As a member of Bradley’s Healthcare and Corporate Practice Groups, Berry Holt focuses his practice primarily on the healthcare industry. For over four decades, he has handled a wide range of healthcare provider and other business matters. Berry has an insiders’ knowledge of the operational and legal issues within an integrated healthcare delivery system. He has worked extensively on physician compensation and reimbursement issues, as well as alternative payment structures and initiatives. In addition, Berry has assisted in corporate debt issuances, restructures and workouts within a broad range of industries.
For 18 years Berry served as outside general counsel for Ascension Saint Thomas Health and its many subsidiaries and affiliates. In that role and other engagements, Berry advised governing boards and executive teams on policy, regulatory and business issues and sophisticated business transactions. Transactions ranged from hospital and ancillary provider acquisitions and joint ventures to the creation of integrated healthcare delivery entities.
Berry is a past president of the Tennessee Academy of Hospital Attorneys, and a founding board member of the Nashville Food Project and the Nashville Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. He is a board member of the Mental Health Cooperative and former chairman of the Discovery Place board, and is a former board member of the Tennesseans for the Arts and First Tennessee Bank, N.A.
Berry has been a speaker for various healthcare trade associations with regard to hospital and physician issues, joint ventures, compliance programs and other regulatory matters, and he has written articles on a variety of healthcare and business topics. He has also spoken frequently at the Annual Health Law Forum sponsored by the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Tennessee Bar Association.
Berry has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for healthcare law, corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law; in Chambers USA for his healthcare practice; in Mid-South Super Lawyers for healthcare; and in the Expert Guide to the "Leading US Healthcare Lawyers." He was also named one of the "Health Care Heroes 2007" by the Nashville Business Journal and named one of the "150 Best Lawyers" by Business Tennessee magazine.
Acquisition of hospital and affiliates
Represented Ascension affiliate St. Thomas Hospital in connection with its acquisition of the Baptist system to form Saint Thomas Health, a five hospital system operating many surgery centers, imaging centers, and physician practices in the Middle Tennessee area.
Formation of Joint Venture between Baptist Hospital and Saint Thomas Hospital, 1986
Assisted with the formation of Joint Venture to acquire ownership of a 288-bed facility.
Merger between Baptist Hospital System and Saint Thomas Health Services, 2001
Assisted with the merger between Nashville's first and fourth largest hospitals.