Health Care Partner Brett Friedman Rejoins Ropes & Gray

Brett Friedman rejoined Ropes & Gray’s health care practice as partner in New York today. 

Brett returns to the firm after serving as Deputy Commissioner at New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the State Medicaid Director.  In this capacity, Brett led New York’s expansive Medicaid program with an annual budget of over $90 billion and that offers comprehensive health coverage to more than 7.4 million New Yorkers as part of an integrated health insurance marketplace.  

Brett first joined NYSDOH in November 2019 as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Special Medicaid Counsel and was named Deputy Commissioner and State Medicaid Director in June 2021. During his time at NYSDOH, Brett was responsible for a wide range of legal, regulatory and policy issues impacting New York’s Medicaid program, including the development and the negotiation of Medicaid 1115 demonstration and 1915 home and community based services waivers, Medicaid innovation initiatives, duals-integration strategies, managed care plan oversight and regulatory approvals, an overhaul of the program’s value-based payment roadmap, and New York Medicaid’s extraordinary response to the COVID-19 pandemic, among other critical issues. 

Prior to his arrival at NYSDOH, Brett was a partner in Ropes & Gray’s health care group and co-head of the firm’s digital health practice. From the beginning of his career at Ropes & Gray, Brett developed significant experience in advising not-for-profit institutions as well as private and emerging companies on a variety of complex transactional, enforcement and regulatory matters within the health care industry.

“Brett returns to the firm with exceptional knowledge of how complex government health care programs operate, and how to navigate them. His return is a win for our clients and the firm,” said Julie Jones, chair.

“Brett’s deep understanding of health care regulatory law makes him unique in New York and the nation,” said David Djaha, managing partner. “We could not be happier about Brett’s return to our New York health care team, broadening our bench and increasing our Medicare and Medicaid offering to clients.”

Brett’s clients have included not-for-profit providers, hospitals, managed care plans and Medicaid-funded behavioral health providers, as well as pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, e-health and other digital health businesses, investor-owned physician practice management firms and other investor-owned companies. 

Brett also advises clients in government investigations, audits, and self-disclosures concerning potential violations of Medicare and Medicaid regulatory authorities and health care fraud and abuse laws. In addition, Brett’s transactional experience includes advising private equity, for-profit and tax-exempt clients regarding health care due diligence, regulatory and reimbursement issues. 

“Brett’s return to Ropes & Gray strengthens our ability to work with payer, provider and health care investor clients on the full spectrum of transactional, regulatory, enforcement and policy matters, with a particular focus on government-sponsored programs like Medicaid and Medicare, accountable care and value-based payment initiatives,” said Timothy McCrystal, partner and co-chair of Ropes & Gray health care practice.

“I am excited to return home to Ropes & Gray, where my career began. The firm’s award-winning health care practice offers a tremendous opportunity to advise leading health care institutions on navigating strategic and innovative solutions,” said Brett.