Laywers of the Month

 

Holland & Knight

This month we give special acknowledgment to the longstanding and enormously effective participation of Holland & Knight and its attorneys in HLA's Pro Bono Legal Network.

For several years, attorneys from Holland & Knight have been among the most active participants in the Legal Network. They have assisted low-income clients gain access to desperately needed health coverage and bolstered HLA's educational programming by hosting and participating in legal trainings. Holland & Knight has also been a generous financial supporter of  HLA.

Jeffrey Mittleman, a partner at Holland & Knight has worked to coordinate the firm's extensive involvement  with HLA and represented clients referred by HLA. Two very recent cases handled by Holland & Knight lawyers demonstrate their effectiveness.

Elizabeth Sanghavi, an associate with Holland & Knight, represented S.K. a young man from Cambridge, who works for a relatively low wage at two community health centers. He could not get health insurance through either of his employers, but a state agency falsely believed he could get employer sponsored insurance and, on that basis, found him ineligible for a government subsidized plan. S.K. was unable, after substantial efforts, to reverse the state's decision. Elizabeth took on the case and helped S.K. navigate a very difficult to penetrate enrollment system. Ultimately, Elizabeth was successful in winning eligibility in the subsidized health plan for S.K. He will now be able to enroll and have coverage for needed health care.

Jonathan Anderman, an associate at the firm, represented D.H., a low-income 54 year old from Western Mass. with developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy and grand mal seizures. D.H. was prescribed a brand name medication and was paying a $20 copay every two weeks. When a generic version of the medication came out, D.H.'s health plan began charging him an unaffordable $167 copay every two weeks to stay on the brand name medication. However, the generic version of the medication was not effective for D.H. Jonathan helped D.H. appeal to his insurer and present clinical evidence that the generic medication did not help D.H. The insurer agreed and reinstated the $20 copay for D.H.

HLA salutes the attorneys at Holland & Knight for their outstanding service on behalf of vulnerable clients facing obstacles to life-sustaining medical care. Thank you Holland & Knight!!!