Elise Dunitz Brennan has practiced healthcare law for over 30 years.  Her practice concentrates on the general representation of healthcare systems, including hospitals, pharmaceutical and device companies, and long-term care facilities.  She specializes in operational and regulatory support, compliance planning, mergers and acquisitions, HIPAA, billing issues, Medicare, Antikickback and Stark, EMTALA, managed care, physician recruitment, physician medical staff issues, licensure, Certificate of Need and Change of Ownership, peer review hearings, fraud and abuse, risk management and new service development.  Recently, her practice has included healthcare provider integration initiatives such as ACOs, service line collaborations and non-clinical joint ventures, and healthcare provider and payor contracting issues.  She also serves as an Arbitrator on the Commercial and Healthcare Panel of the American Arbitration Association and as an Arbitrator, Mediator and Trainer for the American Health Lawyers Association.  Chambers USA, the leading evaluator of attorneys, referred to Ms. Brennan as “an outstanding healthcare lawyer with a strong suit in the representation of institutions and transactions.”  Ms. Brennan is the first Oklahoma attorney elected as a Fellow of the American Health Lawyers Association. In 2022, she was included in the Top 50 List of Oklahoma Super Lawyers^®. 

Acquisition of a Certificate of Need, bond financing and regulatory approval for the first life care community in Oklahoma

Formation and drafting of all provider and group contracts for a hospital-owned managed care entity in Oklahoma, which offers HMO, PPO, fully-insured and Medicare Advantage products

Representation of hospitals in over 20 physician peer review hearings

Representation of a large physician practice in its acquisition by a large tertiary care hospital

Representation of investors in the acquisition of primary care and psychiatric hospitals

Assistance to hospitals and physician practices with compliance self-assessments and remedial actions

Guided the restructuring of a large long-term care system and provided advice on new service development

Representation of an association of independent pharmacies in negotiation of contracts and dispute resolution with national PBMs

Representation of the largest Oklahoma behavioral health center

Served as Arbitrator in excess of 4 dozen disputes, many between healthcare providers and payors or partners

Honors & Recognitions

Phi Beta Kappa - 1976

Order of the Barristers - 1983

A-V Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating - 1987 to present

Listed in Best Lawyers in America^® for Health Care Law - 1991 to present

Listed as One of the Top 25 Women Lawyers in Oklahoma by Oklahoma Magazine - 2006 to present

Chambers U.S.A. Leading Lawyers for Business: Corporate/Commercial - 2010 to present

Listed as one of the Pre-eminent Practitioners in the Country of Leading US Healthcare Lawyers by Legal Media Group - 2010

Selected as Tulsa "Lawyer of the Year" in Health Care Law by Best Lawyers in America^® - 2011

Leadership in Law Award (Journal Record) - 2012

One of 50 Making a Difference – Woman of the Year (Journal Record) - 2014

City of Tulsa, Nominated by Mayor and Elected by City Council to Ethics Advisory Committee

Tulsa Ballet Theater, Inc., Member of Board of Directors

Family & Children's Services, Past President, Member of the Board of Directors, Current Member of Advisory Board

Recognized on the 2022 Top 50 List of Oklahoma Super Lawyers^® and Top 25 List of Women Oklahoma Super Lawyers^®

Community & Professional

American Health Lawyers Association, Current Fellow, Past Member of the Board Directors and Executive Committee, Past Chair of Credentialing Practice Group, Public Interest Committee and Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force

Oklahoma Health Lawyers Association, Past President

American Arbitration Association, Member of the Commercial and Health Panels

American Health Lawyers Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel – Mediator, Arbitrator and Trainer

University of Oklahoma Adjunct Law Professor

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Health and Life Sciences Law