Overview

Beth Vessel knows how to structure and negotiate deals, focusing extensively on physician and provider joint ventures. She regularly handles mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures, as well as private securities offerings, primarily in the healthcare industry.

Clients rely on her to advise them on antitrust law related to due diligence issues, pre- and post-transaction conduct and general compliance.

Ms. Vessel has assisted clients with numerous pre-merger notification filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. Client interaction and structuring creative solutions to complex problems are what she values most about her work.

Clients from the following areas call upon Ms. Vessel for her advice and counsel:

  • diagnostic imaging/oncology
  • surgery centers
  • physician practices
  • hospitals
  • behavioral health

Her experience also includes reviewing indentures and security documents while serving as trustee counsel for a large national bank.

Representative Experience

  • Represented United Surgical Partners International (USPI) in its acquisition of Audubon Surgery Center and assisted in structuring the transaction and in getting the center licensed and enrolled in governmental payor programs
  • Represented USPI in its acquisition of interests in Bristol Surgery Center in East Tennessee
  • Represented USPI in the acquisition of an interest in multi-specialty surgery center in New Jersey
  • Represented USPI in the acquisition of Borland Groover’s two locations of Jacksonville Center for Endoscopy
  • Represented USPI in its joint venture with an affiliate of Adventist Health System/Sunbelt, a Florida not-for-profit corporation, to open new surgery centers in Central Florida

  • Represented Acadia Healthcare in its $1.3 billion acquisition of CRC Health Group, a leading provider of treatment services related to substance abuse and other addiction and behavioral disorder
  • Represented an owner/operator of behavioral health programs in its acquisition of an Indiana treatment center for women with eating disorders
  • Represented a behavioral health programs owner/operator in its acquisition of an eating disorder treatment center in Ohio
  • Assisted a behavioral health programs operator in the acquisition of a treatment center for women which treats eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma and obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Represented Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare in the acquisition of Clearview Treatment Programs in Venice Beach, Calif.

  • Served as counsel to The Health Care Authority of the City of Anniston, Ala. in its $25 million acquisition of Stringfellow Memorial Hospital
  • Represented Duke LifePoint in its $483 million acquisition of Marquette General Hospital in Michigan
  • Represented Mississippi Baptist Health System in its merger with Baptist Memorial Healthcare, resulting in a combined system of 21 hospitals with $2.5 billion in revenues
  • Provided the University of Kentucky transaction structure guidance, contract and deal negotiation, and anti-trust and healthcare analysis in forming its joint venture with KD Health
  • Assisted RCCH HealthCare Partners in a healthcare IT transaction involving the acquisition of a medical billing and revenue cycle management company

  • Advised a leading medical services provider in its acquisition of a Hawaii-based cancer practice from physician-owners
  • Assisted Tri Star Energy with the acquisition of Hollingsworth Oil and its "Sudden Service" chain of convenience stores

Credentials

Education
  • The University of Chicago Law School, J.D., with honors
  • Vanderbilt University, B.A., Mathematics; Economics, summa cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Tennessee
Memberships
  • Nashville Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • American Health Law Association
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Volunteer
  • Nashville Sports Council
  • Girl Scout Troop Leader
  • Crockett Elementary, Volunteer
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Antitrust Law, 2023; Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2019-2023

Publications

News