Overview

Julia Hesse is a healthcare attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston office. Ms. Hesse advises physicians, clinicians and healthcare investors in the formation and expansion of management companies across various specialties, with particular emphasis focused on dental practices, women's health, fertility centers, reproductive health, menopause and dermatology.

Ms. Hesse has deep experience and knowledge representing fertility providers in transactional and complex regulatory and investigation matters. She is a leading national authority on the regulation of dentists and dental support organizations (DSOs), and advises on the unique structural and regulatory issues for investors in the dental space.

In addition, Ms. Hesse counsels private equity and venture capital funds, as well as strategic investors, on healthcare diligence and transactional issues. She works with investors to assess risk related to healthcare regulatory and compliance matters, structures transactions to comply with regulatory requirements, and provides advice in connection with government investigations and compliance remediation.

Ms. Hesse works closely with clients in the healthcare industry regarding regulatory matters such as fraud and abuse, self-referral laws, licensing, compliance, insurance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and state law privacy and data security concerns, including data breach issues.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Hesse was the co-chair of the healthcare group for a Boston-based law firm.

Representative Experience

  • Routinely provides strategic advice and regulatory review of proposed ownership and compensation arrangements between providers and physicians to achieve business goals while helping to ensure compliance with Stark Law and federal and state anti-kickback rules
  • Routinely counsels business organizations and healthcare providers about privacy and data security compliance, including review and revision of policies and conducting audits focused both on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state law
  • Provides advice and has extensive experience in data privacy and security matters, including acting as lead counsel to institution in addressing data breaches
  • Routinely advises in connection with internal investigations and compliance reviews

  • Leading national authority on the regulation of dental practices and dental support organizations
  • Represents investors and dental practices in initial investments and add-on acquisitions
  • Provides advice regarding structure, notice requirements and communications with regulatory agencies

  • Routinely represents fertility centers and women's health providers on unique corporate, transactional, regulatory and reimbursement issues
  • Provides advice regarding complex state law issues impacting fertility providers
  • Provides advice regarding unique privacy issues for fertility centers and women's healthcare providers

  • Routinely provides extensive corporate and regulatory review on behalf of private equity firms' and investment banks' acquisition of interests in a variety of entities in the healthcare sector
  • Provides advice regarding unique structural and contractual issues driven by corporate practice of medicine
  • Routinely advises on corporate formation and governance matters for both for-profit and not-for-profit institutions

  • Represented Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in drafting an amicus brief supporting the constitutionality of Massachusetts' existing gun safety regulations
  • Provided pro bono representation educational advocacy through the EdLaw Project for children and families

Credentials

Education
  • University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D.
  • University of Pennsylvania, MBE, Bioethics
  • Williams College, B.A., cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Massachusetts
Memberships
  • American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)
  • Boston Bar Association, Member, 2002-Present; Health Law Section, Co-Chair, 2012-2014
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), Legal Task Force, 2014-2017
  • Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Harvard Law School, Advisory Board, 2020-Present
  • Shore Country Day School, Board of Trustees, 2012-2017
  • MLPB, formerly Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston, Advisory Board, 2012-2018
  • Williams College, President, Class of 1995
  • American Journal of Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, Managing Editor, 1999-2000, Staff Member, 2000-2001
Honors & Awards
  • Chambers USA – American Leading Lawyers for Business guide, Healthcare, 2015-2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Health Care Law, 2016-2024
  • Rising Star, Massachusetts Super Lawyers magazine, Health Care, 2006-2007

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News