Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, today announced the addition of Health Partner Eric Gold, who joins the Firm’s Boston office. Most recently serving as Chief of the Health Care Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO), Gold will leverage his policy and enforcement background to advise public and private sector clients on matters including health policy, state regulatory issues and government investigations. He will work across health care access, health equity, mental health, substance use disorder and other commercial marketplace issues.
“Eric’s unique governmental leadership background paired with his experience working across virtually all corners of health care spans our entire platform and has many synergies with our health care consulting, litigation and white collar defense offerings,” said Donna L. Wilson, CEO and Managing Partner of Manatt. “Also in joining our expanding Boston office, which recently welcomed two of the nation’s top litigators, Joan A. Lukey and Marty F. Murphy, we’re excited for Eric to collaborate with Office Partner Scott T. Lashway and Manatt Health Senior Managing Director Patricia M. Boozang to continue building out our footprint in Massachusetts and deepening our health care work throughout New England.”
While at the Massachusetts AGO, Gold oversaw the health policy portfolio, including examinations of health care cost trends, and efforts to improve health care equity, access and affordability in the state. He also led civil investigations and litigation under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act involving the health care sector, including payers, providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. These efforts regularly had high-profile implications and included negotiations of opioid-related claims and the enforcement of mental health parity laws. Gold additionally played a key role in several pieces of major litigation to prevent rollbacks in federal health policy that had the potential to harm Massachusetts residents’ access to coverage.
“Eric’s proven success navigating highly complex litigation as well as the constantly evolving policy landscape will be invaluable to our clients both in Boston and across the country,” said Manatt Health Leader Bill Bernstein. “His impact on government and policy is respected on a national scale and has given him an unparalleled understanding of the core issues we regularly counsel our clients on, so his arrival will be an immediate boon to our offerings.”
In addition to his civil enforcement and litigation experience at the Massachusetts AGO, Gold played an important role in various policy initiatives. He led the development of the first government report in the state to quantify the effect of prescription drug rebates on prices, and he oversaw a cost trend report focused on the equity implications of risk adjustment payments in the Massachusetts individual and small group insurance markets. Further, he worked closely with the AGO, other state agencies and private stakeholders to bring regulatory and legislative changes that would improve equitable access to affordable health care for all residents.
“Manatt’s model of blending legal and consulting services immediately resonated with me, especially given the maze of policy, regulatory and litigation concerns every health care organization is facing,” said Gold. “As the industry prioritizes equity and access to care, I’m thrilled to join the amazing team at Manatt and be a part of a group dedicated to addressing the most challenging health care issues.”
Gold is the latest addition to Manatt Health’s health care legal and business consulting team, which includes recent arrivals Thomas (Tom) Robertson, Edo Banach, Julia E. Smith, Nicholas (Nick) Bath Jr., Shelli Silver, Dr. Troyen (Troy) A. Brennan and Tracy A. Massel.
Gold earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law and his B.A. in Economics from Cornell University.