“I am dedicated to serving the needs of my clients.”
Lawrence is the Chair for Obermayer’s Health Care Law Department and Election Law Practice Group.
Lawrence’s Health Care Law legal experience includes the representation of Pennsylvania County governments in Behavioral Health Managed Care Programs, physician group practices (single and multi-specialty), hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, durable medical equipment companies, licensed healthcare providers, and medical management service organizations. His practice includes representation of health care clients in connection with compliance matters, laws and regulations governing health care, MA programs, third-party payor requirements, population care management and care management programs, acquisitions of medical practices by hospitals, group practice formation, and managed care organizations.
In his representation of physicians, Lawrence provides organizational, merger, employment, contracting, legal strategic planning, and financial risk and regulatory advice and guidance. He also represents health care professionals and entities in connection with audits, reviews, and investigations (civil and criminal) conducted by government agencies (OIG, CMS, Justice Department, HHS (OCR), and states) and insurance companies. In addition, Lawrence has served as the Co-Legal Independent Review Officer for a physician practice under a corporate integrity agreement of the U.S. Office of Inspector General of HHS.
Lawrence also maintains an active and extensive practice in Election Law (federal and state) and Election Law litigation. He has over 40 years of experience representing federal, state, and local candidates; candidate committees; political party committees; political action committees; governmental bodies (including state and local); business entities; and non-profit entities in election law matters. This representation places special emphasis on campaign finance law (federal and state), ballot referendum matters, nomination petitions and ballot access, recounts and election contests, regulatory matters, corporate and association sponsored political action committees, voting equipment and systems, conduct of elections, First Amendment issues relating to political speech, referendums, compliance with HAVA, and redistricting.
In his Health Care Law practice, Lawrence developed and co-authored the materials for seminars on compliance with HIPAA and the Privacy Rules and responding to audits and reviews at health care providers’ offices from government and insurance company investigators. He also conducts Privacy Officer and Security Officer training for health care entities. He is the author of a seminar presentation on legal perspectives of Accountable Care Organizations.
Lawrence has 25 years of extensive experience with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s managed care HealthChoices Behavioral Health Program for MA eligible individuals administered and operated by counties under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. He began representing Counties serving as the Program’s Primary Contractors when the Program first went live on February 1, 1997. He currently represents 55 of Pennsylvania’s Counties in the HealthChoices Program. He has substantial experience in managed care programs, including development of risk models, contracting, compliance, and negotiations. He recently authored an article entitled: HealthChoices Behavioral Health Program At 20 Years: A Tribute to the Counties’ Role, published in PA County News, Spring 2018.
In his Election Law practice, Lawrence has trained and made presentations on the various aspects of Independent Expenditure Committees, 501(c)(4) entities, and SuperPACs. He has a substantial experience in forming and representing corporation political action committees as well as those set up by nonprofit entities.
His clients include candidates for the President and Vice President of United States. He served as Pennsylvania Lead Counsel to President Trump and Vice President Pence in connection with pre- and post-election litigation matters in 2016. Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Legal Team for Romney-Ryan in 2012; Chair of the Pennsylvania Legal Team for McCain in 2008; and Chair of the Litigation Team in Pennsylvania for Bush-Cheney 2004. He served as the General Counsel of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania (“RPP”) from 2005 through January 2017 also served as the General Counsel to the Tom Corbett for Governor Committee in 2013 and 2014, is counsel to the Pennsylvania House Republican Campaign Committee.
He was an At-Large Delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 2008, 2012, and 2016, and a Member of the Convention Rules Committee in 2008 and 2016. Lawrence represented the President, Vice President, and Republican Party of Pennsylvania in defending against the 2016 Presidential recount proceedings in Pennsylvania filed by the Green Party candidate for President in federal court, statewide court, local county courts, and before county boards of election. He was successful in each such action, including winning a critical victory in federal court just one day before the mandatory Federal Safe Harbor for the certification of the Electoral College members in Pennsylvania. As a result, he ensured that President Trump’s victory margin of approximately 47,000 votes in Pennsylvania in the November Election was certified.
Lawrence was elected to the Pennsylvania Electoral College in 2016 as an elector for President Trump and Vice President Pence, and he served as the Parliamentarian for the Electoral College.
Litigation successes include: Stein v. Cortes, 223 F. Supp 3d 423 (E.D.Pa 2016); In re: Guzzardi; In re: Nomination Petition of Mike L. Krancer for Justice of the Supreme Court; Appeal of Pierce, Stepnick and Gantman; In re: Nomination Petition of Kerry Benninghoff; In re: Municipal Reapportionment of Haverford Township; and In re: Creighton.
Lawrence was the Republican candidate for City Council-at-Large of Philadelphia (1991); City Controller of Philadelphia (1985); and the State House of Representatives (1980). In 1997, he was elected to a four-year term as a School Board Director in Lower Merion Township.
The author of many election law publications, including: “So You Want to Wear a Black Robe –Running for Office as a Judicial Candidate;”“Gaining Access to Ballot as a Candidate in Pennsylvania;” “Manual for Recounts and Election Contests in Pennsylvania;” and “Manual for Election Day Conduct and Strategies.” He is also the co-author of the Chapter on Recounts for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute Election Law Course Book, 2005, and the sole author for this Chapter in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015.
Lawrence served as Chair and Member of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, (2014-April 2015), as Commissioner of the Independent Regulatory Review Commission of Pennsylvania (2011-2015), and as Chair of the Department of State Transition Committee for Governor – Elect Corbett (2010-2011). He also served as the Chair (2011) and a member of the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board from 2005-2011, appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Lawrence is Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
He has been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® list as seen in both Philadelphia magazine (2004, 2006-2010, and 2014) and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine (2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2021 editions). Lawrence is one of Top Lawyers in Pennsylvania — 2013 The Legal Network. He was also included in the 2021 to 2024 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America©. Lawrence was named to City & State Pennsylvania’s Power 100 list in 2021 – 2023, as well as City & State’s 2022 Law Power 100 list.
He is also the Co-Sponsor of a nationally recognized health care law blog called: Health Law Gurus; www.healthlawgurus.com. He has twice won (2016 and 2017) the JD Supra Readers’ Choice Award as one of the top 10 national authors.
Lawrence is a member of the Medical Group Management Association.
Awards Won*
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