Baker Donelson has added four attorneys to its recently opened Charleston, South Carolina, office. Sandra Miller joins as of counsel in the Health Group; Will Middleton as an associate in the Corporate Group; and Alexandra Breazeale and Mya Green as associates in the Business Litigation Group. Ms. Miller was previously at Womble Bond Dickinson, and Mr. Middleton, Ms. Breazeale, and Ms. Green join from Parker Poe.
"Sandra, Will, Alex, and Mya are great additions to the growing Baker Donelson team in South Carolina. They each focus on different areas of practice and are all talented lawyers, committed to serving client interests across South Carolina," said Ashley Cooper, managing shareholder of the Firm's Charleston office. "Their combined talent and various areas of focus will bring immediate value to the Charleston office, our clients, and the Firm as a whole. We are honored they have chosen to join us."
With more than 30 years of experience in health law and health care litigation, Ms. Miller represents hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care facilities, and other related health care providers. Her experience stretches across the health care spectrum. She represents health care providers in a variety of issues, including federal and state fraud and abuse investigations, regulatory compliance, and public and private reimbursement issues. Her extensive litigation and trial experience includes qui tam litigation and Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse investigations. Ms. Miller also advises clients on patient rights and research issues. She has been a South Carolina-certified mediator and has experience as an arbitrator, including currently serving on the AHLA arbitration panel.
"When the opportunity arose for me, along with my entire South Carolina health care team, to join a firm with a premier, nationally known health care practice, it was clear it was the right move for all of us," said. Ms. Miller. "We look forward to offering our clients the tremendous capabilities that come with being part of a national health law practice with more than 200 attorneys focused on serving the health care industry."
Health law attorneys Alissa Fleming and Catherine F. Wrenn, both previously with Womble Bond Dickinson, were among the four shareholders who joined Baker Donelson in September to launch the Charleston office.
Mr. Middleton joins Baker Donelson's Energy practice, where he will advise energy clients before state commissions in matters relating to interconnection service, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), demand-side management, and energy efficiency matters. He also regularly assists clients on a range of commercial transactions for both regulated and non-regulated companies.
Ms. Breazeale is a complex-case litigator who handles, investigates, and litigates False Claims Act and qui tam cases, as well as other business fraud matters. In particular, Ms. Breazeale has handled such investigations and litigation in the health care and energy sectors. She also litigates various design and construction cases, environmental claims, business and commercial disputes, and business fraud cases.
Ms. Green will focus her practice on commercial and government/regulatory litigation, including government investigations and audits. Her experience includes representing clients in civil trial and administrative hearings. Ms. Green also has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution.
With the addition of these four attorneys, Baker Donelson has doubled the size of its new Charleston office in less than a month. The office was launched in September with four new shareholders: Mr. Cooper, an energy attorney, and Jennifer K. Dunlap, an employment attorney, both previously with Parker Poe, as well as Ms. Fleming and Ms. Wrenn from Womble Bond Dickinson.
Charleston is Baker Donelson's second new office in the Carolinas in less than a year. In October 2021, the Firm added a team of health care attorneys in the Raleigh/Research Triangle, its first North Carolina location. Baker Donelson has maintained a location in Columbia, South Carolina, since 2016.