triad Hospitals, Inc. He also served in the legal department of Hospital Corporation of America for more than ten years, concluding his tenure as vice president and assistant general counsel. Since 2008, Mr. Burks has been recognized as a leading health care lawyer in Tennessee by Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers. He has also been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2007 in the areas of corporate law, health care law and mergers and acquisitions law.
"Ashby is a highly-regarded attorney in the health industry with a unique background that makes him exceptionally qualified to serve as the leader of our nationally-recognized health law group," said Richard G. Cowart, chair of Baker Donelson's Health Law & Public Policy Department. "We look forward to continued growth and success under his leadership and are confident that our clients will benefit from his years of industry experience."
Baker Ober Health Law is comprised of more than 200 attorneys across ten states and Washington, D.C. and is regarded as one of the premiere health law practices in the country, receiving national recognition by Modern Healthcare, Chambers USA and the American Health Law Association. The group's size, scale and collective experience gives clients a competitive advantage by partnering with a dedicated, multi-disciplinary team that not only has experience in and detailed knowledge of health law, but also understands the complicated ways in which the industry operates.