AGG Welcomes Former HHS Acting General Counsel Brian Stimson to Its Growing D.C. Office

Washington, D.C., October 10, 2023 – Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (AGG) is pleased to announce that Brian R. Stimson has joined the firm as a Litigation and Healthcare partner in Washington, D.C. The addition of Brian is part of AGG’s continued growth strategy in the D.C. market, where it added three experienced Healthcare and Litigation partners within the last two years and relocated to 2100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in early 2023.

“We are thrilled to have Brian join AGG. Brian’s experience serving as the lead litigator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), combined with his successful track record representing providers since leaving HHS in October 2020, brings incredible perspective to our Healthcare and Litigation practice groups and to our clients” said Matthew M. Lavin, AGG Litigation and Healthcare partner. “His leadership, legal acumen, and commitment to results for his clients make him an excellent match for our growing team of respected healthcare litigators in Washington, D.C.”

Brian focuses his practice on securing full reimbursement for providers. He represents providers in challenges to agency rules and determinations, and in civil actions and arbitrations against commercial payors.

Providers and non-profit, provider-sponsored health plans frequently retain Brian to defend them in federal and state audits, investigations, and enforcement actions. They also look to Brian as a trusted advisor on the regulatory issues adjacent to his litigation practice. Those issues include Medicare fee-for-service reimbursement, managed care contracting, surprise billing, the Medicare Advantage program, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, and the federal rulemaking and inter-agency process generally.

Brian joins AGG from the D.C. office of Am Law 25 firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP. Previously, Brian served as the Acting General Counsel and Principal Deputy General Counsel (the second-ranking lawyer) at HHS. In that role, he oversaw the defense of administrative litigation against all HHS divisions, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He was also a liaison between the HHS Office of the General Counsel and the Office of Counsel to the HHS Inspector General, partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice on False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement policy, and was the principal in-house counsel for administrative enforcement actions by the HHS Office for Civil Rights under HIPAA. In 2020, Brian helped lead the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He received the Superior Service Medal from the HHS Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response for his work during public health crises. Prior to HHS, Brian was a partner in the litigation and trial practice group at Am Law 50 firm Alston & Bird.

“We welcome an attorney as talented and respected as Brian to our growing D.C. roster, especially given the immense competition for legal talent,” said Michael E. Burke, administrative partner of AGG’s Washington, D.C. office. “Our continued expansion in D.C. is a part of our firm’s concerted effort to attract, recruit, and retain outstanding attorneys for the ultimate benefit of our clients. We are excited for Brian to join us as the latest reflection of that strategic growth.”

Brian earned his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

ABOUT ARNALL GOLDEN GREGORY LLP

Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG) is an Am Law 200 law firm with offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Our client-service model is rooted in taking a “business sensibility” approach to fully understand how our clients’ specific legal matters fit into their overall business objectives. Our transactional, litigation, and regulatory counselors serve clients in healthcare, real estate, litigation and other dispute resolution, business transactions, fintech, life sciences, technology, intellectual property, global commerce, economic development, public finance, and government investigations. With our rich experience and know-how, we don’t ask “if,” we figure out “how.” Visit us at www.agg.com.