Associate Attorney - Healthcare - Technology - Privacy
Melnik Legal PLLC
houston, texas
About the Role
Healthcare is pacing the nation in AI adoption — from ambient clinical listening to automated utilization management — but it also faces the tightest regulatory tightrope of any industry. We are a boutique firm focused on the intersection of healthcare, technology, and data privacy and security law, and we are seeking an ambitious Associate Attorney to join us.
This isn't a generic privacy or healthcare associate role. You'll work where HIPAA compliance meets cutting-edge machine learning, helping healthcare providers, hospital systems, and healthcare technology vendors deploy AI tools safely, architect modern privacy programs, negotiate complex transactions, and navigate security incidents in an era of aggressive federal and state enforcement.
We're a small, specialized firm, and that's deliberate. There are no layers of associates standing between you and the client relationship, and no busywork that doesn't build your judgment. You don't need an existing book of business to join us. Your priority from day one is excellent legal work; developing your own client relationships over time is part of how you'll grow here. As you grow, so does your autonomy: associates here take on direct client responsibility faster than they typically would at a larger firm, working closely with firm leadership on sophisticated matters from early on.
This role can be performed on-site at our Tampa, Florida office or remotely, so long as you are admitted to practice law in the state where you are physically located. Compensation:
$100,000 - $160,000 yearly
Responsibilities:
What You'll Work On
Data Privacy Compliance and Technology Transactions
* AI Compliance Counseling — Advising hospital systems, medical groups, and healthcare technology vendors on the legal risks, liabilities, and regulatory boundaries of integrating AI into clinical and administrative settings, including consent and data use/sharing questions.
* Federal and State Privacy Counseling — Interpreting and applying HIPAA, HITECH, and evolving state privacy laws; reviewing and revising Business Associate Agreements (BAAs); advising on privacy compliance programs.
* Data Security Breach Counseling — Representing clients through data security incidents, managing notification requirements, and mitigating risk during federal and state enforcement actions and investigations.
* Technology Transactions — Structuring and negotiating MSAs, data use agreements, vendor services agreements, and licensing agreements; drafting provisions tailored to specific deals and client needs.
Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and Stark Law Compliance
* Fraud and Abuse Counseling — Evaluating client business models, marketing practices, and commercial arrangements against the AKS, Stark, the False Claims Act, and related state laws.
* Physician Self-Referral Review — Advising physician practices on Stark, state mini-Stark laws, and self-referral prohibitions.
Physician Licensing, Scope of Practice, and Professional Regulation
* Corporate Practice of Medicine (CPOM) — Structuring MSO agreements, technology contracts, and related arrangements to comply with state entity-ownership and physician-licensing requirements.
* Scope of Practice and Supervision — Counseling practices on state-specific rules for NPs, PAs, and other Advanced Practice Providers, including compensation structures and ownership.
Qualifications:
Who We're Looking For
You have 3+ years of transactional and regulatory healthcare and technology experience, ideally including law firm experience, and you can:
* Take dense, evolving healthcare law and translate it into clear, actionable advice for non-technical stakeholders — providers, practice managers, software developers, and business teams alike.
* Draft and negotiate complex technology agreements, SaaS contracts, BAAs, and healthcare agreements without needing a playbook handed to you.
* Apply a strong working command of HIPAA, COPPA, and other federal and state privacy and security laws to real client situations, including breaches, data licensing, data use, and obtaining consent.
* Speak knowledgeably to AKS, Stark, mini-Stark, and CPOM issues, or ramp quickly if your background is adjacent.
* Track emerging federal and state AI guidance and translate it into practical client advice.
We hire for accomplishment, intellectual curiosity, and fit with how we work. That means:
* Quality is Job #1 — you strive for the best result through superior effort, embracing a "measure twice, cut once" mindset that catches errors before they leave your desk.
* You own it — you act with integrity, pitch in where needed, and don't wait to be told it's your job.
* You turn mistakes into mastery — you acknowledge them, learn from them, and use them as fuel for the growth and learning you pursue every day.
* You bring a positive, professional mindset to everything you do and everyone you work with
* You're always looking for the 1% improvement — in your work, our systems, or how we serve clients.
* You deliver an excellent client experience — the kind that has clients returning to us for future matters and confidently referring their colleagues.
You should also be comfortable as a self-directed learner — working from redlines, pulling precedent from our document management system, building your own checklists, and using firm resources for CLEs. You'll have supervision and support, but you should be the kind of person who internalizes feedback and instruction the first time, retains what you learn, builds on it, and applies it going forward — ramping up quickly to contribute high-quality work product.
About Company
Details You'll Want to Know
Full-time employees receive:
* Health insurance (low-deductible plan, 100% employer-paid for you)
* Dental and vision insurance
* 401(k) with employer match
* Short- and long-term disability insurance
* Life insurance
* Paid time off
* Home office allowance
#WHLAW3
Compensation details: Yearly Salary
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