Leads complex healthcare transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, management arrangements, and MSO structures
Advises on health information privacy, data use, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance
Guides digital health, AI, and data-driven initiatives at the intersection of corporate structure, healthcare regulation, and data governance
Ryan S. Higgins is a nationally recognized healthcare lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in two distinct practices: complex healthcare transactions and health information privacy. He advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, publicly traded companies, health systems, management services organizations (MSOs), physician organizations, and digital health and healthcare technology companies on matters central to their growth, operations, regulatory compliance, and use and governance of data.
In his transactional practice, Ryan leads acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, affiliations, management arrangements, and other strategic transactions across the healthcare industry. He has particular depth in ambulatory surgery center transactions, physician practice management platforms and MSO structures, acquisitions and dispositions involving healthcare technology companies and assets, and sophisticated joint ventures involving health systems, investors, operators, and physicians. He guides clients from initial structuring through negotiation and closing, integrating corporate, governance, and healthcare regulatory considerations to develop arrangements that advance business objectives, support regulatory compliance, and promote long-term alignment among stakeholders.
In his health information privacy practice, Ryan serves as strategic outside counsel on enterprise privacy, data use, and security matters. He designs and strengthens privacy and security compliance programs; develops strategies for the use, sharing, licensing, de-identification, and commercialization of health information; advises on artificial intelligence (AI) governance and implementation, online tracking technologies, and other emerging issues; directs responses to privacy and security incidents; and represents clients in federal and state regulatory investigations. His work spans HIPAA; 42 CFR Part 2; state consumer health privacy laws; and related privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection requirements.
Ryan is frequently called on when the governing law is unsettled; the operational stakes are high; and clients need advice that is technically rigorous, grounded in industry practice, and commercially practical. Where these practices intersect, Ryan brings an integrated perspective to digital health transactions, data-driven joint ventures, AI initiatives, and other matters in which corporate structure, healthcare regulation, and data governance must be designed together.
Ryan previously served as co-leader of McDermott’s Health Information Privacy Group.
“Ryan has deep transactional experience, and we are always very comfortable using him on those deals. He is also efficient and easy to work with, which is always a plus.”
Chambers USA
Ranked in
Chambers USA, Healthcare, 2024-2026
Recognitions
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Healthcare Law, 2025-2026
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