Gerald M. Griffith represents clients in health care transactions and tax controversies, focusing on cutting-edge affiliation structures and high-stakes IRS audits for more than 30 years. Gerry’s transactional practice focuses on complex transactions, with an emphasis on joint operating agreements (JOAs), other joint ventures (domestic and international), and acquisitions.
He has defended leading hospitals, health systems, and managed care organizations in more than two dozen IRS audits and voluntary disclosures, including walk-in closing agreements and bond compliance checks.
He also has obtained several distinctive, favorable private letter rulings from the IRS, including the first ruling approving a nonprofit hospital joint operating agreement (PLR 9609012), the first hybrid JOA/merger ruling (PLR 199944046), and the first and only ruling on excess benefit transactions with physicians (PLR 201336020).
In addition, he has considerable experience in nonprofit governance, structuring academic medical center relationships with faculty practice plans, restructuring hospital-physician transactions for compliance with the Stark Law and excess benefit transaction rules, and serving as borrower’s counsel for multiple health systems. He represents some of the premier health care systems in the country, including Henry Ford Health System, Trinity Health, and Dignity Health.
Gerry is president of the Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys and a former chair of the Great Lakes Area Tax-Exempt/Government Entities Practitioners Council. He is a past president of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), and he previously served as chair of the Health Care Law Section (HCLS) of the State Bar of Michigan. He is a Fellow of both AHLA and HCLS.
EDUCATION:
- The University of Toledo (J.D. magna cum laude 1985; Order of the Coif; Valedictorian; Editor, Law Review);
- University of Michigan (B.A. magna cum laude 1982)
BAR ADMISSIONS : Illinois and Michigan
EXPERIENCE:
- Nonprofit hospital and affiliate retain tax-exempt status
- Major academic medical center forms Medicare accountable care organization
- Children’s Health, Methodist Richardson announce joint operating agreement
- Henry Ford Health System and Health Alliance Plan of Michigan sell Medicaid business in multiple Michigan counties
- Faith-based health system modifies governing documents and procedures to comply with supporting organization requirements
- Large nonprofit health system develops retention bonus policy for key employees
- Prepaid health plan undergoes IRS audit
- Hospital system puts physician services arrangement in place for national orthopaedic surgery program
- Management company faces denial of tax-exempt status for certain rural hospitals.
Cost
Rate : $$$
