Health Care and Litigation Practice Areas
Gene Thornton understands that his clients are faced with a complex array of regulations and laws that must be navigated on behalf of both their patients and employees. His goal is to identify the problems and difficulties facing his clients and to move toward a realistic and affordable solution. Mr. Thornton focuses his practice in health care law, corporate law, general business matters, and he is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi. Gene graduated from Yale University and the University of Mississippi School of Law, cum laude. Prior to law school, he spent a number of years working in the Memphis business community in the retail and service industries, which gave him a thorough understanding of the difficulties that business owners face on a daily basis.
Within his health care practice, Mr. Thornton's emphasis is on representing physician groups in health care regulations, technology, and corporate and contractual relationships. Generally, he advises clients in various business and health care-related issues, including but not limited to the following:
- Ensuring that clients protect and manage health information to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state privacy laws in Tennessee and Mississippi
- Ensuring that clients protect financial and personal information to comply with other state and federal privacy and security requirements, including the Red Flag Rules
- Counseling clients in their efforts to comply with the legal and regulatory requirements of the federal health program rules, the anti-kickback and physician self-referral (Stark) prohibitions, and other fraud and abuse provisions
- Assisting clients in the creation of business entities, including corporations, limited liability companies, professional corporations, professional limited liability companies, and Tennessee nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations
- Advising clients on general contractual matters including employment contracts, non-competes, and leases
- Counseling governmental entities on HIPAA issues and other regulatory matters related to self-funded health plans
Mr. Thornton is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Health Law Section, the Mississippi Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Memphis Bar Association. Gene is a member of Central Church in Collierville and an active participant in the Memphis Emmaus community. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching sports and movies, and spending time with his wife, Deborah, and watching his daughter in theater productions and his son play sports.
Education:University of Mississippi (J.D., 2002)Yale University (B.A., 1993)
Admitted to Bar:Tennessee, 2002
Mississippi, 2003
Contact:phone: 901.521.4607
fax: 901.374.7504
email: gthornton@evanspetree.com
