Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.
I worked on the lead transaction and health care regulatory team at K&L Gates, which advised Lifepoint Health, Inc. in its acquisition of all the ownership and membership interests in Kindred Healthcare, LLC from TPG Capital, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, and others.
In addition to the multi-billion dollar acquisition, which was one of the largest healthcare transactions in 2021, and the largest hospital transaction that year, I worked on the formation of a new holding company, which became a new health system called, ScionHealth, and facilitated the transfer and reorganization of rehabilitation and behavioral health businesses from Kindred to Lifepoint, as well as the transfer of certain acute care hospitals from Lifepoint to ScionHealth. Following the transaction and reorganization, ScionHealth comprised 79 acute care hospitals across 26 states and Lifepoint expanded and diversified its platform of over 65 remaining hospital campuses across 29 states.
I have chaired K&L Gates Nashville’s pro bono lawyers committee for the past three years since our firm’s inception in Tennessee. Recently, our team was recognized as the 2023 recipient of the Pro Bono Leadership Award at the Nashville Bar Association’s annual Law Day Luncheon for our work with adoptions of minor children through the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.
What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?
The most important lesson I learned during my first year of practice is the importance of being open minded and seeing the other side of any argument. You come out of law school taught to argue and advocate for a particular point of view, which is good, but one is extremely limited in their ability to do that if they can only see things from one perspective.
My experience traveling abroad in the Navy and getting exposed to different cultures, people, and places, has painted a picture for me of just how interconnected we all are, how different we are, and how similar. Understanding someone’s viewpoint fully before advocating for your cause is one of the single most powerful skills that one can use to persuade and unite opposing viewpoints toward truth and justice. It is a skill I use every day as an attorney whether arguing over provisions in a purchase agreement or walking a client through a difficult legal issue.
How do you define success in your practice?
I define success in my practice as delivering excellent client service with the utmost character and integrity. This would include producing high quality legal work product, being responsive to the client’s communications, meeting deadlines, staffing matters appropriately (in terms of experience and expertise), and maintaining reasonable budgets.
It also means not compromising on the truth or bending the rules even when pressured to do so. A good name and reputation take a lifetime to build but it can be ruined in a moment. Success over the long term is earned each day by how one conducts his or her affairs in and out of the office.
What are you most proud of as a lawyer?
It is difficult to point to one specific transaction or cause that I am most proud of as a lawyer. I have been so fortunate to work with many incredible attorneys on some of the most interesting and important corporate and health care transactions in the country.
However, for me, the thing I am most proud of as a lawyer is the opportunity to help establish K&L Gates as the first international law firm in Nashville, and to see it grow so successfully over the last two years with much more on the horizon in terms of leadership and opportunities to serve. Prior to returning to Nashville, I am also proud of one pro bono matter I handled while an associate, representing Bayonne Mental Health Clinic the sale of all its assets and real estate to Trinitas Regional Medical Center, thus preserving critical mental health infrastructure in an impoverished suburb of New Jersey.
Who is your greatest mentor in the law and what have they taught you?
My greatest mentor in the law is Steve Cohen of Morgan, Lewis and Bockius. As a young associate at Morgan Lewis, Steve gave me opportunities to learn and develop my skills as a venture capital and private equity lawyer in health care and life science transactions.
A hard-working, entrepreneurial and deadline focused attorney, Steve taught me how to set schedules, meet budgets, follow checklists, and present client-focused solutions. He knew when to step in and when to let me handle things, which accelerated my development.
He was also one of the best at giving very straightforward feedback and then completely moving on, giving you the chance to start new without crushing your spirit. He rarely expressed praise, but somehow you always knew where you stood with him.
And it was encouraging to be entrusted with his matters. Perhaps most unique about Steve is his how calm he is most of the time. Steve is the author of a book called “Leading from Within,” which details practical wisdom on mindfulness and meditation. I keep a copy in my office and review if often, as it helps me focus and become a stronger leader and a better attorney.
Tell us your two favorite songs on your summer music playlist.
“Gratitude” by Brandon Lake—It reminds me that the times we feel the most powerless can be the times we are at our best because we are forced to tap into something greater and stronger than ourselves. And “Reasons,” by Hulvey—I’ve run three marathons this year, and this is an awesome running song and a great message.
Matt Miller is a founding partner of K&L Gates in Nashville, Tenn. He served as an officer in the US Navy before entering law school. He then clerked for the New Jersey Supreme Court, where he drafted the working copy of the court’s 2014 opinion in State v. Derrick Brown, a landmark privacy case protecting impoverished neighborhoods against warrantless police searches and seizures. He is the founding chair of K&L Gates Nashville’s pro bono program, now in its third year.
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