Attorneys

• Robert M. Portman
• Robert "Bobby" Silverstein

PPSV adds Two New Partners and Three New Associates

Robert M. Portman concentrates his practice in health and association law, focusing on certification law, administrative law, antitrust law, litigation, transactions, election and lobbying law, and legislation and regulation in the healthcare field.  He represents a wide range of for profit and nonprofit healthcare organizations including national professional societies, trade associations, and numerous individual physicians, physician practice groups and other health care providers.  Mr. Portman recently chaired the Healthcare Law and Association Law practice groups at Jenner & Block in Washington, DC, where he practiced for many years.   Mr. Portman augments the firm’s significant depth of experience in HIPAA patient privacy rules; fraud and abuse investigations; Stark II self-referral and Medicare-Medicaid anti-kickback counseling; transactions with hospitals, other medical groups, individual physicians and vendors of medical equipment and supplies; practice management issues; establishment and operation of integrated delivery networks; advice and counseling with respect to employment, independent contractor and managed care agreements; antitrust litigation and counseling; EMTALA counseling and defense; state licensure and disciplinary matters; and credentialing and privileges disputes, all areas for which the firm is well known.  

Mr. Portman was Special Assistant to Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Work and Technology Policy.  During this time (1993-1995), he served as the Secretary's principal representative to the President's Task Force on Health Care Reform.  Prior to private practice, Mr. Portman was Executive Officer of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, where, among other things, he directed the States Attorney's Task Force on the Forgoing of Life-Sustaining Treatment.  He received his BA, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Northwestern (1980).  He received his JD, magna cum laude, from Harvard (1985).  He also holds a MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (1985). Mr. Portman clerked for the Honorable Mark L. Wolf, US District Court for the District of Massachusetts (1985-86).

Robert “Bobby” Silverstein joins Dick Verville, John Kemp, Peter Thomas and others in PPSV’s well established disability, public policy and healthcare practice areas effective February 1, 2007.  Mr. Silverstein’s federal regulatory and legislative practice will also focus in the areas of rehabilitation, employment, education, social security, and civil rights.  Prior to joining PPSV, Mr. Silverstein was Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the US Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy chaired by Senator Tom Harkin. He is currently the director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy.

Mr. Silverstein has over 30 years experience analyzing complex public policy issues and developing comprehensive, innovative and common sense legislative and regulatory solutions that meet the divergent needs of multiple stakeholders. Mr. Silverstein gained considerable experience negotiating and drafting bipartisan, consensus legislation. He was the behind-the-scenes architect of more than 20 bills enacted into law, including the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act.  Mr. Silverstein is the recipient of more than 10 national awards, including the Distinguished Services Award of the President of the United States. From 1997-2000, he served as an Associate Professor of Health Care Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Mr. Silverstein earned his BS in Economics, cum laude, from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (1971). He received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center (1974).

Elisabeth Doyle comes to PPSV after serving for nearly seven years as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey.  Her practice with the New Jersey AG’s office involved representation of the NJ Departments of Education and Human Services, with an emphasis on complex appellate work.  Subject matters include federal Medicaid eligibility policy, hospital rate setting and reimbursement, Medicaid fraud, and education financing issues.  Ms. Doyle holds a JD from Temple University School of Law (1997).  She did her undergraduate work at Sarah Lawrence College and at the State University of New York at Albany, where she earned her B.A., magna cum laude, with special honors. 

Hilton Marcus joined PPSV on February 1.  He comes to the firm from the New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century.  A Senior Policy Analyst at the Commission, he participated in review and recommendation with respect to the future viability of every hospital and nursing home in New York State, an unusual and forward-looking exercise in health policy and regulation.  Mr. Marcus is a graduate of Columbia University, George Washington University Law School (JD 2004), and the Harvard University School of Public Health (MPH in Law and Public Health 2005).  He has completed legal or policy internships at CMS (Office of HIPAA Standards), the Department of Labor, and the Partners Health System in Boston. 

Kathleen "Kate" Romanow joined the firm on January 15th. She comes to PPSV from Reed Smith, where she worked in the health practice on a wide range of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, fraud and abuse and other regulatory matters.  Kate came to Washington after first working for firms in Albany, New York and Honolulu, Hawaii. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Genesee with both a BS and MA in Speech Pathology.  Kate worked for three years as a licensed speech pathologist in both school and healthcare settings before attending Boston University School of Law.  She graduated from BU in 2002 with honors and a Health Law Concentration. At BU, she was an Editor of the American Journal of Law and Medicine.

Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville is a Washington, DC-based law firm that focuses on health care, education, and the law of tax-exempt organizations.  For more information, contact one of the partners listed above or Managing Partner Stan Freeman at 202.466.6550.