Wheelock Marks the Sixth Healthcare Hire in 2025 as Firm Continues Healthcare Practice Expansion

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that Healthcare partner Ashley Wheelock has joined the firm in Houston. She was most recently a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke.

Wheelock is the latest partner to join the firm’s rapidly growing Healthcare team. The firm has welcomed 15 healthcare partners since January 2024. She follows most recent lateral partners Hoyt Sze and Margia Corner, who joined from the University of California, and Gene Besen, Scarlett Singleton Nokes and Elisha Kobre, who joined from Bradley Arant Boult Cummings last month.

“Ashley’s addition to the firm reflects our strategic focus on continuing to expand our Healthcare team with attorneys who have a deep understanding of the healthcare landscape,” said Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. “We are thrilled to welcome her to Sheppard Mullin. She brings essential skills and knowledge that will greatly benefit our healthcare clients in Texas and nationally.”

“As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, having lawyers with in-depth regulatory knowledge, value-based contracting expertise and compliance experience is crucial for our clients,” said Eric Klein, leader of Sheppard Mullin’s Healthcare industry team. “Ashley’s understanding of complex healthcare regulations and track record of advising a wide range of providers, health plans and investors will enhance our ability to support clients across the country. Ashley brings us a broad range of specialized expertise across multiple sectors that can help healthcare companies grow and prosper.”

Wheelock’s practice focuses on federal healthcare laws and regulations, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law, CMP Beneficiary Inducement, HIPAA/HITECH, CMS conditions of participation and Medicare enrollment, as well as state regulatory issues, such as the corporate practice of medicine doctrine, fee splitting, scope of practice considerations, facility and practitioner licensing issues, data privacy, telemedicine and telehealth. Wheelock leverages her broad healthcare regulatory expertise to support clients in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, value-based contracts and risk sharing agreements. Wheelock also advises clients in developing and implementing novel care models in multiple markets.

Wheelock represents hospitals and health systems, health plans, assisted living facilities, behavioral health, private equity, durable medical equipment suppliers, home health agencies, hospice agencies, intermediate care facilities, laboratories, medical spas, nursing homes, pharmacies and practitioners.

“I am excited to join Sheppard Mullin and collaborate with such a talented team of attorneys,” said Wheelock. “The firm’s reputation for excellence, innovation and client-focused service in the healthcare industry fits perfectly with my passion for helping clients navigate difficult regulatory and transactional challenges. I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the Healthcare practice.”

Wheelock earned her B.A. from The College of William & Mary and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Tulane University Law School, where she was managing editor of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal.

About Sheppard Mullin’s Healthcare Team

Sheppard Mullin’s 230-attorney, national Healthcare industry team has been named a Health Care Practice Group of the Year by Law360 four times in seven years. Working in all sectors of healthcare with industry-leading and growing companies, disruptive start-up clients and healthcare-focused investors, Sheppard Mullin is a go-to firm for innovative transactions and joint ventures, regulatory solutions, population health management, global risk and value-based contracting, technology transactions and privacy matters. The team offers significant experience in cybersecurity, tax, non-profit, employment and labor, real estate, artificial intelligence, antitrust, litigation and finance.

About Sheppard Mullin’s Corporate and Securities Practice

One of the firm's core strengths, Sheppard Mullin’s Corporate and Securities practice group, assists clients throughout the United States and abroad in maximizing their business opportunities. We represent clients that range from private to public companies and from startups and emerging businesses to international corporations. We are proud to offer CRADLE TO LIQUIDITY^® services. We provide general business legal advice, assist in structuring and implementing major transactions, prepare agreements to address unique business arrangements, and consult with clients to resolve major business and ownership issues. We handle such matters as initial and later-stage venture and other financings; leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations; public offerings; mergers and acquisitions; SEC compliance; private equity transactions; real estate capital markets transactions; corporate, LLC and partnership formation; and corporate partnering, joint venture and other strategic alliance arrangements. Because of our diverse client base, we have experience representing substantial entities in complicated multinational and multistate transactions, as well as advising smaller and emerging clients on the full spectrum of business matters.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full-service AmLaw 50 firm with more than 1,100 attorneys in 16 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, industry-leading companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high-stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include nearly half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.

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