Bar Admissions

North Carolina

Education

Duke University, J.D., magna cum laude, 2007, Order of the Coif; Staff Editor, Duke Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy, 2006-07

Duke University, B.A., summa cum laude, 2003, Phi Beta Kappa

Profile

Jennifer Hutchens practices transactional law in the health care and life sciences industry and co-chairs the firm's Health Care Practice Group. She has also recently founded the firm’s Regulated Professions Practice Group. Jennifer represents providers, licensed agencies, nonprofits and management services organizations of all sizes, focusing on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and other affiliation transactions. She prepares and negotiates professional services, managed and value-based care and other contracts, and advises clients in health innovation, from telehealth to concierge medicine.

Jennifer is outside general counsel to several clients, advising them on strategic corporate and nonprofit matters – including collaboration opportunities, growth targets and best practices.

Jennifer's expertise includes operational, regulatory and compliance issues at the federal and state levels, including Anti-Kickback and physician self-referral (Stark) laws, corporate practice of medicine and fee-splitting prohibitions, surprise billing laws, and licensure and administrative law. She assists clients with compliance self-audits, acquisition due diligence, corrective actions and self-reporting.

Jennifer counsels clients on operational preparedness, continuity planning and other issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honors & Awards

Experience

Experience

  • Outside General Counsel

  • Serves as outside general counsel to the national testing organization for the profession of optometry. 

  • Serves as outside general counsel to an innovative joint venture – composed of 12 health systems – formed to operate a provider-led and patient-centered health plan participating in the North Carolina Managed Medicaid Program.

  • Serves as outside general counsel to a North Carolina critical access hospital, providing advice on legal, transactional and strategic matters.

  • Serves as outside general counsel to a collaborative business venture between seven behavioral health providers pursuing innovation in care in North Carolina.

  • Transaction/Corporate Health Care Counsel

  • Represents a national health care corporation in the negotiation and development of joint venture operations with other hospitals and physician partners.

  • Counsels a national health care corporation in its purchases of a wide range of business operations, including dialysis clinics, vascular access centers and physician practice management services.

  • Advises health care industry stakeholders (including providers and professional and trade organizations) in the development of business relationships, affiliations, combinations and integrations.

  • Assisted with corporate representation of a North Carolina insurance company in acquiring minority interest in an urgent care company with multistate clinic operations.

  • Strategic, Operational and Compliance Counsel

  • Counsels a variety of health care industry clients in connection with telemedicine, digital health, remote patient monitoring/prescribing and virtual care (e.g., informed consent, state professional licensure, scope of practice, telemedicine credentialing and reimbursement).

  • Counsels national radiology platform and its affiliated practices and service lines on a variety of corporate, health care, operational and regulatory matters.

  • Provided comprehensive counsel to a North Carolina hospital in connection with its pilot virtual hospital program offering for orthopedic patient recovery.

  • Offers best practice advice and guidance to clients pursuing concierge or other alternative medical practice models, ranging from provider/patient contracts and related policies and procedures, to compliance (including federal law issues such as Medicare billing (opt out) rules as well as unique state law issues such as scope of practice, fee-splitting and insurance laws).

  • Led health care due diligence review and analysis on behalf of an international public health care company for its $2 billion acquisition of a home dialysis equipment maker.

  • Serves as local regulatory counsel in connection with large transactions, advising out-of-state buyers/sellers on state and local laws and regulations in the Carolinas.

  • Advised hospital clients with due diligence, self-audits and self-disclosure, including under the CMS Stark Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol.

News & Events

News

Events

Insights

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations

  • Robinson Bradshaw Health Care Practice Group, Co-Chair
  • American Health Law Association, Development and Advancement Council, 2020-present; Nominating Committee, 2019-20; Fundamentals in Health Law Conference Planning Committee, 2017-present; Governance Advisory Council, 2017-19; Young Professionals Delegate to Board, 2016-17; Young Professionals Council, Chair, 2014-16 (Vice-Chair, 2013-14); Hospital and Health Systems Practice Group Leadership Development Program, 2012-13; Best Practices Health Law Curriculum Steering Committee, 2014
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow, 2021
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Health Law Section Council, Chair, 2017-18; Vice Chair, 2016-17; Secretary, 2015-16; Treasurer, 2014-15; Member, 2009-12 and 2013-16 
  • North Carolina Society of Health Care Attorneys, Education Committee, 2013-16
  • American College of Healthcare Executives, Member
  • Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation, Member
  • Greater Charlotte Healthcare Executives, Member
  • Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards, Member
  • American Bar Foundation Fellow
  • Robinson Bradshaw Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Member
  • Robinson Bradshaw Business Development Committee, Member

Community Affiliations

  • Duke Alumni Admissions Program, Admissions Interviewer, 2007-present
  • Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Scholar & Alumna, 1999-present
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