Murphy and Grimm Quoted as Health Care Attorneys are Becoming ‘Producers’ to Seal Provider Deals

Anne discussed the “campaign approach” she first developed while working on a high-profile Illinois hospital relocation that required regulatory approval and significant community engagement. To anticipate potential challenges, legal, communications, and consulting teams collaborated early on to align messaging, manage public perception, and build stakeholder support before the transaction became public.

Anne added that it felt like everyone was in the right place at the right time to make sure the deal came together smoothly. 

“The model that we developed came from very energetic conversations between the PR consultant and me that, in my mind, blossomed into a model that I’ve used many times since then,” she said.

Agreeing that the role of health care lawyers has evolved significantly, Douglas noted that one deal required “a little more hand-holding or involvement for the attorney” while another didn’t.

He said, “But now I think things are really beginning to bloom as it relates to looking at the lawyer beyond just simply… negotiating the legal terms and then committing it to paper.” 

It’s not enough for the deal to be approved. He added, it has to be right for your community. It has to be right for your internal stakeholders, your employees, your workforce.

Douglas said that, today, attorneys like him must assist “from the genesis of the idea” to make sure a transaction happens. 

“There’s a lot of opportunity out there,” he said. “And I think that’s where the attorney’s role — not by design I just think by function — has just gradually expanded.”

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