Lawrence W. Vernaglia
Partner
Named the “Most Influential Healthcare Lawyer in Massachusetts,” Lawrence (Larry) Vernaglia is considered an “issue spotter” with an exceptional ability to identify and resolve client risk. He forms long-term relationships with clients and is invested in their mission of patient care.
“Lawrence Vernaglia is highly respected for his broad and impressive practice, and, in recent years, has distinguished himself as a go-to name for compliance issues relating to federal healthcare reform. He is described as being ‘of the highest quality in terms of knowledge, responsiveness and business effectiveness.’”
– Chambers USA
A partner and health care lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, Larry has three decades of experience representing hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and a variety of other health care providers. His practice involves regulatory and transactional matters, including Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement compliance advice and appeals; mergers, acquisitions, and financings; state regulatory issues, including licensing, change of ownership, and CoN/DoN; survey/certification appeals; fraud and abuse/Stark law analyses; managed care contracting; and general corporate and business planning in health care.
Clients describe Larry as “smart, practical, responsive and creative,” with a “very impressive range of skills.” Of his client service, clients say, “He is a very knowledgeable, approachable and responsible individual.” (Chambers USA)
Larry is the department chair for the firm’s Industry Teams Department, responsible for overall strategy and leadership across all industry teams. Prior to that, he served for eight years as chair of the firm’s Health Care Practice Group. Larry is a board member of the firm’s Federal PAC and is a member of its Partner Selection Committee. Larry is also co-chair of the firm’s Health Care & Life Sciences Sector’s Providers of Health Care Services Area of Focus.
Larry serves as outside policy counsel for the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association and runs strategic planning programs for senior management and governing boards. A lecturer at Boston University’s School of Law and a frequent contributor to national health care conferences and publications, Larry is committed to encouraging the next generation of health care lawyers.
Awards and Recognition
- Fellow, American Health Law Association (Class of 2024)
- Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters (2023 – 2025)
- Peer Review Rated as AV Preeminent®, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers® – Health Law (since inception)
- New England Super Lawyers® – Health Law
- The Legal 500 – Health Care Lawyers (2013 – present)
- The Best Lawyers in America® – Health Care Law (2008 – present)
- Chambers USA
- Health Care Law (2015 – current)
- America’s Leading Lawyers in Healthcare: Regulatory & Litigation (2008 – current)
- America’s Leading Lawyers – Massachusetts Health Care Practice (2008-2014, 2016-2018, 2020-2024)
- America’s Leading Lawyers – Massachusetts Tier 1 Ranking (2013 – current)
- Most Influential Healthcare Lawyer in Massachusetts, Business Today (2023)
Affiliations
- Boston University School of Law – Hospital law and health care compliance lecturer, 2023 part-time faculty member of the year (2020 – present)
- Boston University School of Public Health – Dean’s Advisory Board member (2017 – present)
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Committee member and speaker
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Service arbitrator (1995 – present)
- Health Lawyers Weekly – Contributing editor
- Tufts Medicine MelroseWakefield Healthcare (f/k/a Hallmark Healthcare System, Inc.)
- Governance Committee – Current member
- Board of Overseers – Current member
- CEO Search Committee – Past member
- Development Committee – Past member
- Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) – New England Regional Annual Meeting co-chair (2005 – present)
- CommonAngels Ventures Fund IV LP – Venture partner (2014 – present)
- The Report on Medicare Compliance – Editorial Advisory Board member (2016 – present)
- American Arbitration Association – Arbitrator (2017 – present)
- Medical Economics – Board of Editorial Consultants member
- MCLE
- Annual Comprehensive Health Law Basics – Program chair
- Advanced Health Law Conference – Past chair
- Boston Bar Association – Past co-chair, Health Law Committee
Presentations and Publications
- Co-author, “Massachusetts: Expansion of Oversight Authority — New Notice of Material Change Form for Health Care Transactions,” Health Care Law Today (March 27, 2025)
- Co-author, “Massachusetts: New Year, New Law — Governor Signs “An Act enhancing the market review process” (House Bill No. 5159),” Health Care Law Today (January 14, 2025)
- Co-author, “Massachusetts ‘Patients First Act’ Implementation and Enforcement Re-Extended,” Health Care Law Today (December 10, 2024)
- Co-author, “Reimagining Home-Based Cancer Care: Key Legal and Regulatory Considerations,” Health Care Law Today (October 7, 2024)
- Co-author, “Massachusetts Health Care Act Dies at the End of Legislative Session But Previews Sweeping Changes for the Health Care Industry,” Health Care Law Today (August 5, 2024)
- Speaker, “Navigating the Healthcare World Update,” New Hampshire Bar Association (May 22, 2024)
- Co-author, “New Favorable OIG Advisory Opinion Allows Patient Assistant Programs Funded by Drug Manufacturers,” Health Care Law Today (April 25, 2024)
- Moderator, “The Changing Hospital Landscape,” 2024 Convergence Forum (May 9, 2024)
- Speaker, “Managing Regulatory Risk in Earnouts and Other Deferred Pay-outs in Health Care Transactions,” AHLA’s Health Care Transactions Conference (April 16, 2024)
- Editor, Clinical Research Compliance Manual (2019, 2023)
- Editor, two-volume treatise Massachusetts Health and Hospital Law Manual (2004, 2009, 2012, 2023)
- Co-editor, Healthcare Compliance Professional’s Guide to the False Claims Act (2007)
- Author, chapter on U.S. health care law, for treatise covering the health care laws of 16 different nations in Health Care Law Review (2023)
- Author, more than 75 articles and book chapters on various topics in law and medicine in such sources as AHLA’s Health Law Digest and Health Lawyers Weekly; Medical Economics; The Journal of Health Care Finance; The Boston Business Journal; and Health Care Policy Report
- Regular lecturer on hospital issues, physicians, long term care and other topics in law and medicine, including: accountable care organizations (ACOs); physician/hospital joint ventures; discount/collection policies for uninsured patients; the Anti-kickback Statute; corporate governance for nonprofits; the board of directors’ role in compliance; reimbursement and managed care and HIPAA.
- Facilitator, numerous Foley-hosted Hot Topics Webinars through the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association
Health Care Marketing: The Seventh Circuit Addresses “Referrals” Under The Anti-Kickback Statute
Lawrence Vernaglia Comments on HHS OIG Approval of Community Health Center Proposal
Lawrence Vernaglia Highlights Immigration Enforcement Considerations in Health Care Settings
