Deborah is a nationally recognized leader in health industry transactions, with 30 years of experience running complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and significant contracting matters for health care providers and investors across the United States. At any given time, Deborah is engaged in leading teams of the firm’s transactional and regulatory lawyers on several large-scale deals. Her clients value her business acumen, strategic thinking, and her project management skills, from both a deal closure and cost perspective. Deborah also provides deal structuring, general counseling, regulatory advice, and strategic planning for nonprofit and for-profit health care providers and their financial sponsors. She is consistently recognized by her peers and leading publications for excellence in health care law.
Deborah’s recent deal activity includes joint ventures and buy-side and sell-side transactions across the health industry spectrum, including micro-hospital development and management services, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic and imaging facilities, physician and value based care networks, fertility services, kidney care services, behavioral health, opioid and alcohol addiction treatment, orthopedics, cardiology, dental and home health. She also serves as a health industry merger and acquisition specialist on significant refinancing, bankruptcy and distressed debt matters. Deborah has extensive project management experience and alternative fee arrangement experience.
Deborah is a Member in the firm's Health Law Practice. She is also a member of the firm's Health Reform Working Group and has served on the Policy Committee.
Deborah is also a certified Pilates instructor.
Deborah is a fantastic attorney and a passionate advocate whose instincts have proven reliable and highly valuable to our team.
- Healthcare Client, Chambers USA 2024
Deborah is extraordinarily intelligent and comes forth with very good legal solutions very quickly.
- Healthcare Client, Chambers USA 2024
She is smart and very commercial. Deborah gets transactions completed and is thoughtful in her approach.
- Healthcare Client, Chambers USA 2024
Deborah is a nationally recognized leader in health industry transactions, with 30 years of experience running complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and significant contracting matters for health care providers and investors across the United States. At any given time, Deborah is engaged in leading teams of the firm’s transactional and regulatory lawyers on several large-scale deals. Her clients value her business acumen, strategic thinking, and her project management skills, from both a deal closure and cost perspective. Deborah also provides deal structuring, general counseling, regulatory advice, and strategic planning for nonprofit and for-profit health care providers and their financial sponsors. She is consistently recognized by her peers and leading publications for excellence in health care law.
Experience
- Represented a Fortune 500 company that is a leading provider of kidney care services in hundreds of acquisitions, sales, and strategic joint ventures nationwide, including a 50-clinic partial divestiture and strategic joint venture with a leading health system
- Represented a private equity backed radiology services provider in multiple physician practice and imaging center acquisitions and joint ventures
- Represented multiple clients in developing value-based care solutions
- Represented a Northeast regional provider of comprehensive substance use disorder treatment, including acute in-patient, outpatient and long-term residency programs in a cash and roll-over equity sale to a national strategic buyer
- Represented a provider of geriatric behavioral health services in a cash and roll-over equity sale to a private equity buyer
- Represented a national provider of physician staffing services in the spin-off and sale of its home health care business and multi-specialty physician practice
- Represented a leading provider of fertility management services in the development of a cross-border nutraceutical joint venture
viewpoints
California Revises Proposed Regulations for the Pre-Closing Review of Health Care Transactions: Public Comment Period Ends October 17, 2023
October 12, 2023 | Blog | By Lara Compton, Deborah Daccord, Daniel Cody
California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) is set to begin advance regulatory review of certain health care transactions beginning January 1, 2024. As further explained in our previous post, subject to certain exceptions, third party payers and administrators, hospitals, hospital systems, fully integrated delivery systems, pharmacy benefit managers, physician organizations, and other providers (collectively, Health Care Entities) will soon be subject to potential prospective transaction review. OHCA initially published proposed regulations for the new transaction review process in early August (for more details, see our prior post and our podcast). Multiple stakeholders expressed concerns with the proposed regulations during the public comment period, which ended August 31, 2023. In response to these comments, OHCA has published revised proposed regulations (Revised Regulations) allowing for an abbreviated comment period that ends October 17, 2023. The Revised Regulations are available here.
Health Care Deal Structures: What Will the Deal Look Like?
February 15, 2023 | Blog | By Pamela Polevoy, Deborah Daccord, Cody Keetch
Deal structure is the foundation of a health care transaction. This post offers practical tips and hypothetical case studies for laying the groundwork for a successful health care transaction.
Removing Barriers to Second Chances
January 24, 2022 | Article
363 Sales as a Health Care M&A Tool, Part 2 – Pros and Cons for Buyers and Sellers
September 11, 2020 | Blog | By Deborah Daccord, William Kannel, Tim McKeon
As a refresher, a 363 Sale couples a flexible and fast process with ample liability protection for willing buyers. The primary benefit of a 363 Sale is that a buyer can acquire the debtor’s assets free and clear of virtually all liens, claims, and interests burdening the assets and the debtor. And when Section 363 is coupled with the “assumption and assignment” provisions of Section 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, a debtor is able to assign most contracts or leases that a buyer may wish to purchase, including contracts with ironclad anti-assignment language, provided that certain conditions are satisfied. When a target is experiencing severe financial distress, the benefit of acquiring assets “free and clear” is extraordinarily valuable.
363 Sales as a Health Care M&A Tool, Part 1 – Overview
July 28, 2020 | Blog | By Deborah Daccord, William Kannel, Tim McKeon
For those unfamiliar with 363 Sales, a 363 Sale couples a flexible and fast process with ample liability protection for willing buyers. The primary benefit to a 363 Sale is that a buyer can acquire the debtor’s assets free and clear of virtually all liens, claims and encumbrances burdening the assets and the debtor. When a target is experiencing severe financial distress, the benefit of acquiring assets “free and clear of all liens” is extraordinarily valuable.
News & Press
JD Supra has recognized ten Mintz attorneys in its 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. The awards recognize attorneys and firms whose articles on the JD Supra platform were most read by C-suite executives, in-house counsel, media, and other professionals during 2024.
The Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 184 Mintz Attorneys across 56 Practice Areas
August 15, 2024
187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
Mintz announced today that 42 of its practices and 83 of its attorneys earned recognition in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA, a guide to the country’s leading law firms. Of those included in the guide, 18 attorneys and seven practice areas were awarded Chambers’ highest ranking, Band 1. The firm obtained new listings in three practice areas and 10 of its lawyers were recognized for the first time.
Mental Health Startups Face A Buyer’s Market
September 12, 2023
Member Deborah Daccord spoke to Modern Healthcare about the state of the market for mental health startups, and what to expect over the next six months.
Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
BOSTON –Mintz announced today that 39 of its practices and 81 of its attorneys earned recognition in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, a guide to the country’s leading law firms.
CaringBridge Names Deborah Daccord to its Board of Directors
January 24, 2023
BOSTON- Mintz is pleased to announce that Member Deborah Daccord has joined CaringBridge’s Board of Directors. Ms. Daccord is among industry leaders in business, technology, health care and the nonprofit sector who support and advise the senior leadership team at CaringBridge in charting the path of the organization in alignment with its mission.
Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
Deborah Daccord Named to Elite List of 2021 BTI M&A Client Service All-Stars
September 09, 2021
Mintz Recognized by Chambers USA 2019
April 26, 2019
Chambers USA 2018 Ranks Mintz Attorneys & Practices
May 03, 2018
Mintz’s Deborah Daccord Named Among “Top Women of Law” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
August 01, 2017
podcasts
Health Law Diagnosed – Understanding the New Massachusetts Health Care Market Review Law
March 11, 2025 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Deborah Daccord, Kate Stewart, Cassandra Paolillo
Host Bridgette Keller discusses the new Massachusetts Health Care Market Review Law and what this means for health care providers, investors, and other key stakeholders. She is joined by Member Deb Daccord, Of Counsel Cassie Paolillo, and Of Counsel Kate Stewart, who share their insights on the law’s far-reaching implications.
Health Law Diagnosed – New Year's Gratitude
February 3, 2025 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Alison H. Peters, Samantha Kingsbury, Theresa Carnegie, Joanne Hawana , Abdie Santiago, Stephnie John, Pamela Polevoy, Karen Lovitch , Jean D. Mancheno, Deborah Daccord, Rachel A. Alexander, Jane Haviland, David Gilboa, Kathryn Edgerton, Hassan Shaikh, Madison Castle, Laurence Freedman, Priyanka Amirneni, Samantha Hawkins, Tara E. Dwyer, Rachel Yount, Sophia Temis, Xavier Hardy
Host Of Counsel Bridgette Keller invites the Mintz Health Law team to reflect on what they’re grateful for as they prepare for the year ahead. Hear from a dynamic group of Members, Of Counsel, and Associates as they share their perspectives on what’s coming up over the horizon.
Health Law Diagnosed — Mintz Health Law Team: Reflecting on What We Are Grateful For
February 5, 2024 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller
As the Mintz Health Law team welcomes the beginning of 2024, many of its members take a moment to reflect on the exciting growth of the Health Law Practice, opportunities to partner with clients on complex legal issues, and the celebration of numerous milestones.
Events & Speaking
Leading Through a Crisis: COVID-19 Executive Idea Exchange Series
As Companies Working with Senior Populations, How are We Leading?
Webinar
WBL Board Program
Breaking Through to the Boardroom: Advice From Non-Traditional Board Candidates
Chicago, IL
Deborah is a nationally recognized leader in health industry transactions, with 30 years of experience running complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and significant contracting matters for health care providers and investors across the United States. At any given time, Deborah is engaged in leading teams of the firm’s transactional and regulatory lawyers on several large-scale deals. Her clients value her business acumen, strategic thinking, and her project management skills, from both a deal closure and cost perspective. Deborah also provides deal structuring, general counseling, regulatory advice, and strategic planning for nonprofit and for-profit health care providers and their financial sponsors. She is consistently recognized by her peers and leading publications for excellence in health care law.
Recognition & Awards
BTI Consulting Group: M&A Client Service All-Star (2021)
Featured in Best Lawyers in America: Health Care Law (2012 – 2025)
Chambers USA: Massachusetts (Band 1) – Healthcare (2007 – 2018, 2024); (Band 2) - Healthcare (2019 – 2023)
Nightingale’s Healthcare News: Outstanding Healthcare Transaction Lawyer (2009)
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce: Boston's Future Leaders (2006)
Harvard Law School Irving Oberman Memorial Award
Deborah is a nationally recognized leader in health industry transactions, with 30 years of experience running complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and significant contracting matters for health care providers and investors across the United States. At any given time, Deborah is engaged in leading teams of the firm’s transactional and regulatory lawyers on several large-scale deals. Her clients value her business acumen, strategic thinking, and her project management skills, from both a deal closure and cost perspective. Deborah also provides deal structuring, general counseling, regulatory advice, and strategic planning for nonprofit and for-profit health care providers and their financial sponsors. She is consistently recognized by her peers and leading publications for excellence in health care law.
Involvement
- Managing Director, Golden Seeds
- Board of Trustees, Lasell Village
- President’s Council and Past Board Chair, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston
- Founding Member, Women for Whittier
- Member, Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation
- Board of Visitors, Fenway Health
- Member, American Health Lawyers Association
- Member, Boston Bar Association
- Member, The Florida Bar
Recent Insights
Health Law Diagnosed – Understanding the New Massachusetts Health Care Market Review Law
March 11, 2025| Podcast|
JD Supra has recognized ten Mintz attorneys in its 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. The awards recognize attorneys and firms whose articles on the JD Supra platform were most read by C-suite executives, in-house counsel, media, and other professionals during 2024.
