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 exclusively practices transactional law in the health care and life sciences industry and is co-chair of the firm's Health Care Practice Group. She represents industry stakeholders of all sizes, including providers, licensed agencies, industry-based nonprofits and management services organizations. Jennifer focuses on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and other affiliation transactions. Her experience includes preparing and negotiating an array of professional service, managed and value-based care and other industry contracts. Jennifer is also a trusted adviser to her clients in health innovation (ranging from telehealth to concierge medicine).

Jennifer serves as outside general counsel to several industry clients. She frequently counsels clients on strategic corporate and nonprofit matters, including pursuing collaboration opportunities, as well as developing growth targets and best practices.

Jennifer advises clients on operational, regulatory and compliance issues at both the federal and state level, including the Anti-Kickback and physician self-referral (Stark) laws, corporate practice of medicine and fee-splitting prohibitions, surprise billing laws, and licensure and administrative law matters. She has experience assisting clients with compliance self-audits, acquisition due diligence, corrective actions, and self-reporting under governmental and administrative regimes.

Jennifer was recognized as the Charlotte Health Care Law Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers® for 2018.

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 Lawyers 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
  • 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 & 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
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