@HealthBlawg

Today we’re tweeting with health care lawyer, consultant and cancer survivor @Healthblawg

1. @Healthblawg, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @Healthblawg?
   I’m David Harlow, Boston-based health care lawyer, consultant, blogger, tweep & escaped New Yorker
   –
2. Tell us about your law practice.
   As a lawyer, I help #healthcare clients navigate the maze of business & regulatory issues unique to the industry…
   this includes structuring relationships and running interference w regulators …
   as a #healthcare consultant, I help clients define goals and develop structures and systems to achieve them…
   I also work with folks implementing #healthcare #socialmedia strategies See http://bit.ly/uxjg1 and http://bit.ly/4cLNub
   –
3. Wow – sounds like you’re the guy to know! What type of clients do you represent?
   #healthcare providers, vendors and payors – ranging from small MD practices to imaging centers to academic medical centers
   –
4. What is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
   Reimbursement & regulation drive the business of healthcare; we tie ourselves in knots trying to maximize $ & compliance …
   These days, everything is done with one eye on the (unknowable) future shape of federal #healthreform
   –
5. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   I put my publc & privt sector exper, & my virtual netwrk (vs my fmr downtwn firm) to work for you, effectively & efficiently
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6. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
   Diag imaging and cancer trmt provider dealing w st CON laws and fed antikickback & self-referral laws thru many transactions
   Had a healthy dose of business and regulatory issues in every bite
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7. Sounds very complex; hope it turned out well. Why do your clients hire you?
   Not my boyish good looks … Expertise, experience, efficiency, effectiveness
   –
8. What’s the most active area of your practice right now? Is that typical?
   Diagnostic imaging & anything touched by HIPAA and what I call Son of HIPAA (from ARRA) from perspec of providers & others
   There’s always some new reg du jour that generates a lot of heat
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9. Makes sense. You touched on this earlier, but what do the proposed Health Care reforms mean to your clients?
   Saving $ for society means taking it away from healthcare providers They must learn to be more efficient and effective …
   Innovations like patient-centered medical home http://bit.ly/HUHaj and value-based purchasing http://bit.ly/urdru are key
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10. Clearly there are significant changes to come. Has the econ crisis affected your clients’ ability to do business today?
    Sure: access to capital issues delay construction projects, uninsured folks defer elective care
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11. How do you market your practice?
    On line and in person: blog, tweets, LinkedIn, Fcbk (cf http://bit.ly/smlaw); also good old fashioned speaking, schmoozing
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12. Tell us about your blog, Health Blawg (http://bit.ly/ixjIo). Who do you write it for? Why should they read it?
    It’s for folks in the healthcare thick of things; I try not to repeat news but to analyze developments, put them in context
    –
13. Why did you decide to become active on Twitter? Are you achieving those objectives?
    1. Connect w folks w related professional interests & see what develops 2. Channel for blog – Seems to work for me
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14. What specific impact on referrals and/or client engagements have you realized from your Web 2.0 activities?
    Broader reach locally and nationally; clients, referral sources & collaborators find me &/or validate their choice online…
    for example, my 3 newest clients & my current biggest client all found me via web 2.0 activities
    –
15. That’s great! How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    Probably averages out to 1/2 to 1 hour a day or so, through blogging, tweeting, speaking, press interviews, etc.
    –
16. Let’s switch gears. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    Top issue for profession: Communicating value of services to clients; alt billing and implosion of BigLaw are symptoms
    –
17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    More fragmentd & more consoldated, w commodity work & bet-the-farm work split up even more than today; decline of BigLaw…
    Big oppty for small firms to move in to the great middle
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18. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    Things I almost did: get a PhD in history & literature; become a professional photographer or photography curator
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19. How do you want to be remembered?
    Smart, funny guy w perfect work-life balance, & legal & healthcare chops
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20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    Family: off-grid last wk camping. Biking, incl the PMC http://bit.ly/PMC2009. Photography http://bit.ly/12CmbJ Love jazz too
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21. Congrats on raising $4667! What advice do you have for lawyers currently under-/ unemployed due to the economic crisis?
    Thanks … Be flexible. Go out on a limb. Do something you love in your free time. Network, network, network.
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22. And our last question for you: What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Your future clients are businesses & running a law practice is a business; you need to understand business, not just the law

That’s great advice. Thank you very much for answering our questions today

Thanks Lance – My pleasure

Filed under Twitterviews | Tags: Blawger, Boston, Health Care Law | Comments Off on @HealthBlawg

@JayneJuvan

Today we’re tweeting with M&A and private equity lawyer @JayneJuvan, one of Cleveland’s “Top 25 under 35” movers and shakers

1. @JayneJuvan, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @JayneJuvan?
   Pleasure’s mine. I’m a tireless advocate, mentor, student of philosophy and economics and martial arts black belt
   –
2. Tell us about your law practice.
   Deals, deals, deals! A 24/7 corporate lawyer, focusing on M&A, corporate governance and regulatory compliance
   –
3. What type of clients do you represent?
   Market leaders changing the future of health care and other industries…
   Public and private companies, many in health care, and health care focused private equity funds.
   –
4. And what is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
   Reactionary reforms from the economic crisis and potential health care crisis, causing uncertainty and nervousness…
   Challenging times we’re in, no doubt.
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5. No doubt. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   I shift the focus to my clients – it’s all about them, not me…
   Which means I question & listen. Tell me about your products & service lines, your mission, & what keeps you up at night.
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6. That’s a very sensible approach. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
   I’m proud to say I recently advised a client on a $300M tender offer. We worked day and night on that deal. 😉
   –
7. Congratulations on that! Why do your clients hire you?
   Thanks. If I had to say it in a single word, it comes down to “trust”…
   Being a lawyer isn’t enough-I also seize upon the chance to help them grow their businesses and show them new opportunities.
   –
8. Am sure that is extremely valuable to them. What’s the most active area of your practice right now? Is that typical?
   Not typical, there’s been an uptick in gov’t enforcement actions and I’ve advised on corp compliance & reg investigations.
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9. What do the proposed Health Care reforms mean to your health care clients?
   Many PE funds have adopted a “wait and see” approach-they’ll delay acquisitions until there’s more certainty on HC reform.
   –
10. Has the econ crisis affected your clients’ ability to do business? R they changing the way they structure transactions?
    Impacts deal flow & timing. We’re spending significant time in due diligence & utilizing creative structuring techniques.
    –
11. I imagine the impact is far greater than 140 characters could cover…. How do you market your practice?
    You’re not kidding! Most referrals are performance based – ibanker is impressed w/our work & invites us to the next deal.
    –
12. What are the strategic objectives driving your Web 2.0 activity? Are you meeting them?
    Developing longlasting, authentic relatnshps. Results r better-than-expected – I’ve made many new personal & prof’l friends.
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13. How is your active Web 2.0 profile perceived by your firm’s leadership? Is it difficult to convince them of its value?
    I’d characterize our leadership as avant-garde and innovative, naturally. They’ve welcomed my efforts from the onset.
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14. That’s great for everyone. Why did you decide to become active on Twitter? Are you achieving those objectives?
    These new technologies can advance our practice’s growth. I embrace them & all they have to offer & am meeting my goals!
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15. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    We must remember that our reputation as lawyers is built day by day, decision by decision, brick by brick…
    Which means that all day, everyday is spent on brand development – every decision, every judgment call matters.
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16. Absolutely. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    IMHO, this ? is at the core – how do we train & mentor the next generation of lawyers & at same time remain fee sensitive?
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17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    I’m hopeful that firms will recognize that our future is dependent upon training the next generation of lawyers…
    I believe strongly this is our duty, ought to be one of our highest priorities, and ultimately will determine our legacy…
    And I trust that the profession will be far better off tomorrow with the efforts of these rising stars
    –
18. That sounds like a great future. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    I’m passionate about practice of law, but an ibanker, trader on Wall Street or economist? Or, future politico? No comment!
    –
19. I look forward to saying “I knew her when….” How do you want to be remembered?
    LOL. In a few simple words, I hope I’m remembered as: Bold. Authentic. Smart. Tough. Purpose Driven. Principle Centered.
    –
20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    Always working, but on occasion move from negotiations to the sparring ring.TKD olympic style fghtng & medalist @ AAU nat’ls
    –
21. Wow. We’ll cover that in the next iview! What advice do you have for lawyers under- / unemployed due to the econ crisis?
    As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor (saved by Herceptin @genentech), I’ve had my share of challenges…
    Our response to crises ultimately defines us and, if we choose, can stimulate us to take action to enhance lives of others…
    Be resilient. Look closely for the opps that lie beneath the wreckage. Trust that they’re there. Find them, then give back
    –
22. And our last question for you: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Dare to dream. Always. “The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It is yours.” Ayn Rand

Thank you, Jayne for this great twitterview and especially for your beautiful and eloquent advice!

And thank you so much for having me today, Lance! RT @22twts Thx Jayne for this twitterview & eloquent advice!

Filed under Twitterviews | Tags: Blawger, Cleveland, Health Law, Private Equity | Comments Off on @JayneJuvan

@nikiblack

Nicole Black

Of Counsel to Fiandach & Fiandach, a Rochester, New York law firm

Co-author of Criminal Law in New York, a Thompson-West publication

Author of Daily Record Column (Dolan Media)

Author / publisher of Legal Tweets, Sui Generis, Practicing Law in the 21st Century, Women Lawyers–Back on Track, and Legal Antics

Winner of the first Shorty Award in #law 

For our 1st interview, we’re tweeting w/ @nikiblack, Shorty Award in #law winner and arguably 1 of the best known lawyers on Twitter

Not just a practicing lawyer, she’s a prolific blogger, a legal writer, a law tech consultant & author of “Twitter 101 for lawyers”

1. Thank you for helping launch @22Twts. Tell us: who is the person behind @nikiblack?
   Hi there. My pleasure–looking forward to it. Simply put, I’m a lawyer, author, & legal blogger.
    
2. What type of law do you practice and where?
   Criminal defense. I’m of counsel to Fiandach & Fiandach, a DWI defense firm in Rochester, NY.
    
3. Who do you represent in your practice?
   People who have been charged with Driving While Intoxicated.
    
4. What is the most important legal issue affecting your clients?
   Protecting their rights after they’ve made a common mistake-operating a motor vehicle after drinking alcohol.
    
5. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   Our office will do the best that we can for you.
    
6. What is the most significant client representation you’ve ever had?
   I was an asst public defender for 4 yrs-While working in appeals dept., I was successful in appeal of a murder conviction.
    
7. Tell us about the case and how it turned out the way it did
   People v. Sierra-47 NYS2d 89-Client was charged w/ shooting innocent bystander when defending himself from shots…cont.
   by his brother. Jury instruction re: self defense=confusing & erroneous-charges dismissed & client released from prison.
   Client re-indicted-plead to manslaughter, more appropriate charge for his conduct & mental state-received no more jail time.
    
8. Congratulations on that outcome. Why do your clients hire you now?
   DWI defense clients hire our office in order to receive arguably the best defense in the Upstate New York area…cont.
   Lawyers hire me 2 learn how 2 use Web 2.0 technologies in their practices, save $, reduce stress & better serve clients.
    
9. What would you say has been your greatest professional accomplishment in your career so far?
   The appellate win described above and co-authoring the Thomson-West treatise “Criminal Law in NY”–http://bit.ly/7oZpL
    
10. How do you sell your practice?
    Speaking at seminars and using Web 2.0 technologies: the internet, blogs, Twitter and other forms of social media.
     
11. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    Approximately one hour or so. It varies.
     
12. You publish four blogs. That’s a lot. Why so many?
    I have a variety of interests that I enjoy exploring & each blog serves a different purpose for me. And, I enjoy writing;)
     
13. What would you say is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    Accepting technology, incorporating technology into legal practices and staying on top of technological changes.
     
14. Switching gears, what has been your greatest personal accomplishment?
    Becoming a mother. It changed me more than I ever thought possible.
     
15. Why did you become a lawyer?
    Although it sounds cliché, to make a difference in the the world and make it a better place.
     
16. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    Something involving creativity and/or technology-perhaps a graphic designer, web designer, or author.
     
17. How would you like to be remembered?
    As a kind, interesting person who laughed at life, made a difference and left her mark.
     
18. Where did you go to school?
    University of Rochester for undergrad and Albany Law School.
     
19. Just a few more questions, Niki. What do you do when you’re not working?
    Spend time with my family, cook & enjoy wine. I also spend a lot of time on the computer-can’t seem to stay away from it;)
     
20. It must be the influence of Twitter! What languages do you speak?
    English with basic understanding of Spanish and some knowledge of Italian. I can also read Hebrew, but don’t understand it.
     
21. What’s one thing you’ve done that no one would ever imagine?
    White water rafting in Jackson Hole, WY. I’m not at all outdoorsy, so people that know me would be surprised to learn that.
     
22. And the 22nd question: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Your law degree is just one weapon in your arsenal. A law degree does not limit your options-it expands them.

That’s useful advice in today’s economy. Thank you so very much, @nikiblack, for doing this interview to help us launch 22 Tweets

Thanks for speaking with me. Enjoyed it very much;) 

Filed under Twitterviews | Tags: Blawger, Criminal Defense, New York, Rochester, Technology | Comments Off on @nikiblack