Healthcare

Daily Journal Spotlights Bartko’s Landmark Pre-Trial Victory in Ruling Setting the Antitrust Standard in Blue Cross Hospital Case

The Daily Journal recently featured Bartko Pavia LLP’s significant victory in VHS Liquidating Trust v. Blue Cross of California, where an Alameda County Superior Court judge held that the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans will face strict per se antitrust treatment for dividing the country into exclusive territories, unless they can show their predecessors held common law trademark rights in those areas before the 1950s.

Bartko Pavia Secures Landmark California Appellate Victory, on Behalf of one of its Hospital Clients, Reviving Antitrust Claims Against MultiPlan

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Michael Abraham and Steve Steinberg Author Article for California Health Law News

Michael D. Abraham and Stephen C. Steinberg, Partners at Bartko Pavia LLP and Co-Chairs of the firm’s Privacy Practice, authored an article in the Summer 2026 issue of California Health Law News, How J.M. v. Illuminate Education Rewrote the CMIA Playbook, examining a California Supreme Court decision that quietly reset the rules for medical privacy litigation in this state.

Special Counsel Meredith P. Vanderbilt Authors New Book on Additive Manufacturing for Orthopedic Implants

Meredith Vanderbilt, Special Counsel at Bartko Pavia LLP, alongside co-authors Dawn Abens Lissy and Brian McLaughlin, has published their new book, Additive Manufacturing for Orthopedic Implants: Material and Process Selection, Validation Activities, and Regulatory Submissions.

Meredith Vanderbilt Publishes Article in AHLA Health Law Weekly on FDA Drug Shortage Tracking

ABA Antitrust Plaintiffs’ Roundtable Will Feature Insights from Ian Papendick

Ian Papendick will be a featured speaker at the ABA Antitrust Plaintiffs’ Roundtable, held at The Jay, Autograph Collection Hotel in San Francisco. The program brings together leading antitrust practitioners and thought leaders to discuss key developments and strategies in plaintiffs’ antitrust litigation.

Bartko Pavia appeared in the first hearing related to 11 coordinated class actions

BartkoZankel appeared in the first hearing related to 11 coordinated class actions brought against the firm’s health care provider client for alleged penalties following the theft of a password protected computer in October 2011. The cases raise novel issues regarding what is a release under the Confidentiality of Medical Records Act (CMIA) and the propriety of class treatment for CMIA claims. Robert Bunzel, Michael Abraham and Simon Goodfellow lead the BartkoZankel team. In re Sutter Medical Information Cases, Judicial Council Coordination No. 4698, Sacramento Superior Court.

Restoring CMIA’s Intended Balance

California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), Civil Code section 56 et seq., carefully balances obligations to handle and dispose of medical information in a manner preserving confidentiality with patients’ CMIA rights of action for nominal or actual damages. Disruption of this balance has recently been threatened by multiple class action lawsuits seeking to dictate privacy procedures and recover millions or, in one case, billions, of dollars from health care providers in response to the theft or loss of electronic databases. View a PDF of the article.

Use of AI In Employment

If your Company uses any automated tools such as Upwork or TurboHire in its hiring process, youshould be aware that New York City has established new requirements governing such practices,which are set forth in the Automated Employment Decision Tool Law (AEDTL).

Patrick M. Ryan and Benjamin K. Riley Named “Top 100 Lawyer” in California

San Francisco, CA – Patrick M. Ryan—head of Bartko law firm’s Litigation practice and Chair of its Antitrust and IP and Brand Protection groups, and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee—and Benjamin K. Riley—a principal in Bartko’s Litigation practice and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee—were both selected by the California Daily Journal as two of the “Top 100 Lawyers in California” for 2023.