HHS Official Mark D. Polston Joins King & Spalding's Healthcare Practice in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Sep 25, 2012) - King & Spalding announced today the addition of Mark D. Polston as a partner in its Washington, D.C., healthcare practice. Polston joins the firm from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where for the past seven years he was the deputy associate general counsel for litigation in the office of general counsel, CMS division.

"Mark is a well-regarded lawyer and a well-known member of the healthcare community," said King & Spalding healthcare practice leader Jay Harris. "His experience affords him tremendous insight into how CMS operates, and we believe this unique perspective will be of great benefit to our clients." 

Polston has over 20 years of experience in federal litigation, including Medicare, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act regulatory policies, as well as health care fraud litigation, enforcement and investigations. He has broad familiarity with Medicare payment and compliance concerns having managed virtually all defensive, federal court litigation challenging CMS policies and final agency determinations while with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Having worked as a private practice attorney for qui tam relators and in the Department of Justice, Polston also has significant experience handling False Claims Act litigation. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of Dayton.

"We hold Mark in the highest regard, especially for his work in government service," said Dennis Barry, a healthcare partner in King & Spalding's Washington office. "We are excited that he has chosen King & Spalding from among the many options that were open to him. Mark brings to our practice not only his extensive familiarity with coverage, payment and compliance issues, but also the sound judgment he has developed as a result of his years of experience working at the highest level." 

Polston said, "King & Spalding is well-known in the health care community as having one of the foremost health law practices in the United States. The firm has a reputation for offering clients uncommon depth and breadth of knowledge, and I believe I can help expand that offering. Health care clients face many challenges today, operating in an increasingly regulated environment focused on compliance, lowering costs and promoting new payment models. My experience gives me a special understanding of this environment, and I look forward to helping the firm's clients face these challenges and find the opportunities wherever they exist." 

King & Spalding represents healthcare companies involved in the delivery of healthcare and payment for healthcare services across all facets of the legal issues they face. The firm also has one of the broadest and deepest benches of lawyers, scientists and consultants specializing in the representation of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology companies. Ranked by Modern Healthcare magazine in September 2012 as the largest healthcare practice in the United States, the firm has received national acclaim for excellence in transactional, litigation and regulatory representation of healthcare clients. Firm lawyers and consultants have decades of experience in understanding the intricacies of the healthcare industry and obtaining coverage, coding and appropriate reimbursement for provider and pharmaceutical/biotech and medical device manufacturer clients.

About King & Spalding
Celebrating more than 125 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 800 lawyers in 17 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com