Hanna, Denise

Denise Hanna

Partner
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Denise Hanna, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Health Care Practice Group and Managing Partner of the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office, concentrates her legal practice on representing health insurers, managed care organizations and their intermediaries in a range of regulatory and transactional matters. Many of Denise’s clients underwrite, administer or play supportive roles in commercial, managed Medicaid and Medicare Advantage health plans.

Denise Hanna, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Health Care Practice Group and Managing Partner of the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office, concentrates her legal practice on representing health insurers, managed care organizations and their intermediaries in a range of regulatory and transactional matters. Many of Denise’s clients underwrite, administer or play supportive roles in commercial, managed Medicaid and Medicare Advantage health plans.

Health Industry Experience

Denise’s legal experience includes lead roles in health industry:

  • Managed care and provider contracting
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Joint ventures and other strategic alliances
  • PBM, vendor, service provider and outsourcing arrangements
  • Internal corporate restructures
  • Commercial transactions
  • Change of control regulatory proceedings
  • Managed care and health care regulatory matters

Health Care Reform

Denise has closely tracked the enactment of federal health reform and advises clients on implementation issues, compliance obligations and strategic opportunities under the Affordable Care Act and related state reforms. Denise has advised clients on:

  • Compliance with ACA health insurance market reforms
  • Health plan expansions for ACA Marketplace participation
  • Private employer health insurance exchanges
  • Medical loss ratio (MLR)
  • MSSP and ACOs

Denise also is a frequent speaker and writer on health reform topics.

Denise’s representative experience includes:

  • Lead counsel in representing international health insurance company in its purchase of a majority interest in a business concern, with an enterprise value of $100 million, which furnishes health benefit plan administration and provider network access to employers and other third parties on a regional basis and in the development of the post-closing joint venture agreement
  • Special health insurance regulatory counsel to private equity firm in its acquisition of holding company for PBMs, pharmacy discount programs, pharmacies, national Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, TPAs and various other regulated entities in $900 million acquisition
  • Lead counsel in representing national health insurance company in the $650 million acquisition of a Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care organization, with principal operations in California and additional operations in several other states
  • Lead counsel in assisting California-based business develop operating models and payor contracts for the management and coordination of care for patients with multiple chronic conditions in various states, in a manner consistent with applicable corporate practice of medicine and insurance laws
  • Lead counsel in representing California Knox-Keene health plan in the negotiation of its contracts with various private health insurance exchanges
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CREDENTIALS
Education
  • J.D., Stanford Law School, 1986
  • B.A., Behavioral Sciences, with honors, University of Chicago, 1983
Bar Admissions
  • California
  • District of Columbia
Professional Affiliations
    • Member, National Bar Association (NBA)
    • Member, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)
    • American Bar Association (ABA), Health Law Section
      • Member, Governing Council (2016-2019)
      • Chair, Health Reform Task Force (2017-Present)
      • Vice Chair, Planning Committee for Emerging Issues in Health Law Conference (2019-Present)
      • Vice Chair and Co-Chair, Planning Committee for Washington Health Law Summit (2011-2015)
      • Vice Chair, Managed Care and Insurance Interest Group (2010-2016)
    • Member, Women Business Leaders in the U.S. Health Care Industry (WBL) (2010-Present) 
Awards & Recognitions
    • Recipient, Champion of Diversity and Inclusion Award, ABA (2016)
    • Named, The Best Lawyers in America®, Health Care Law (2016-2025)
    • Named, Most Influential Black Lawyers, Savoy (2015)
    • Named, Chambers USA, Health Care (2017-2024)
Community Leadership
    • Board of Directors, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts
Professional History
    • Partner, Locke Lord LLP
    • Associate, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP (2005-2010)
    • Associate, Adler Murphy & McQuillen (1999-2005)