Michael Best is pleased to announce that Sarah Churchill Llamas has joined Michael Best Strategies as Principal in the Healthcare Innovation Group. Llamas also joins the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as Partner in the Corporate Practice Group. She will be based in the Austin office.
“Sarah’s strong business development skills combined with her robust legal experience gives her the unique ability to help clients succeed in the healthcare space,” said Kristine Seymour, Partner of Michael Best Strategies’ National Healthcare Innovation Group. “We’re very excited to welcome her to our team, and I’m confident she will be a huge asset to both Strategies and the law firm.”
As a skilled healthcare lawyer and executive, Llamas focuses her practice on representing healthcare and health technology companies in a variety of matters including mergers and acquisitions, next generation payor contracting, joint ventures, SAAS and KAAS contracting models for health tech companies, telemedicine and care coordination services, and biotechnology and medical device transactions. Llamas serves as a strategic business advisor as she helps companies outline their strategic priorities and goals with a focus on ensuring regulatory compliance.
“With Austin increasingly becoming more of a hub for companies in healthcare technology, our clients will greatly benefit from Sarah’s years of experience both in-house and at a firm,” said Rick Ressler, Managing Partner of the firm’s Austin office. “She understands how to move things across the finish line for business while appropriately assessing the legal landscape.”
Recognized as one of the nation’s top healthcare executives, Llamas was appointed as a Health IT Fellow by the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Llamas comes on the heels of recent Strategies healthcare executives Kimberly Allen and Alison DiPilla, further enhancing the team’s capabilities.
Prior to joining Michael Best, Llamas was a Partner at a full-service AmLaw 200 firm, serving in several leadership roles including chairing the Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry Group. She also serves on several nonprofit boards for organizations including Integral Care, Austin Healthcare Council, and Any Baby Can, and chairs the Health Committee at the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO).
Llamas earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her B.S. from Arizona State University.