Dale S. Webber

Dale Webber is Chair of Buchanan’s national healthcare law practice which is consistently recognized by Chambers USA. With over 33 years of practical legal experience, Dale’s multi-sector practice focuses on representing clients in healthcare transactions, provider-payer alignment, population health initiatives, value-based contracting, healthcare market consolidation, healthcare regulation, and complex compliance matters.  He has been selected for inclusion on The Best Lawyers in America list in the category of Healthcare Law for nine consecutive years and was named “Lawyer of the Year” in the 2020 and 2024 editions. Dale has also been recognized multiple times in a BTI Consulting national client survey for providing superior client service in corporate transactions, and has also received Martindale Hubbell's highest rating (AV) for legal ability and ethics. 

How Dale Helps Clients

In his health systems and hospitals practice, Dale represents national health systems, leading regional health systems, academic medical centers, acute care hospitals, hospices and home health agencies. In addition to providing general representation, he has led hundreds of mergers, consolidations, purchase and sale transactions, membership substitutions, and substantial joint venture projects with an aggregate value in excess of $50 billion.  Dale has served as lead counsel in transactions that have resulted in the formation of some of the nation’s largest not for profit health systems. One such transaction that involved the formation of a major provider-payor health system was described by the Wall Street Journal as an industry “game changer.”

As part of his practice Dale also represents higher education institutions in significant transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.  He has represented a major STEM-focused university in its corporate merger into one of the nation’s top regional universities.  Among Dale’s other clients is a preeminent medical school that he has represented in strategic academic, clinical and research affiliations with both a large regional health system and a leading pediatric specialty hospital.

What Clients Can Expect

Dale develops long term relationships with his clients who trust him with their most important legal projects. Known for his attention to detail, steady demeanor, and creative deal-making solutions, he uses his industry knowledge and experience to advance the legal and business interests of his clients.  Dale relishes the opportunity to work in the trenches alongside his clients on complex business deals to assure that their strategic business objectives are met. Clients describe Dale as being calm, firm and resolute, all of which is particularly useful when working through complex, sometimes contentious legal matters.

Proof Points

Among the more recent healthcare and higher education transactions in which Dale has served as lead counsel are the following:

• Representation of Trinity Health in its disaffiliation from BayCare Health System.
• Representation of Catholic Health East in its merger with Trinity Health to form one of the largest Catholic health systems in the U.S.
• Representation of Florida International University and its Herbert Wertheim School of Medicine in the formation of an academic medical center enterprise with Baptist Health South Florida and a pediatric academic medical center enterprise with Nicklaus Children's Hospital.
• Representation of Maxis Health System in the sale and transfer of its subsidiary hospitals, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County and St. Francis Medical Center, and its PACE program, LIFE St. Francis. 
• Representation of Chapters Health System, the nation’s largest provider of not for profit hospice services, in the acquisition of hospices in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, Nevada, Oregon and California.
• Representation of Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network in their acquisition of West Penn Allegheny Health System, Jefferson Regional Medical Center, and Saint Vincent Health System.
• Representation of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in its merger with Saint Joseph’s University.
• Representation of SECUR Health Plan in the formation and development of a Medicare Advantage Institutional Special Needs Plan
• Representation of Chapters CareNU in the formation and development of accountable care organizations including under the CMS ACO REACH pilot program.