Senior Counsel The Permanente Medical Group

Provides legal advice and counsel as requested to TPMG Physicians, Executives, Managers, Administrators and other internal constituents concerning general and specific health care, business and corporate issues, as well as on a variety of other legal issues.  Independently handles a variety of complex legal matters. Is able to identify, anticipate, and develop strategies to mitigate legal risks.

• Develops and presents legal advice and opinions relative to TPMGs operations and regulatory requirements.


• Provides day to day legal advice to TPMG, including operations and physician leaders on a wide range of health care, corporate, and other legal issues, including issues specific to physician groups and physician practice.


• Conducts legal research, prepares legal documents and recommends courses of action to ensure appropriate compliance with existing laws, regulations, and accreditation standards.


• Provides advice and drafting assistance on policies and procedures, and on proposed communications that may have legal implications.


• Reviews and advises TPMG management on relevant new and proposed statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions affecting TPMG operations.


• Provides negotiation assistance, reviews, develops, drafts, and prepares contracts with organizations with which TPMG conducts business.


• Monitors, manages, and reviews all work and expenditures for outside counsel to ensure quality and efficacy of legal services.


• Provides/contributes to educational programs for TPMG physicians and other employees on legal issues pertaining to TPMG and Kaiser Permanente.


• Kaiser Permanente conducts compensation reviews of positions on a routine basis. At any time, Kaiser Permanente reserves the right to reevaluate and change job descriptions, or to change such positions from salaried to hourly pay status. Such changes are generally implemented only after notice is given to affected employees.

Qualifications:

• Minimum ten (10) years of experience as a practicing attorney analyzing and applying health care or employment, contract, and/or corporate laws, regulations and guidelines to the practice of law.

• Law degree required.

• Registered In House Counsel (California) within 12 months of hire OR State Bar License (California) within 12 months of hire

• Strong client service skills required with demonstrated excellent client satisfaction.


• Demonstrated ability to determine key business issues and develop appropriate action plans from multi-disciplinary perspectives.


• Demonstrated ability to define the strategy of and provide overall direction to a specified practice area.


• Excellent skills in complex analytic problem solving, project management, change management, and group process.


• Superior communication, consulting, facilitation, negotiation, conflict management, problem resolution, change management skills and consensus building skills.


• Ability to adapt to constantly changing priorities in managing a wide range of projects.


• Demonstrated ability to lead professionals through influence and collaboration.


• Understanding of Health Care operations and KP competitors, and economic, social, and legal environment.


• Superior leadership and project management skills. Demonstrated ability to bring projects/initiatives to completion.


• Must possess superior interpersonal skills (oral and written), coaching and mentoring skills, presentation skills, and must exemplify key leadership attributes.


• Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.

• The preferred candidate will need a minimum of five (5) years of California-specific employment law experience advising a health care system or systems (and/or clinic or medical group) as internal or external counsel, with a significant employed and/or contracted physician component.


• Experience representing medical professionals before their licensing boards would also be desired.


• A demonstrated understanding of physician/hospital/health plan relationships, as well as proven strong client service, project management, problem solving, negotiation, change management, and both written and verbal communication skills are essential.


• Experience with intellectual property, including advising on IP strategy, protection of all forms of intellectual property (with an emphasis on copyright and trade secret), drafting, negotiating, and interpreting license agreements, non-disclosure agreements, technical services agreements and other IP-related documents.


• Experience with clinical, applied, and translational research, including working with Institutional Review Boards, strong understanding of federal and state research grant compliance, human subject protection, and research contracting.