ADVOCACY, LITIGATION, PEER REVIEW, AND REGULATORY COUNSEL FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND BUSINESSES. FORMER FEDERAL LAW CLERK. ORDER OF THE COIF.
Caitlin Lentz has been a Health Law Attorney at our law firm since 2020. Caitlin represents medical practices, physicians and other licensed practitioners with a heavy focus on advocacy and litigation. Caitlin has extensive experience advocating for her clients, including before:
- Professional licensing boards regarding licensing and disciplinary matters;
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) regarding Medicare privileges and other matters;
- Fair Hearing Panels and Boards of Directors during peer review and clinical privileging matters;
- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regarding National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) reports;
- Insurers, including federal payors, regarding recoupment requests and investigations;
- The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regarding investigations and registration matters; and
- Employers negotiating employment and termination matters.
Caitlin has litigated before numerous courts on matters including federal employment discrimination, fraud and abuse claims, and administrative professional licensing matters. Caitlin also assists individuals and businesses structure their medical practices in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
Prior to joining Little Health Law, Caitlin served as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk to Honorable J. Randal Hall, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Caitlin graduated summa cum laude from Georgia State University College of Law—boasting the second-best health care law program in the United States as rated by U.S. News and World Report—where she was inducted as a member of the Order of the Coif, served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia State Law Review, was President of the Student Health Law Association, and was team captain for an international commercial arbitration moot team. Caitlin’s legal experience includes working in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of General Counsel, in an academic medical center’s Legal Affairs Office, for an administrative law judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and for the U.S. Department of Justice’s internal EEO office gatekeeping discrimination complaints and overseeing investigations. Prior to attending law school, Caitlin graduated cum laude from Florida State University and worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant. When not advocating on behalf of health care providers and businesses, Caitlin enjoys taking film photos, kayaking, practicing Pilates, reading, playing with her dog and cat, and traveling.
Advocacy and Litigation
- Representation and advice regarding prospective or pending healthcare, business, and other civil disputes in federal, state, and administrative courts, including but not limited to:
- Pre-litigation counseling and negotiation
- Pre-trial procedures, including discovery and motion practice
- Alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration
Pre- and post-judgment relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary/permanent injunctions, and other equitable and non-monetary relief - Appeals and post-judgment remedies
- Witness and third-party representation, including responding to non-party subpoenas, deposition, and document/information requests
- Representation and advice during internal, administrative and regulatory proceedings, including but not limited to:
- Medical board and other license-related proceedings and appeals, including reinstatement proceedings and administrative/institutional licensure
- National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) proceedings and appeals
- Credentialing, privileging, and bylaws/rules disputes
- Insurance recoupment requests, civil monetary penalty decisions, and investigations
- DEA investigations and record requests
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigations and related proceeding for disputes involving, among others, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Non-litigation
- Structuring healthcare, business and employment transactions and preparing relevant documents, including but not limited to:
- Forming new – and restructuring old – legal entities and joint ventures
- Ownership/operating agreements and bylaws
- Physician and employee-related contracts, including employment, confidentiality, non-compete/solicitation, and severance agreements
- Employment-related services, including developing internal policies and procedures, performing background checks, and advice regarding termination and other adverse employment decisions
- Legal counseling, including but not limited to:
- Regulatory-compliance counseling, including application of the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, Civil Monetary Penalties Law, self-referral laws, corporate practice of medicine laws, HIPAA/HITECH, anti-discrimination laws, and other relevant laws and regulations