Alston & Bird has expanded its health care policy and regulatory capabilities with the addition of James “JP” Paluskiewicz, former Republican chief health counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, and a strategic alliance with Neleen Rubin, a past Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee health policy team. Both will be key senior policy additions to the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
“JP and Neleen bring deep bipartisan relationships and insight on federal health care policy and regulatory issues,” said Tim Trysla, Alston & Bird partner and chair of the firm’s Health Care Legislative & Public Policy Group. “With the change in administrations and Congress, coupled with the ongoing battle against COVID-19, JP and Neleen will play key roles advising clients on their legislative and policy objectives and helping them prepare for the new challenges and opportunities that are certain to arise from Washington policymaking now and in the future.”
As former Republican chief counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, Paluskiewicz oversaw all policy under the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, helped coordinate committee activity, and led bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. He was also the sole policy staffer overseeing Medicare Parts B and D and health information technology.
Before joining the committee staff, Paluskiewicz served as deputy chief of staff to the Hon. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), and as legislative director and health policy advisor to the Hon. Charlie Norwood, D.D.S. (R-GA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He is also an adjunct professor of graduate courses at George Washington University.
In addition to his government experience, Paluskiewicz served as the American Dental Association’s chief congressional lobbyist on Medicaid.
Recognized by numerous health care organizations for his work on Capitol Hill, Paluskiewicz is a recipient of the Bipartisan Congressional Staff Award from the Alliance for Health Policy, Special Recognition Award from the American Psychiatric Society, Gift of Life Legislator of the Year Award from the American Society of Transplantation, Congressional Staff Leadership Award from America’s Essential Hospitals, Charles G. Norwood Memorial Advocacy Award from the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Congressional Staffer of the Year award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In each case, it was the first time the organization granted the award to a congressional staffer. In addition, Paluskiewicz was named an “Emerging Healthcare Leader” in 2012 by Politico.
Paluskiewicz earned his undergraduate degree from American University and a master’s degree from George Washington University.
Neleen Rubin has worked in federal health care policy for more than 20 years. Her government experience includes serving as a professional staff member for the Senate Finance Committee Democratic Majority staff and its chairman, the Hon. Max Baucus (D-MT). As a member of the committee’s health policy team, her primary responsibility was developing policies related to Medicare Part A. In this role, she helped craft the landmark Affordable Care Act.
Rubin also worked as a legislative assistant to Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) on health policy issues before the Senate Finance Committee.
Rubin began her work in federal government during the Clinton administration as a policy coordinator in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she helped coordinate agency-wide review and development of department initiatives in the area of public health. She also served as a fellow to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland, during her HHS tenure.
Rubin currently is president of Rubin Health Policy Consulting, where she will continue to advise her firm’s health care clients on regulatory and legislative initiatives, in addition to her collaboration with Alston & Bird. Prior to her consulting work, she was vice president of government affairs for a cardiovascular medical device company, Edwards Lifesciences, where she established and led the company’s Washington, D.C. government affairs office.
Rubin earned her undergraduate degree from Colgate University and her master’s degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
“The addition of JP and Neleen enhances the strong bipartisan health policy team at Alston & Bird,” said Earl Pomeroy, Alston & Bird special counsel and former long-time congressman from North Dakota. “They have well-earned reputations for being deeply knowledgeable policy experts in Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid. They will fit right in with our public and private health policy backgrounds in advancing solutions and advocacy for our clients.”
“With JP’s arrival and our alliance with Neleen, we continue to add exceptional talent to grow key practices and capabilities to meet our client’ needs,” said Dennis Garris, partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s Washington, D.C. office. “Finding two highly credentialed professionals of JP’s and Neleen’s caliber who have both public and private sector health care policy experience is a big plus for our clients as they look to get out in front of federal policymaking and advance their business and policy goals.”
Paluskiewicz and Rubin add to Alston & Bird’s deep bench of health care attorneys and former executive branch and congressional members and staffers, including: the Hon. Earl Pomeroy and Bob Siggins, his chief of staff; Elinor Hiller and Tim Trysla, former senior policy advisors at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Jane Lucas, former White House public policy and health care counsel; Michael Park, a former health policy counsel to Sen. Charles Grassley, the past chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance; Marilyn Yager, former deputy assistant to the president in the Clinton White House; Mark Rayder, legislative staffer to three former members of the House Committee on Appropriations; and Joyce Gresko, who advises clients on health care regulatory, legislative, and compliance matters and was named a 2020 “Washington, D.C. Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal.
“JP and Neleen bring deep bipartisan relationships and insight on federal health care policy and regulatory issues,” said Tim Trysla, Alston & Bird partner and chair of the firm’s Health Care Legislative & Public Policy Group. “With the change in administrations and Congress, coupled with the ongoing battle against COVID-19, JP and Neleen will play key roles advising clients on their legislative and policy objectives and helping them prepare for the new challenges and opportunities that are certain to arise from Washington policymaking now and in the future.”
As former Republican chief counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, Paluskiewicz oversaw all policy under the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, helped coordinate committee activity, and led bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. He was also the sole policy staffer overseeing Medicare Parts B and D and health information technology.
Before joining the committee staff, Paluskiewicz served as deputy chief of staff to the Hon. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), and as legislative director and health policy advisor to the Hon. Charlie Norwood, D.D.S. (R-GA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He is also an adjunct professor of graduate courses at George Washington University.
In addition to his government experience, Paluskiewicz served as the American Dental Association’s chief congressional lobbyist on Medicaid.
Recognized by numerous health care organizations for his work on Capitol Hill, Paluskiewicz is a recipient of the Bipartisan Congressional Staff Award from the Alliance for Health Policy, Special Recognition Award from the American Psychiatric Society, Gift of Life Legislator of the Year Award from the American Society of Transplantation, Congressional Staff Leadership Award from America’s Essential Hospitals, Charles G. Norwood Memorial Advocacy Award from the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Congressional Staffer of the Year award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In each case, it was the first time the organization granted the award to a congressional staffer. In addition, Paluskiewicz was named an “Emerging Healthcare Leader” in 2012 by Politico.
Paluskiewicz earned his undergraduate degree from American University and a master’s degree from George Washington University.
Neleen Rubin has worked in federal health care policy for more than 20 years. Her government experience includes serving as a professional staff member for the Senate Finance Committee Democratic Majority staff and its chairman, the Hon. Max Baucus (D-MT). As a member of the committee’s health policy team, her primary responsibility was developing policies related to Medicare Part A. In this role, she helped craft the landmark Affordable Care Act.
Rubin also worked as a legislative assistant to Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) on health policy issues before the Senate Finance Committee.
Rubin began her work in federal government during the Clinton administration as a policy coordinator in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she helped coordinate agency-wide review and development of department initiatives in the area of public health. She also served as a fellow to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland, during her HHS tenure.
Rubin currently is president of Rubin Health Policy Consulting, where she will continue to advise her firm’s health care clients on regulatory and legislative initiatives, in addition to her collaboration with Alston & Bird. Prior to her consulting work, she was vice president of government affairs for a cardiovascular medical device company, Edwards Lifesciences, where she established and led the company’s Washington, D.C. government affairs office.
Rubin earned her undergraduate degree from Colgate University and her master’s degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
“The addition of JP and Neleen enhances the strong bipartisan health policy team at Alston & Bird,” said Earl Pomeroy, Alston & Bird special counsel and former long-time congressman from North Dakota. “They have well-earned reputations for being deeply knowledgeable policy experts in Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid. They will fit right in with our public and private health policy backgrounds in advancing solutions and advocacy for our clients.”
“With JP’s arrival and our alliance with Neleen, we continue to add exceptional talent to grow key practices and capabilities to meet our client’ needs,” said Dennis Garris, partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s Washington, D.C. office. “Finding two highly credentialed professionals of JP’s and Neleen’s caliber who have both public and private sector health care policy experience is a big plus for our clients as they look to get out in front of federal policymaking and advance their business and policy goals.”
Paluskiewicz and Rubin add to Alston & Bird’s deep bench of health care attorneys and former executive branch and congressional members and staffers, including: the Hon. Earl Pomeroy and Bob Siggins, his chief of staff; Elinor Hiller and Tim Trysla, former senior policy advisors at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Jane Lucas, former White House public policy and health care counsel; Michael Park, a former health policy counsel to Sen. Charles Grassley, the past chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance; Marilyn Yager, former deputy assistant to the president in the Clinton White House; Mark Rayder, legislative staffer to three former members of the House Committee on Appropriations; and Joyce Gresko, who advises clients on health care regulatory, legislative, and compliance matters and was named a 2020 “Washington, D.C. Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal.