HEALTH LAW PARTNERS LOWE & SUTTON CERTIFIED BY FLORIDA BAR

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- The law firm of Ruden McClosky is pleased to announce that Health Law attorneys Michael Lowe and Bill Sutton have been Certified in Health Law by The Florida Bar, effective August 1, 2004. The certification recognizes lawyers who demonstrate special knowledge, skills and proficiency in Health Law and successfully complete the Health Law Certification exam. The certification is bestowed by the Board of Legal Specialization and Education of The Florida Bar, acknowledging the preeminence of the certified attorneys, both in competence and in ethics. Three Ruden McClosky attorneys are now Certified in Health Law.

Mr. Lowe and Mr. Sutton are members of the Firm's 15-attorney Health Law Practice Group. The Group is one of the largest in the state, with attorneys offering counsel in Intellectual Property, Bio Technology, Pharmaceuticals, HIPAA Security, Fraud and Abuse and a range of health law related matters. Mr.Lowe and Mr. Sutton are resident in the Firm's Orlando office and Stephen Siegel, also Certified in Health Law and Chair of the Firm's Health Law Practice Group, is resident in the Firm's Miami, Florida office. Other Health Law attorneys are located in the Firm's Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Tampa and West Palm Beach offices.

The Health Law Practice Group represents physicians, physician group practices, ambulatory surgical centers, hospital medical staffs, diagnostic centers, hospitals and long-term facilities, among others, in a broad range of matters including: compliance with state and federal anti-kickback and self-referral laws, qui tam law suits, fraud and abuse prevention, defense and reimbursement issues, professional licensure actions, physician employment agreements, medical records and HIPAA matters, medical malpractice defense, managed care contracting and reimbursement cases and medical malpractice insurance coverage matters, transactional health law, including the formation of physician practices and health care entities, commercial disputes, health care law and litigation, civil false claims and whistleblower actions, and white-collar criminal defense.

Michael Lowe is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (B.S., with distinction, 1988) and received his law degree from The University of Alabama School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude,Order of the Coif, 1996). He also holds a Master of Arts (M.A., with honors, 1989) in National Securities Studies from Georgetown University. As a Health Law specialist, he focuses on all aspects of business, corporate, transactional, regulatory, operational and administrative matters in the health law arena. A member of The Florida and Georgia Bars, Mr. Lowe is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the Health Law Section of the American Bar Association, and Health Law Section of The Florida Bar. He is also past Chair of the Medical/Legal Committee of the Orange County Bar Association.

Bill Sutton is a graduate of Florida State University (B.S., cum laude, 1984) and received his law degree from Florida State University (J.D., with honors, 1987). He also holds a Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A., 1987) from Florida State University. A member of the Firm's Litigation and Health Law Practice Groups, Mr. Sutton is a trial lawyer who represents entities in criminal, civil and administrative disputes, including actions brought by government agencies and enforcement authorities. Mr. Sutton's early experience included serving in Florida Attorney General's Office, first in the Economic Crimes Unit (RICO Section) and later as the Major Case Counsel to the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. In that capacity, he settled the first suit filed under the Florida False Claims Act, and represented the Attorney General's Office during the State of Florida's landmark suit against the tobacco companies. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Sutton served as Assistant General Counsel to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, where he handled cases involving fraud and abuse, reimbursement, quality of care and regulatory compliance. He is a member of The Florida and Tennessee Bars.