Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is pleased to announce the addition of four attorneys to its Jacksonville office as the firm expands to better serve clients in the state of Florida. Shylie Bannon is a Partner in our Jacksonville office where she focuses her practice on representing physicians, mid-level providers, and health care providers in high exposure medical negligence claims and in administrative proceedings before the Florida Department of Health. She also represents management in all aspects of employment-related litigation arising from allegations of sex, disability, race, and pregnancy discrimination, whistleblower actions, and alleged violations of the National Labor Relations Act

As healthcare organizations face mounting turnover and transition in leadership positions, upper-level management should be prepared to help staff adapt to the change. In an iAdvance Senior Care article, Jeffrey Daitz, partner and co-chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group at Hall Booth Smith, said companies and organizations should give thought to how they introduce a new leader to employees and other stakeholders to avoid negatively impacting employee morale. “People are naturally resistant to change,” he said. “Often when there’s a transition, there’s often resentment. People internally sometimes resist change.” Daitz said companies can fend off resentment by identifying talent within

In an article published on May 12, 2022 by the Daily Report, partner Teresa Tomlinson explains how Congress in 2005 enabled the government to enlist senior-living communities, among others, to coordinate a national response and leverage private healthcare facilities to mitigate and prevent the spread of a virus. In return for this service, the government granted immunity to the centers and said that any litigation over claims should be handled only in the U.S. District Court in Washington. However, Tomlinson notes in the article, federal courts have allowed more than 100 cases against senior centers over COVID-19 care to be remanded

Some 700 lawsuits pending against nursing home providers related to care they’ve provided during the pandemic hang in the balance as a series of legal challenges continues concerning the federal PREP Act and its protections for providers. Drew Graham, Partner and Leader of the Aging Services Practice Group at Hall Booth Smith, joined Olga Kats-Chalfant, national COVID-19 claims coordinator, on the McKnight’s Newsmakers Podcast to discuss the implications for these claims given the current legal challenges and jurisdictional tussles concerning PREP. Listen to the full episode here.

Hall Booth Smith is pleased to announce that our Tampa office has been named as one of Tampa Bay's Best Places to Work by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Our local office was recognized as the #13 place to work  in the small companies category. Since opening this office in November 2020, the office has grown to over 15 employees. Best Places to Work aims to identify the top workplaces in Tampa Bay based on employee feedback. Nominated organizations are evaluated by their employees through an anonymous survey focusing on elements of the work environment including: team effectiveness, retention risk, alignment

Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is delighted to welcome David Pan as an Associate to its growing office in New York City. David focuses his practice on long term care, medical malpractice, and general liability cases. David started his career as a criminal and juvenile justice prosecutor, before transitioning to civil practice in 2021. He gained civil experience defending the City of New York from personal injury lawsuits with the NYC Law Department. David earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and holds a B.A., magna cum laude, in Public Policy and American Institutions from Brown University. “We are excited

Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced plans to improve nursing home care by setting a minimum staffing requirement. Drew Graham, partner and head of the Long-Term Care Practice Group at Hall Booth Smith, told the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management nursing homes should begin the process of involving a multidisciplinary group to determine and document staffing levels. “From a liability standpoint, there are certain risks associated with having a blanket rule, which is in large part why it has been so aggressively opposed by the nursing home community,” he said. Subscribers can read the full article in the Journal of Healthcare Risk

In an Inc. article about an employer’s legal obligations to employees with long COVID-19, Mariel Smith, Partner in the Labor & Employment Practice at Hall Booth Smith, said long covid does qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law that applies to companies with 15 or more employees and protects employees from discrimination by requiring employers to make adjustments to reasonably accommodate employees with long COVID-19. "The ADA's three-part definition of disability applies to 'long COVID-19' in the same way it applies to any other medical condition," she said. "If a reasonable accommodation is needed and requested

Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is delighted to welcome James D. Dean as an Associate to its growing Atlanta, Georgia office. James focuses his practice on defending hospitals and healthcare professionals in medical and professional malpractice claims, administrative actions, and batch claims and class actions. Prior to joining HBS, James gained valuable experience with insurance defense, handling discovery, taking and defending depositions, and representing clients in magistrate court. James earned a J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law and holds a B.B.A. in International Business with a minor in Philosophy from Valdosta State University. “We are excited to welcome James to

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case over whether state-owned nursing homes can face private lawsuits for actions that violate the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived a case brought by a nursing home resident’s wife, alleging the nursing home was noncompliant when providing care for her husband and arguing because the nursing home is publicly owned, U.S. law allows individuals to bring suit against government entities that violate their legal rights. Drew Graham, partner and head of the Long-Term Care Practice Group at Hall Booth Smith, told McKnights Long-Term

The 2022 edition of the South Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine recognized the law firm of Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) for its outstanding legal work, highlighting Charleston Partners Elizabeth Morrison, Derek Newberry and Lauren Spears Gresh on its list of Rising Stars. Partner Elizabeth "Liz" Morrison was recognized for her work in general defense. Liz has a wide-range practice that includes transportation and trucking, professional negligence, premises liability, negligent security, sexual assault, director and officer liability, residential and commercial landlord-tenant issues, first party bad faith, automobile insurance coverage, and medical malpractice. She also provides general representation and counseling to local businesses

TAMPA, FLORIDA – Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is delighted to welcome Hannah Yoder as an Associate to its growing office in Tampa, Florida. Hannah focuses her practice on representing numerous assisting living facilities and nursing homes in lawsuits alleging Chapter 429 and 400 violation of rights and negligence, as well as premises liability and general liability claims. She represents clients in arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution forums. Hannah also defends physicians, nurses and other providers in medical malpractice claims including wrongful diagnosis, misdiagnosis, injury, negligent care, and other liability claims. Hannah earned a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law