Zuckerman Spaeder Announces Return of Former Partner and Obama Administration Official William B. Schultz

Zuckerman Spaeder LLP announced today that former partner William B. Schultz will return after serving more than five years in the Obama Administration as General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This most recent government leadership role follows his previous positions with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Congress. Before joining HHS, Mr. Schultz was a Zuckerman Spaeder partner for 10 years.

During his time at HHS, Mr. Schultz served two department secretaries on all legal matters and managed an office of 500 attorneys spread through 18 offices in DC and across the country. He was responsible for formulating HHS’s legal position on all litigation, regulations and policy issues, and he managed all interactions with the White House counsel’s office, the Department of Justice and the legal arms of other executive branch departments.

“There are only a handful of lawyers in the nation who have Bill’s depth of experience in health care policy and law,” said Zuckerman Spaeder Chairman Dwight Bostwick. “Of equal importance is his character, which fits perfectly with our firm: he’s intelligent, experienced, creative and a team player. Bill’s decision to come back speaks to the firm’s culture and to the significant presence we have in the health care space.”

“With a great culture, top attorneys and a mix of work aligned with my interests, Zuckerman Spaeder was clearly the best choice among the many excellent firms in DC,” said Mr. Schultz. “The firm is full of outstanding lawyers, and does some of the best food, drug and health work in the country, driven by both established legal veterans and incredibly sharp young attorneys. And Zuckerman Spaeder approaches its work with a rare combination of intensity and collegiality, which creates an environment that is highly focused on clients and results.”

Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius commented, “Bill is an incredible and unique lawyer. He’s smart, he’s strategic, he’s well connected, and he not only brought a passion for justice to the job of General Counsel, he also brought a joy of the law and a joy of solving problems. He has an incredible record as a public servant at the Justice department, with the FDA, at HHS, on Capitol Hill – and he’s been a teacher, a litigator, a friend, a coach and a mentor.”

Mr. Schultz’s practice at Zuckerman Spaeder will focus on two key areas: representing healthcare payers, providers and consumers with complex regulatory issues before HHS and in court; and, representing generic drug companies, nonprofit organizations and other clients with matters before the FDA and in court.

Mr. Bostwick continued, “We have become a go-to firm for health care, and Bill will help lead this vibrant and growing practice. His judgment and experience will be of tremendous benefit to existing and new clients, including hospitals, healthcare providers, generic pharmaceutical companies, consumers and non-profits.”

Before joining Zuckerman Spaeder in 2001, Mr. Schultz worked as Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, Committee on Energy and Commerce and as an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group.

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Katie Munroe
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