• Represented Premier, Inc., in connection with the negotiation, documentation and execution of a $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility provided by a syndicate of lenders for which Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, served as Administrative Agent; Premier operates as a health care alliance that unites hospitals, health systems, physicians and other health care providers with the common goal of improving the financial, clinical and operational areas of their business; the proceeds of the facility were used to fund future acquisitions for other general corporate purposes
• Represented TriplePoint Capital in the negotiation and documentation of numerous senior and subordinated secured revolving and term loan facilities, many of which representations involved the negotiation of a subordination agreement with the incumbent lender
• Represented True West Capital Partners in a mezzanine debt facility provided to Port Logistics Group, Inc., a portfolio company of Endeavour Capital and the nation’s leading provider of omnichannel distributions solutions and provider of domestic supply chain management and logistics services, which representation involved the negotiation of a subordination agreement with Comerica Bank
• Represented US Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for a syndicate of lenders, with a revolving credit facility provided to Space Exploration Technologies, Inc., a company that builds rockets and other spacecraft for various organizations around the world, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Department of Defense

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• Commercial Finance Association Education Foundation
• Financial Lawyers Conference
• Loan Syndication and Trading Association
• Northwestern University Alumni Admissions Council

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• Conducted an internal investigation for a special committee of the board of directors of a public company into allegations of revenue recognition fraud and other accounting irregularities in connection with the company’s SEC filings
• Represented numerous potential defendants employed by a public corporation in an SEC investigation involving allegations that the corporation filed false and misleading financial reports with the SEC
• Represented the former controller of a large, publicly traded computer company at trial in an SEC civil action alleging improper revenue recognition
• Prepared successful Wells submission for a Big Five auditor in connection with an SEC investigation into the auditor’s role in an audit that failed to uncover improper revenue recognition by an audit client
• Conducted an internal investigation for the board of directors of a public company into allegations of insider trading
• Represented a manufacturing company in parallel criminal and Cal/OSHA investigations of a multi-fatality workplace accident, and in appeal of Cal/OSHA citations

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With a health care law practice that spans more than three decades, Jim has substantial experience in corporate and business law, mergers, acquisitions and affiliations, health care joint ventures and clinical integration. He regularly advises clients on compliance with state and federal health care laws. Jim also has experience resolving disputes among health care businesses.

Jim is a leading practitioner in physician/hospital clinical integration matters. He has extensive experience working with health systems, hospitals, clinics, provider networks and others on a variety of integrated delivery system matters, including working with business consultants and stakeholders to identify the right physician integration strategy based upon the strategic goals of the organization and the relevant market conditions. He regularly advises on structuring sophisticated incentive compensation systems for medical groups and physicians. Jim is a contributing editor of the American Health Lawyers Association’s (AHLA) Representing Hospitals and Health Systems Handbook, examining the multitude of issues that those who represent hospitals and health system need to be informed.

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• Advised a health system in Los Angeles on the acquisition of a world-renowned orthopedic group and in obtaining a controlling interest in two ambulatory surgery centers specializing in orthopedics
• Represented a state dental society in the formation of a new service line to benefit its members
• Reorganized a cardiology service line for a large nonprofit health system in Nevada
• Served as joint transactional counsel to a multi-facility children’s health system and a pediatric multi-specialty medical group in Orange County, California, on the formation of a pediatric subspecialty medical foundation clinic
• Assisted with the affiliation of a safety-net pediatric hospital and research center with a state university health care system
• Advised on the formation of a joint venture between two competing health systems to own and operate an acute care rehabilitation hospital and related medical group
• Advised on the affiliation of Lodi Memorial Hospital with Adventist Health West
• Assisted with the affiliation of a large pediatric subspecialty medical group and a newly formed nonprofit medical foundation clinic, sponsored by a nonprofit children’s hospital and a state university health system in San Diego, California
• Represented Cedars-Sinai Health System in the affiliation with Torrance Health Association, a non-profit organization that includes a 470-bed Torrance Memorial Medical Center, various outpatient centers throughout the South Bay region of Los Angeles, a multi-specialty physician group and an independent physician association
• Represented Providence St. Joseph Health, in its transactions with Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI), a Southern California hospital focused on orthopedic care
• Represented Cottage Health, a nonprofit health system based in Santa Barbara County, California, in its affiliation with Lompoc Valley Medical Center, a California local health care district
• Represented Santa Clara County in the acquisition of O’Connor Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital in connection with the Verity Health System bankruptcy
• Represented Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), a preeminent pediatric hospital in Southern California, in a cardiology affiliation with UCLA Health to establish a joint pediatric heart program for diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of congenital and acquired heart disease

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• The Legal 500 US, Healthcare: Service Providers (National), 2017
• Super Lawyer, Southern California, 2004  -2019
• LMG Expert Guides, Best of the Best, Healthcare, 2018
• Lexology, Client Choice Award, Life Sciences in California, 2018-2019

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• Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, national leadership council
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Health Care Law Section, past president
• Facilitator, Nonprofit Hospitals and Health System GC Roundtable for The Healthcare Roundtable

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Mike has particular experience on complex legal issues arising from advanced technologies. He represents companies on privacy and cybersecurity issues arising from vehicle autonomy and connectivity and is an expert on the fast-changing regulatory environment relating to autonomous vehicles and in the US and around the world. He also advises clients on matters relating to international data transfers (e.g., EU model clauses and Privacy Shield), cryptocurrency, e-commerce security and blockchain applications. He represents clients in a range of industries, including financial services, big data, automotive, telecommunications, healthcare, insurance and automotive, as well as defense contractors and subcontractors subject to requirements under DFARS and the CMMC Framework.

Mike has handled scores of privacy and cybersecurity-related cases, including more than one hundred lawsuits involving claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA); unfair, deceptive or abusive acts and practice (UDAAP) statutes; and consumer protection statutes. He has particular expertise in the defense of cases involving claims for statutory damages and advises clients on mitigation of legal risks arising from the CCPA’s statutory damages provisions applicable to data breaches. He has defended against government investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Communications Commission and state attorneys general. Mike is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

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• Advised a big data company on a 15 million-record data breach, including forensics, consumer notification, response to government investigations and defense of litigation
• Handled a series of data breaches involving personnel records of employees in the United States and more than 50 countries, including advice on compliance with notification obligations and communications with affected employees
• Handled the response to ransomware incident at a California hospital involving records for more than 250,000 patients, including overseeing the forensic investigation, defending the government investigation into the incident, advising on legal obligations (e.g., under HIPAA and state laws), managing the notification and communication program, and recommending remediation measures
• Handled responses to numerous incidents involving the compromise of patient information at hospitals and health providers, including overseeing the forensic investigation into the incidents, advising on legal obligations, advising on Bitcoin payment issues, preparing a notification and communication program, and recommending appropriate mitigation measures
• Represented an e-commerce company in a dispute with its technology provider relating to the adequacy of the security in the provider’s solution, including the encryption algorithm used to secure the transactions between the e-commerce company and its customers
• Advised numerous companies on responses to ransomware and phishing incidents, including preservation of privilege, coordination with law enforcement, retention of a forensics provider, advice on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency issues, communications with affected patients and regulators, and remediation and recovery from the incident
• Advised an international university regarding GDPR compliance, including the scope of application of the GDPR to activities in the EU, the lawful grounds for processing personal data (such as consent), appointment of a DPO, and various other GDPR compliance issues
• Advised a European telecommunications provider regarding GDPR compliance, including the scope of application of the GDPR to certain activities in the EU and the US, the lawful grounds for processing personal data and various other GDPR compliance issues
• Advised a multinational technology provider on certification of compliance with the US-EU Privacy Shield, data mapping, review and evaluation of internal and external policies and procedures, and vendor contract amendments to comply with Privacy Shield requirements

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• Daily Journal, Top Cyber Lawyer, 2018, 2020 and 2022
• BTI Client Service All-Star, 2022

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Joel is consistently recognized in Chambers USA and was ranked as a leading antitrust lawyer in The Legal 500 United States and SuperLawyers. Chambers USA reports that Joel has “notable agency experience at the FTC,” and is “very knowledgeable…on merger related work.”

Earlier in his career, Joel was an attorney with the FTC’s Bureau of Competition (Mergers II), where he handled a full range of antitrust matters involving the chemical, computer hardware semiconductor, automotive parts, plastics, toy and paper industries.

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• Obtained merger clearances for PerkinElmer’s acquisitions of Euroimmun and Packard Bioscience
• Obtained merger clearances for Evonik’s acquisition of Air Products’ specialty adhesives business
• Represented MedSolutions, Inc., in its sale to CareCore National, LLC, creating a leading specialty benefit management service provider
• Obtained merger clearance for Irving Oil Limited’s acquisition of ExxonMobil terminal/pipeline assets
• Obtained merger clearance for the merger of Blackboard, Inc., and WebCT, Inc.
• Obtained merger clearance for J-M Manufacturing Company, Inc.’s acquisition of PW Eagle, Inc.
• Obtained merger clearance for Enodis’ sale to Manitowoc
• Obtained merger clearance for a joint venture, creating the largest phosphorus chemicals producer manufacturer
• Advised Enodis plc in its sale to The Manitowoc Company, Inc., creating one of the largest global food service suppliers
• Advised in an acquisition, creating the largest US ammonium nitrate producer
• Advised in The Timken Company’s acquisition of Torrington Engineered Solutions Business from Ingersoll- Rand Company, creating the largest bearings producer in North America
• Advised in Computer Sciences Corp.’s acquisition of MYND corporation

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• Legal 500 US, 2014-2019, 2021, 2023-2025
• Chambers USA, 2014-2026
• Who’s Who Legal, Competition, Thought Leader, 2024
• Acritas Stars 2020, listed among independently rated lawyers

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• Advised several international corporate clients on tax controversies
• Advised several private clients on US-France cross-border tax matters (including relocations, estate planning, tax optimizations of disposals of shares, and regularizations of tax reporting obligations)

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