Prominent National Managed Care Lawyer Joins Manatt

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP has announced that Stephanie Kanwit has joined the firm's Washington, D.C., office as counsel in the Healthcare Practice Group.

Kanwit most recently served as special counsel to America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the national trade association for the managed care industry, representing nearly 1,300 member companies that provide health, long-term care, dental, disability, and supplemental coverage to more than 200 million Americans.

She will continue to serve as special counsel, on a part-time basis, to the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), the D.C.-based trade association that represents pharmacy benefit managers and their health care partners across the country in pharmaceutical care.

Kanwit's addition follows closely that of Deborah Bachrach, the former New York State Medicaid director and deputy commissioner of Health, who joined the firm earlier in the week.

Kanwit has been in private law practice and government service for more than 35 years. She was formerly general counsel and senior vice president of Public Policy and Research at the American Association of Health Plans, and has served as vice president in charge of all health litigation for Aetna's health businesses, responsible for litigation involving ERISA, antitrust, provider network issues, Medicare, and health care fraud and abuse. In private practice, Kanwit has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation, including antitrust, securities, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and state unfair trade practices. Additionally, she served for four years as a regional director for the FTC for a seven-state region.

Kanwit is a frequent lecturer and author, called upon to share her expertise in health law and policy developments, including speaking at top industry conferences and providing testimony before government entities such as the FTC, U.S. Department of Labor and Congress.

She earned her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College, magna cum laude, and her law degree from Columbia University Law School.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP is one of the nation's leading law firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base - including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies - across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.