Polsinelli has added a 10-year veteran from UW Medicine, one of the largest academic health systems in the Pacific Northwest, to its ranks in Seattle. The move comes as Polsinelli aims to bolster its health care-focused consulting group amid a pandemic-fueled surge in health care work.

Lori Oliver joined the Am Law 100 firm in late April, coming fresh off her stint as strategic clinical business officer and associate vice president for medical affairs. She was also the director of legal and business affairs for the University of Washington and UW Medicine.

Before that, Oliver was an assistant attorney general in Washington state for 15 years. Although she's not bringing a book of business with her to Polsinelli, she does have experience advising health care organizations, including academic health systems, on a variety of issues.

"We found that as we have grown, health care is one of the most important practice groups in Polsinelli," said Matthew Murer, the chairman of Polsinelli's health care practice. "Our approach has been, in that space, we want to be the firm that can do everything for you."

Oliver's experience will complement the firm's current offerings, Murer added.

Lori Oliver/courtesy photo

Murer said the firm's health care practice has gotten busier since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Having a lawyer such as  Oliver on the team benefits Polsinelli because she has "instant credibility" with its clients, he added.

Oliver joined as a shareholder in the firm's health care transactions practice, but she will also focus on expanding and developing business for Polsinelli's health care-centered consulting group, known as Polsinelli Healthcare Solutions, the firm said.

Polsinelli set up shop in Seattle in 2018 with an eight-lawyer group from Foster Pepper. Since then, the firm has steadily bolstered its ranks there. In November 2019, Polsinelli added four patent attorneys from local intellectual property firm Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness. Last month, the firm brought on Locke Lord litigator Aaron Wagner.

2019 was a great year for Polsinelli, as the firm saw its overall revenue rise by 13% to $580.4 million, paired with a 4.8% rise in its head count, to 849 lawyers. The firm also boosted its profits per equity partner by a staggering 28.3%, to $948,000.

"At our scale, at 900 lawyers … it's not one particular deal or litigation," firm CEO and chairman Chase Simmons said in November. "Our existing clients just continued to drive work to us."

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