Megan Rooney
Partner
Office: Chicago
Years at Firm: 13
What is your favorite part about practicing health care law at McDermott?
The team, the team, the team! It’s a pleasure to work with colleagues who have deep substantive expertise, prioritize client service, and are good human beings. As a healthcare M&A attorney, I am responsible for leading large teams of attorneys, including a variety of subspecialists, to drive efficient and effective outcomes and achieve business goals. I love knowing that, in nearly every instance, when an issue arises we have the specific expertise to handle it and there is no need to reinvent the wheel.
What is the biggest opportunity facing clients in your area of focus today?
Our hospital and health system clients have a tremendous opportunity to improve the delivery of patient care, expand services provided to their communities and defend against the challenge of declining reimbursement through strategic partnerships. In addition to traditional hospital and health system M&A, our hospital and health system clients are increasingly pursuing Collaborative Transformations – that is, partnerships with non-traditional health care players. A successful Collaborative Transformation takes cultural integration between non-traditional partners, incorporating new technologies into health care regulatory compliance structures, and so much more.
What kind of client work gets you most excited when it comes across your desk?
Hospital and health system transactions excite me. I often say that if you have done one hospital deal, you’ve done…one hospital deal. Every deal is different, even when we are fortunate enough to do multiple deals over time for a valued health system client. I enjoy every moment of the deal cycle, from advising on deal structures that will achieve the client’s goals and objectives, through providing advice during post-closing integration. As a junior attorney, I even loved doing due diligence. Due diligence (coupled with my experience in nursing school) taught me quite a bit about hospital and health system operations.
What is the proudest moment of your career to date?
I am fortunate to have many proud moments over the course of my career at McDermott. I take immense pride in the accomplishments of the colleagues I have had the opportunity to mentor over the years. I am proud of the pro bono work I have done for non-profit charitable organizations serving vulnerable populations. I am proud of the fact that I have been entrusted with leadership positions within the firm and externally within the health care bar. But perhaps the proudest moments of my career to date are the times we’ve been referred by a satisfied client to another potential client.
What is your favorite decoration in your office?
I have many unique office decorations, but my favorite would have to be a wooden cut out of Bo Schembechler (former University of Michigan Head football coach) printed with the words of his famous “The Team” speech delivered before the Michigan/Ohio State game in 1983. As a leader, his words ring true.
“No man is more important than the team. No coach is more important than the team. The team, the team, the team, and if we think that way, all of us, everything that you do, you take into consideration what effect does it have on my team?…We’re gonna believe in each other, we’re not gonna criticize each other, we’re not gonna talk about each other, we’re gonna encourage each other. And when we play as a team, when the old season is over, you and I know, it’s gonna be Michigan again. Michigan.”
Click here to learn more about Megan’s practice.
