Research Triangle Park – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Lou Patalano as of counsel in the health care practice. Having most recently served as chief legal officer, senior vice president, and corporate secretary for Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health, Patalano joins K&L Gates’ Research Triangle Park office.

At Sentara, Patalano was responsible for all legal affairs across the organization, including its hospitals, insurance subsidiaries, physicians, medical groups, and health plans – Optima Health and Virginia Premier. He provided strategic legal counsel and assisted business units on compliance with the array of laws and rules regulating providers and payors. He also has experience counseling on provider-payor collaborations and managed care contracting, advising on health system and health plan operations, and guiding large corporate transactions. In November 2021, Virginia Business recognized Patalano as one of Virginia’s leading corporate counsel in the 22nd edition of the Virginia Business Legal Elite.   

Patalano has nearly 20 years of legal and executive experience in the health care industry. Prior to Sentara, he served as vice president and deputy general counsel with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, where he led the daily operations of the legal function. Patalano also previously served as general counsel and senior vice president with Cape Fear Valley Health System as its inaugural legal leader. In addition, he held roles as a health care fraud prosecutor for the State of North Carolina and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. 

“We are very excited that Lou is joining our global health care practice and the Research Triangle Park office,” said Mary Beth Johnston, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Research Triangle Park office and co-leader of the firm’s health care and FDA practice. “He brings an extensive background in health care across the industry spectrum which will be of great value to our health care clients. In addition to his vast experience, we are excited that Lou, as a diverse lawyer, will also be leading our RTP diversity and inclusion efforts.”

Patalano’s arrival closely follows the addition of health care partner Kevin Page in Nashville, as well as the earlier additions of partner Andrea Cunha in Austin and a number of health care partners in the firm’s new Nashville office, including Ken Marlow, Kim Looney, Stephen Page, Wells Beckett, and Matthew Miller. They are among the more than 100 partners and of counsel the firm has welcomed across its platform since the beginning of 2020. 

K&L Gates’ health care lawyers represent clients across the care continuum – from premier academic medical centers and hospitals and health systems to home health agencies and hospices, integrated delivery networks, pharmacies, clinical labs, durable medical equipment suppliers, and long-term care providers – on a variety of state and federal regulatory and compliance issues, investigations, transactions, and litigation.