FORT LAUDERDALE – Greenspoon Marder, a Florida-based national law firm, has acquired Florida Health Law Center as part of its expanding areas of legal service.
BizJournals.com reported earlier this month that firm acquired the Davie-based center, giving Greenspoon Marder five new attorneys in the field of health care and representing providers. Center co-founders Jodi B. Laurence and Lee F. Lasris will be the firm's co-chairs of its health care law practice. The center was founded in 2008, according to flhealthlaw.com.
In an interview with The Florida Record, Gerry Greenspoon, the firm's co-managing director, said his firm has always been involved in health care through corporate planning and estate planning. A few years ago, Greenspoon Marder had an opportunity to get more involved in the health care regulatory area when it opened its Tampa office. He said it's been “challenging” to get that going, but that the firm has always wanted to grow in that area.
“That's why we're quite excited about being able to bring on Jodi Laurence and Lasris and their firm into our Fort Lauderdale office, which gives us a great edge up on that practice area,” Greenspoon said.
The health care industry is highly regulated at the state and federal levels, he said, which makes it an important field for access to legal expertise.
“As the regulations change and evolve, health care providers, including hospitals, need that expertise and advice to guide them through that complex area,” Greenspoon said.
The acquisition of the center comes on the heels of other expansions by the firm.
BizJournals.com reported in July that Murray Silverstein, formerly a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, had joined Greenspoon Marder at its Tampa office to help with the firm's plans to expand its national complex litigation practice and presence in that region.
Also, Greenspoon said, the firm has launched its alcohol-beverage regulatory practice, as well as its national marijuana and cannabis practice within the past six months. The cannabis practice is focused on the medical aspect for the most part, he said. The firm's website says the cannabis-practice group's lawyers “counsel and advise growers, processors, retailers, entrepreneurs and other entities” in the industry.
“We represent businesses that are directly involved, plus ancillary businesses, and that will continue to grow as additional states come on board,” Greenspoon said.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 25 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have medical marijuana and cannabis programs. Four states – Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Alaska – have legalized recreational marijuana use, per governing.com, and Nevada voters will decide on the matter for their state in the November general election.
Greenspoon said that the firm will also seek to expand its corporate-securities practice, especially with its New York office.
According to gmlaw.com, Greenspoon Marder has 14 offices nationally, 10 of which are in Florida. The firm's other out-of-state offices are in San Diego, Denver and Las Vegas. Greenspoon Marder was founded in 1981.