Husch Blackwell welcomes Associate Wakaba Y. Tessier to the firm’s Healthcare group in St. Louis. Tessier has concentrated her practice in healthcare law since obtaining her J.D. in 2009, and prior to that worked in the healthcare industry for a pharmaceutical consulting firm.

Husch Blackwell’s Healthcare team continues to expand with Tessier as the fifth addition to the group this year. Emily Park joined the Jefferson City office in September upon receiving her J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law. Kansas City Partner and former Health and Human Services Senior Counsel Brian Bewley, along with St. Louis Associate Kimela West, joined the firm in July. West had practiced at another firm in St. Louis where her clientele included a major health system with more than 20 hospitals, home health agencies and assisted living facilities. Initiating the hiring trend was Former Hospital Risk Management Director Tina Boschert, who joined the Kansas City office in May.

Prior to joining Husch Blackwell, Tessier was a Healthcare Associate with a St. Louis-based full-service law firm (2009-2012). While there, she advised hospitals on various operational issues, including medical staff matters, bylaws, rules and regulations, policies and procedures, accreditation matters, peer review, credentialing, physician disciplinary issues, and federal and state regulatory compliance. Tessier also has extensive experience counseling clients on human subjects research and institutional review board regulatory compliance. She has negotiated and drafted agreements pertaining to physician and medical director employment, managed care, peer review services, asset purchase and confidentiality. In addition, she has counseled clients on federal fraud and abuse issues related to the Stark Law, the False Claims Act and the anti-kickback statute.

Tessier received her J.D. from Washington University School of Law (2008), where she was Managing Editor of Washington University Law Review and a member of the Women’s Law Caucus. She received her M.S. from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind. (2009) and her B.A. from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass. (2002). Upon receiving her bachelor’s degree, Tessier was a Research Associate for pharmaceutical consulting firm Equinox Group, Inc. (2002-2005), where she advised multinational pharmaceutical companies and created market forecasts with epidemiology trends.