DLA Piper adds Melesa Freerks as partner in the Regulatory & Government Affairs group

DLA Piper is pleased to welcome Chicago-based partner Melesa Freerks to the firm’s Healthcare subgroup within the Regulatory & Government Affairs practice group.

Freerks focuses her practice on advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies in their investments within the healthcare sector. She advises clients in all aspects of federal and state healthcare regulatory matters, including anti-kickback laws, self referral laws, state licensure, corporate practice of medicine and privacy issues. Freerks is also engaged by private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies for guidance on structural, transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters.

She provides counsel to health care organizations, group practices, physicians and other health care companies in a variety of matters, including compliance programs, fraud and abuse issues, physician employment agreements, privacy issues and tax-exempt status.

Freerks most recently served as a partner at a global law firm, where she counseled private equity clients that included GTCR, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Bain Capital Private Equity, Great Hill Partners and Arsenal Capital Partners and their portfolio companies.

“Private equity is a focus area for our firm and the healthcare sector is one of the busiest sectors, representing a critical area of potential growth. Melesa has deep experience in these areas of great demand and will add immediate value in supporting our multidisciplinary approach for our clients,” said Edward “Smitty” Smith, chair of the Regulatory and Government Affairs practice.

“We are excited to welcome Melesa to our office and believe her combination of healthcare regulatory and transactional knowledge will be a crucial asset for our clients,” said Jesse Criz, co-managing partner of the Chicago office.