Darren Skyles

Partner

Heritage Plaza
1111 Bagby Street
Suite 2100
Houston, TX 77002

T 346.646.5021

darren.skyles@nelsonmullins.com

Darren has deep knowledge and experience in healthcare legal matters, including mergers & acquisitions, transactional enterprises, regulatory issues, compliance/governance, operational matters, corporate transactions, fraud and abuse, privacy and security, medical staff issues, governmental entity laws, litigation, and outside general counsel services. Darren also collaborates with clients on value-based care payment models and advises on specialized corporate transactions in the healthcare space.

Darren maintains a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) governance issues. As clients’ risks and vulnerabilities with the rapidly advancing pace of AI development and application increase, Darren counsels clients on its expansion and challenges, helping them develop effective AI governance programs.

corporate transactions in the healthcare space.

Experience

The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

Representative Matters

Oversaw the legal, compliance, and regulatory affairs of two healthcare systems which grew, during his representation and oversight, into significantly larger health care systems
Negotiated and transacted multiple deals for the purchase or sale of a healthcare practice (medical, dental, senior living, and veterinary space)
Represented large corporations in the acquiring of healthcare provider practices in multiple states, drafting the documentation, forming the corporate structure, and counseling on the development of a Management Services Organization including:
- Advising and transacting deals for a national chiropractic provider on both MSO and franchise models of organization
- Counseling, guiding and transacting for the purchase and acquisition of a large, multi-state urgent care practice via MSO model
- Transacting for and drafting the required documentation for the purchase and acquisition of senior living facilities in multiple states.
- Negotiating joint Ventures between hospitals and medical practices
- Assisting with Clinically Integrated Network among healthcare providers
- Counseling on merger of medical practices (multi-specialty and single-specialty)
Analyzed, audited, and provided counsel on large healthcare systems’ healthcare compliance programs
Counseled three large healthcare systems on healthcare regulatory matters in the areas of Stark, Anti-Kickback, and HIPAA as well as hospital and physician operational matters
Represented hospitals and physicians in physician employment and physician recruitment agreements
Counseled a medical center on its efforts in moving its clinical research toward commercial realization
Counseled software start-up company on its business marketing plan and its legal position during its evolution toward the market

Previous Professional Experience

Vice President of Legal Affairs, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Law Firm Healthcare practice group leader
Director, Division of Public Affairs of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

Representative Matters

Oversaw the legal, compliance, and regulatory affairs of two healthcare systems which grew, during his representation and oversight, into significantly larger health care systems
Negotiated and transacted multiple deals for the purchase or sale of a healthcare practice (medical, dental, senior living, and veterinary space)
Represented large corporations in the acquiring of healthcare provider practices in multiple states, drafting the documentation, forming the corporate structure, and counseling on the development of a Management Services Organization including:
- Advising and transacting deals for a national chiropractic provider on both MSO and franchise models of organization
- Counseling, guiding and transacting for the purchase and acquisition of a large, multi-state urgent care practice via MSO model
- Transacting for and drafting the required documentation for the purchase and acquisition of senior living facilities in multiple states.
- Negotiating joint Ventures between hospitals and medical practices
- Assisting with Clinically Integrated Network among healthcare providers
- Counseling on merger of medical practices (multi-specialty and single-specialty)
Analyzed, audited, and provided counsel on large healthcare systems’ healthcare compliance programs
Counseled three large healthcare systems on healthcare regulatory matters in the areas of Stark, Anti-Kickback, and HIPAA as well as hospital and physician operational matters
Represented hospitals and physicians in physician employment and physician recruitment agreements
Counseled a medical center on its efforts in moving its clinical research toward commercial realization
Counseled software start-up company on its business marketing plan and its legal position during its evolution toward the market

Previous Professional Experience

Vice President of Legal Affairs, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Law Firm Healthcare practice group leader
Director, Division of Public Affairs of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Media

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Recognitions

The bar rules of some states require that the standards for an attorney's inclusion in certain public accolades or recognitions be provided. When such accolades or recognitions are listed, a hyperlink is provided that leads to a description of the respective selection methodology.

The Best Lawyers in America®, Health Care Law (2024-2025)
Houston’s Top Lawyers List, Houstonia Magazine, Health Care Law (2022)

Professional Activities

American Health Law Association
Texas State Bar Association
Houston Bar Association, Co-Chair, Campaign to End Homelessness & Hunger
Houston Christian Legal Society

Overview

Experience

The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

Representative Matters

Oversaw the legal, compliance, and regulatory affairs of two healthcare systems which grew, during his representation and oversight, into significantly larger health care systems
Negotiated and transacted multiple deals for the purchase or sale of a healthcare practice (medical, dental, senior living, and veterinary space)
Represented large corporations in the acquiring of healthcare provider practices in multiple states, drafting the documentation, forming the corporate structure, and counseling on the development of a Management Services Organization including:
- Advising and transacting deals for a national chiropractic provider on both MSO and franchise models of organization
- Counseling, guiding and transacting for the purchase and acquisition of a large, multi-state urgent care practice via MSO model
- Transacting for and drafting the required documentation for the purchase and acquisition of senior living facilities in multiple states.
- Negotiating joint Ventures between hospitals and medical practices
- Assisting with Clinically Integrated Network among healthcare providers
- Counseling on merger of medical practices (multi-specialty and single-specialty)
Analyzed, audited, and provided counsel on large healthcare systems’ healthcare compliance programs
Counseled three large healthcare systems on healthcare regulatory matters in the areas of Stark, Anti-Kickback, and HIPAA as well as hospital and physician operational matters
Represented hospitals and physicians in physician employment and physician recruitment agreements
Counseled a medical center on its efforts in moving its clinical research toward commercial realization
Counseled software start-up company on its business marketing plan and its legal position during its evolution toward the market

Previous Professional Experience

Vice President of Legal Affairs, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Law Firm Healthcare practice group leader
Director, Division of Public Affairs of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center