Southern Health Lawyers

What Southern Health Lawyers does

Southern Health Lawyers, LLC, operating as a Sanders & Mustari Lawfirm, is a private healthcare-focused law firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded by partners Richard D. Sanders (now Retired Partner) and Jeffrey M. Mustari, the firm operates three offices across the Southeastern United States in Atlanta (GA), Jacksonville (FL), and Birmingham (AL), with a team of six attorneys. The firm delivers specialized legal counsel across 23 healthcare law practice areas including Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law compliance, HIPAA and healthcare privacy, Certificate of Need applications and litigation, mergers and acquisitions, government investigations defense (DOJ, CMS, False Claims Act qui tam actions), healthcare real estate, telehealth and telemedicine, opioid crisis management, and legislative and public policy advocacy.

The firm serves an exclusively healthcare-sector client base including acute care and community hospitals, health systems, physician practices of all sizes, Federally-Qualified Health Centers, hospice providers, home healthcare companies, therapy/occupational health/nursing home/DME companies. Notable client engagements include representation in a $27 million physician practice acquisition by an international company, defense of community hospitals against alleged EMTALA violations, CON hearings, and qui tam False Claims Act dismissals. The firm has maintained Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer review ratings and has been continuously recognized as Best Law Firms in America for Healthcare since 2012.

The business model is professional services revenue generated through attorney billable hours on a quote-based fee structure tailored to each matter. The firm has no external investors, no parent company, and operates as a privately-held LLC domiciled in Georgia. Marketing is content-driven through a weekly Health Law News Nugget video series, educational presentations at industry conferences (MGMA, Georgia Hospital Association, Alabama Primary Health Care Association), and professional networking. No technology platform, software product, or AI capabilities are part of the firm's offering; competitive advantage derives from attorney expertise, regulatory specialization, and sustained industry reputation rather than proprietary technology.

Name

Southern Health Lawyers

Legal name

Southern Health Lawyers, LLC

Website

https://southernhealthlawyers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Health Lawyers is a private healthcare-focused law firm based in Atlanta with offices in Florida and Alabama, serving hospitals, physician practices, and healthcare organizations across the Southeast US with specialized regulatory, transactional, and litigation counsel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Law, Legal Counsel & Regulatory Affairs Offices (HLAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Healthcare legal services
• Healthcare regulatory compliance
• Medical practice law
• HIPAA privacy counsel
• Healthcare transactions law

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Services: Fee-for-service legal representation across healthcare regulatory compliance, transactions, litigation, and advisory. Revenue generated through attorney hours billed for legal counsel, representation, and compliance services to healthcare providers and organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southern Health Lawyers is a healthcare-focused law firm that provides legal counsel to hospitals, physician practices, FQHCs, hospices, and other healthcare organizations across regulatory compliance (Anti-Kickback, Stark, HIPAA, EMTALA, False Claims Act), corporate transactions (M&A, business transactions, healthcare real estate), litigation, government investigations defense, Certificate of Need matters, licensing, legislative/public policy, and emerging areas such as telehealth and opioid compliance. Services are delivered by a six-attorney team through offices in Atlanta, GA; Jacksonville, FL; and Birmingham, AL under a fee-for-service engagement model.

Product overview

Southern Health Lawyers is a healthcare law firm (not a technology company) offering a comprehensive suite of legal services across 23 distinct practice areas. The firm's services are organized around core healthcare legal competencies including regulatory compliance (Anti-Kickback, Stark Law, HIPAA), corporate transactions (Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Transactions, Healthcare Real Estate), litigation, government investigations, and specialized areas such as Telehealth & Telemedicine, Opioid Crisis Management, and Certificate of Need proceedings. These practice areas represent the firm's service offerings and are not technology products in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anti-Kickback Compliance Legal counsel and compliance guidance related to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and regulations affecting healthcare providers, including structuring of arrangements and defense matters.
• Arbitration & Mediation Alternative dispute resolution services for healthcare-related conflicts outside traditional court proceedings.
• Business Transactions Legal representation for healthcare business transactions, including contract drafting, negotiation, and deal structuring.
• Certificate of Need (CON) Certificate of Need counseling, due diligence, and litigation services, including licensure applications, appeals, and regulatory compliance for healthcare facilities.
• Corporations Corporate legal services for healthcare organizations, including compliance strategy, regulatory navigation, and litigation defense.
• Corporate Practice of Medicine Legal counsel on Corporate Practice of Medicine Doctrine compliance, structuring arrangements between licensed and unlicensed entities.
• Employment Employment law services for healthcare organizations, including NDAs, non-competes, trade secrets, whistleblower defense, and contract disputes.
• ERISA / Reimbursement Disputes Legal representation in ERISA-based payment disputes and healthcare reimbursement matters.
• Government Investigations Defense and counsel services for healthcare providers facing federal and state government investigations and regulatory inquiries.
• Healthcare Information Technology and Security Legal protection for healthcare technology innovations, intellectual property, and IT security matters.
• Healthcare Real Estate Real estate transaction counsel for healthcare assets, including nursing homes, physician offices, medical office buildings, and ancillary facilities.
• Healthcare Regulatory Compliance Compliance counsel to help healthcare organizations navigate state and federal regulations, including HIPAA, fraud and abuse, and False Claims Act matters.
• HIPAA and Healthcare Privacy Privacy and security legal counsel addressing HIPAA requirements and state breach notification laws.
• Institutional and Individual Licensure Licensing and certification legal services for healthcare institutions and professionals, including defense against license revocation attempts.
• Legislative and Public Policy Healthcare legislative advocacy and regulatory policy services, including government relations and lobbying support.
• Litigation Healthcare litigation services, including court representation, arbitration, mediation, and administrative proceedings.
• Medical and Chiropractic Integration Legal counsel on formation of integrated healthcare practices combining medical and chiropractic services.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Healthcare M&A transaction services, including regulatory due diligence, antitrust analysis, and change of ownership requirements.
• Opioid Crisis Management Legal counsel on pain management compliance, opioid prescribing regulations, and documentation protocols for practices treating chronic pain patients.
• Physician Self-Referral (Stark) Compliance counsel on Stark Law physician self-referral restrictions and federal/state anti-kickback regulations.
• Risk Management Development and implementation of risk management plans for healthcare entities, including medical bylaws review and peer review functions.
• Telehealth & Telemedicine Legal counsel on telehealth technology, telemedicine regulations, and state/federal telehealth compliance requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served as counsel on $27 million healthcare asset acquisition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Epstein Becker Green: National law firm with one of the country's largest healthcare practices covering regulatory compliance, M&A, fraud and abuse, HIPAA, and labor matters — directly overlaps with SHL's core service offerings for healthcare providers.
• Akerman LLP: Major Florida-headquartered firm with a nationally recognized healthcare practice covering M&A, fraud and abuse, and regulatory matters — directly comparable in Florida market presence to SHL's Jacksonville office.
• Arnall Golden Gregory: Atlanta-based law firm with a recognized healthcare practice serving hospitals, physician groups, and digital health companies across the Southeast — a strong direct competitor in SHL's home Georgia market.
• Baker Donelson: Large Southeast-based law firm with a dedicated healthcare practice covering regulatory compliance, transactions, and reimbursement disputes — a direct regional competitor to SHL across GA, FL, and AL.
• Hall Render: Largest US law firm dedicated exclusively to healthcare law, serving hospitals, physician groups, and health systems on regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters — directly comparable in practice area mix to Southern Health Lawyers, though at much greater scale.
• Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis: Southeast-based law firm with a sizable healthcare practice advising providers and health systems on regulatory, transactional, and operational issues — competes with SHL across the same Southeast geography.

Broad incumbents

• McDermott Will & Emery: Global law firm with a top-tier healthcare practice advising on transactions, regulatory compliance, and government investigations — competes for the same hospital and physician-practice clients SHL serves, but as part of a much broader practice portfolio.
• Foley & Lardner: National law firm with a leading healthcare industry team serving providers, payors, and life sciences companies on regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters — overlaps significantly with SHL's practice areas at greater scale.
• Polsinelli: National law firm with a substantial healthcare practice covering regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters — competes for hospital and physician group clients across the Southeast, though as part of a broader national platform.
• King & Spalding: Atlanta-headquartered global firm with substantial healthcare regulatory and litigation capabilities — competes with SHL on high-end Southeast healthcare matters while serving a much broader client base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southernhealthlawyers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Health Lawyers