Laura Alms Email & Phone Number

Basking Ridge, Nj, Us

Basking Ridge, Nj, Us

Denver, Co, Us

• Serve as the General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for a national home healthcare company with 1,500 employees, creating the General Counsel position from the ground up and developing the organization’s Legal department. • Serve on a 6-person Executive team responsible for the company’s leadership and as a Corporate Compliance Officer implementing a focus on Anti-Kick Back, Stark, False Claims and state laws. • Maintain full responsibility for the management of external litigation and various counsel nationally and for healthcare regulatory strategy, including state licensing and certificates of need. • Interface and successfully influence decision makers in the Federal Program and Ombudsman office through annual meetings to clarify policy and increase revenue. • Advise the business on potential disputes and their resolutions in addition to litigation aspects of various projects, bringing matters to resolution without the use of outside counsel. • Manage health care regulatory strategy, including state licensing and certification for 11 regional offices and operations in 23 states. Notable achievements while in the position has included:- Recognized as an advocate for patients facing health care authorization challenges from the Department of Labor, working to in excess of $30M in claimant benefits. - Managed a diversified litigation portfolio of all litigation, arbitration, regulatory, administrative hearing and investigative matters nationally including management of a $1.7M budget. - Successfully coordinated the industry-wide substantive response to proposed federal rules changes including the company’s response. - Successfully transitioned the company to a Self-Insured Retention Workers Compensation Policy while reducing costs by 7%.- Merged a 501(c)(6) entity into a division of the parent company which mitigated compliance risk and lead a project to acquire 2 physician practices which effectively diversified revenue sources.

• Served as litigation counsel representing both commercial and governmental entities in State and Federal Court and as primary counsel for a quasi-governmental mental health organization in land acquisition matters. • Held a key role as the lead counsel on multi-million-dollar plaintiff personal injury matter against a major retailer.• Worked in collaboration with the equipment partners in the successful management of the firm. Notable achievements while in the position included:- Led the successful defense of a complex automobile warranty class action matter.- Played a role as a successful advocate on multiple land title and mineral rights matters.

• Served as defense counsel for commercial and insurance client in real estate, business and personal injury matters. • Represented real estate agents and managing brokers, appraisers and mortgage brokers in licensing actions and defended complex class action matters. Notable achievements while in the position included:- Obtained a favorable ruling on Motion for Summary Judgement on recreational release in March, 2012. - Motion to Dismiss granted in favor of a realtor defendant with alleged liability exceeding $1M in February 2012.- Obtained a defense verdict in a 5-day jury trial in Boulder County District Court while defending a recreational power sports sales company in October 2010.- Obtained a defense verdict in a 10-day jury trial in Greeley County District Court while defending a real estate appraiser in October 2010.- Obtained a successful motion for directed verdict in a 10-day jury trial in defense of a national cheerleading competition sponsor in April of 2009.- Played a key role in the firm being selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a Top-Ranked Law Firm in 2011 featured in Fortune Magazine’s “2012 Investor’s Guide” and at martindale.com, law.com and CNNMoney.com.

• Served as the litigator in a Construction and Real Estate Group, handling residential and commercial real estate matters, construction litigation, mechanic liens and foreclosures in addition to general civil litigation.• Selected to serve as a referring attorney to the Colorado Association of Realtors.

• Maintained a focus on real estate litigation, personal injury and criminal defense, using experience in both state and federal court trials and oral arguments to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. • Delivered appellate briefs and oral arguments to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding a Petition for Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc. • Serve as the Co-Chaired in the following cases:- A 10-day wrongful death trail in Adams County District Court.- A 3-day Federal criminal trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.- An attempted murder trial in the Denver County District Court.

Doctor Of Law - Jd, Law

Mini-Mba Program

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Political Science, Speech Communication