Catherine I. Hanson, Former Vice-President of State and Private Sector Advocacy for the American Medical Association, Joins WhatleyKallas, LLC As Of Counsel

SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- WhatleyKallas, LLC, a national, full-service litigation and healthcare group, has announced that Catherine I. Hanson has joined the firm as Of Counsel and will be located in San Francisco.

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Considered one of the nation's premier experts in healthcare law, Hanson has provided advice and counsel to physicians, medical associations and other health care related organizations throughout her 30 year career.  Most recently, she has focused on health care delivery and payment reform, including the impact of ACOs, new payment models, clinical integration and evolving physician employment arrangements, and physician practice automation, including the implications of the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Transaction Rules.

"Catherine brings a depth of experience to our firm that will no doubt be a tremendous asset and further enhance the level of service that we are able to offer our clients," said Joe Whatley, Jr., senior partner at WhatleyKallas.  "She is an exceptional attorney with outstanding credentials."

Prior to joining WhatleyKallas as Of Counsel , Hanson served as vice-president of the American Medical Association's (AMA) state and private sector advocacy unit.  Her state sector successes included obtaining National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) support for AMA positions related to critical state ACA implementation and health insurance market reform issues.  She also led a successful effort that secured National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) model bills regulating rental network PPOs and calling for transparency for out-of-network benefits. 

On the private sector side, Hanson's advocacy team developed the National Managed Care Contract and database, the only complete compilation and analysis of every managed care law and regulation in the country. She also led the development of AMA's National Health Insurer Report Card (NHIRC), the first objective look at the claims processing activities of the nation's largest health insurers.  Hanson also served as vice-president and general counsel for the California Medical Association (CMA) from December 1986 through June 2007.   During her time with CMA, she led the development and publication of the 4000+ page California Physicians Legal Handbook, a comprehensive health law treatise, which she published annually with her CMA Legal Center staff from 1990-2007.   

"Catherine has a unique understanding of a wide variety of complex healthcare litigation issues, and an impressive track record of legal achievements," said Edith M. Kallas, also a senior partner at the firm.  "I am delighted to welcome her to our firm."

Hanson is a past president of the California Society for Health Care Attorneys, a past president of the American Society of Medical Association Counsel, a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association Health Law Section, and the American Association of Medical Society Executives.   She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.  She obtained her J.D. degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at University of California, Berkeley.  Hanson is the author of numerous publications and a sought after speaker.

WhatleyKallas serves clients nationwide through attorneys located in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, Aspen, Colo., and Birmingham, Ala.  The group has gained a national reputation for its aggressive litigation style and quality legal work, particularly in its handling of complex cases. Collectively, the attorney group has tried numerous cases to verdict against some of the largest insurance, brokerage and managed care companies in the world. WhatleyKallas attorneys have recovered billions of dollars for class members and achieved significant corporate reforms. 

Disclaimer:  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.   In accordance with State Bar requirements, no representation is made that the quality of the legal service to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Under the rules of some jurisdictions, this release may be considered attorney advertising.

SOURCE WhatleyKallas