Kroeker said California has been an early supporter of the Medicaid expansion program, which allows states to choose their own involvement. The state, he said, has invested lots of time and resources to comply with the pending change. Kroeker added that, as the deadline approaches and more states decide whether to join the federal program or go it alone, states will seek outside counsel. "This year is going to be a very busy year in terms of evaluating new regulations and advising clients," he said. "My expectation is that the work for lawyers doesn't go away once the laws are on the books — it just shifts into a different gear."
UNCERTAINTY IN SPECIFICS
Jason Caron, a partner in McDermott Will & Emery's D.C. office, agreed that the next few years would keep lawyers busy. "My sense is that while there is a lot going on this year and the next year, I don't see that changing," he said.
Gregory Luce, a health care litigation partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, said, "It's a little hard to measure to what degree an act whose principal parts have not been fully implemented will affect the volume of legal work." Nonetheless, he observed, "Particularly in the enforcement arena, there are several things that have engendered work. The amendment to the False Claims Act will have some substantial impact for those that have regulatory work like we do."
With the flurry of activity, firms are on the prowl for talent. Ed Lee, the founder of legal recruiting firm Whitehaven Strategies, said that people with experience in government enforcement are in particularly high demand. "If you have good, legitimate legislative chops, there is always room at firms," he said.
"At my firm, we have been very busy as a result of the Affordable Care Act," Polston of King & Spalding said. "We don't anticipate that it will go away anytime soon. That is a growth area and we are interested in continuing to grow in that space."
This article originally appeared in The National Law Journal.
This article originally appeared in The National Law Journal under the headline “A prosperous diagnosis.”
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