Robert recently rejoined Husch Blackwell, after 12 years in house advising the academic medical center and health schools of the University of Missouri. We talked with him about his career path and return to Husch Blackwell:
Could you share a bit about your time with Husch Blackwell?
I was a summer associate in the Jefferson City office and really enjoyed regulatory practice in a state capital. I joined the office after law school and got to do a little bit of everything administrative law related: regulatory compliance, proposed legislation and rulemakings, investigations, and administrative and appellate litigation. I particularly liked working with healthcare and non-profit clients. My mentors at the firm were generous with their time—always willing to help me understand what we were doing and why and giving me opportunities to take on new responsibilities and grow as an attorney.
What led you to your in-house positions, and how was your experience at Husch Blackwell useful in those roles?
In 2012, the University of Missouri opened a position for a dedicated healthcare attorney to represent its academic medical center and health schools. Previously, the healthcare work had been shared among several attorneys at the university. It was an opportunity to focus on healthcare for the state’s flagship university that dovetailed with my prior work experience and interests. The breadth of my experience at Husch Blackwell gave me a solid foundation to transition into an in-house counsel role for the university, to partner with academic and business leaders to help them achieve their goals, and to adapt and grow as the role expanded over time.
Why did you decide to rejoin the firm?
Coordinating legal services for the academic medical center and health schools of the university was very rewarding. I worked closely with attorneys, leaders, clinicians, and researchers who are dedicated to teaching young people, caring for patients, and improving human lives through research and discovery. After 12 years in the role, I was ready to apply that experience in new ways. I wanted to continue working with academic medical centers and felt like HB’s strong healthcare and higher education practices would provide a great opportunity to do that. I also knew lots of amazing and dedicated attorneys in the firm, both from my previous time here and from working with HB attorneys while in-house at the university. When it all came together, it was a great fit.
How has the transition worked out in practice?
I felt like I had a running start. When I rejoined the firm, there were lots of friendly faces (old and new). I received personalized support for my lateral transition that helped me reacclimate to private practice. My practice includes helping academic medical centers, universities, hospitals, and pharmacies on strategic transactions, graduate medical education and personnel matters, and regulatory compliance. I’ve also returned to some of my early roots with the firm and am helping clients in other regulated industries navigate Missouri administrative proceedings.
Are you noticing any emerging trends in your industry?
Background assumptions about regulatory compliance and enforcement have changed significantly and continue to evolve for all industries, including healthcare and higher education. Clients are operating in regulatory environments with much higher levels of baseline uncertainty and likely will be for the foreseeable future. Organizations in highly regulatory industries are reevaluating how traditional compliance oversight, process improvement and new technologies, litigation, and internal and external relationships can help or hinder their ability to achieve their goals.
What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of work?
We have three daughters, and two of them are in high school. We enjoy cheering for them and their friends at school events. Personally, hiking, bike riding, serving with our church, and dining out at local restaurants (Irene’s in Columbia, Missouri is a current favorite) are things that I like to do to have fun and relax.