AHLA Health Care and the Business of Cannabis: Legal Questions and Answers (AHLA Members)

Lisa Gora (Editor-in-Chief and Concept Editor) is a health care and corporate attorney at Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer PA. Her health care practice focuses on the representation of health care professionals as well as group practices and other health care entities, including but not limited to, mental health facilities, substance use disorder treatment facilities, academic medical centers, and ambulatory surgery centers. She advises her clients on applicable federal and state statutes and regulations, including but not limited to, the federal Anti-Kickback law and Stark Law, federal False Claims Act, and state-specific self-referral laws. On the corporate side, Lisa guides her clients through transactional matters with respect to the formation and structure of health care entities, including joint ventures, affiliation agreements, and other professional service arrangements.

Lisa serves as Chair of the Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review Practice Group of the American Health Law Association, and she is also Vice Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Health Law Section. Since 2019, Lisa has been ranked in Chambers USA. She has also been named to the "Rising Stars" list of New Jersey Super Lawyers since 2018; she has been named in the "One to Watch" 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law; and she was named by the New Jersey Law Journal in its 2020 Professional Excellence Awards as a “New Leader of the Bar,” recognizing her leadership in the health care legal industry in New Jersey.

Jennifer M. Nelson Carney (Editor-in-Chief and Concept Editor) is chair of Bricker & Eckler's Health Care industry group. Her practice focuses on the business and regulatory needs of hospitals, health systems, dialysis providers, and other health care entities. She advises clients on the balance of minimizing risk while providing good patient care from intake to discharge.

Jenny counsels on issues surrounding maintenance of patient information, including design and documentation of the medical record, health information technology, promoting interoperability, and information blocking. Additionally, she helps clients navigate state and federal regulatory issues surrounding mergers and acquisitions of health care entities, including Medicare and Medicaid provider enrollment, CHOWs and revalidations, Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs), state and accrediting body survey and certification and licensure issues, RAC appeals, and medical staff privileging and credentialing. Her experience also includes work with medical marijuana/cannabis issues, health care reimbursement, and health care policy issues.

Jenny has twice served as interim in-house counsel for the firm’s health system clients to help the organizations' legal departments manage complex projects and move their short- and long-term goals forward.

Michael F. Schaff (Concept Editor) is co-chair of the Corporate and Health Law practice groups and a member of the Management Committee at Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer PA. He has over 30 years of experience representing hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, physician groups, and other health care providers in all areas of health care law, including in connection with the formation and structure of joint ventures and private equity investments in health care. On the corporate side, Michael advises start-ups and established businesses of all sizes on matters ranging from simple to complex agreements, entity formation and regulatory compliance, to purchases or sales and strategic transactions.

Michael is an active member of the American Health Law Association, having served in several of the organization's leadership positions, including as a member of the Board of Directors, Executive and Finance Committees, and Chair of AHLA’s Physician Organizations Practice Group. In 2018, he was the recipient of the prestigious David J. Greenburg Service Award. Michael is currently an AHLA Fellow and a member of the AHLA Fellows Coordinating Committee. He is a Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association and an Emeritus Director of its Health Law Section.

Widely recognized as a leader in health care law, Michael has received numerous honors and awards. Chambers USA has consistently ranked him among the top health care attorneys in New Jersey since 2011, including as a "Star Individual" in 2020. Best Lawyers in America has recognized Michael every year since 2003, including as "Lawyer of the Year" for Business Organizations in 2021 and for Health Care Law in 2012 and 2016–2018. He has also been included in New Jersey Super Lawyers since its inception and in the "Top 100" list since 2007.