Jillian Somers Donovan

Jillian's practice focuses on civil and regulatory litigation for health care industry clients and providers of long-term care services. Her representation includes skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, medical staffs, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, independent living communities, and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled. Jillian represents clients in administrative proceedings and litigation, including suits challenging regulatory citations, deficiency appeals, staffing audits, licensure actions, abuse and neglect complaints, as well as lawsuits on a wide array of matters. Jillian handles all phases of litigation: discovery, law and motion practice, mediation, arbitration, administrative hearings, trials, writs and appeals.

Jillian guides her clients through issues involving multiple government agencies, including the California Department of Public Health, California Department of Social Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Jillian handles advice and counsel for disputes with government agencies and manages the response to investigations conducted by the same.

Jillian also defends hospitals, medical staffs, and medical staff leaders in civil litigation arising from peer review activities. She has participated in the representation of medical staffs in formal hearings involving peer review actions. Jillian has also acted as a trial attorney representing hospitals in multiple lawsuits involving peer review and physician contracting issues. As part of her work with hospital clients, Jillian also provides advice and representation to clients with regard to Probate Code capacity and medical judgment petitions and related questions.

Jillian strongly supports pro bono representation and has successfully obtained Domestic Violence Restraining Orders for numerous pro bono clients over the years. During that representation she has attained no-contact orders, modified visitation schedules, emergency orders, and orders for sole custody and visitation. Jillian also works on pro bono matters for military veterans.

Jillian's prior experience was in the representation of companies in large- scale breach of contract actions, state and federal class actions, and State Attorney General actions. Jillian’s representation involved pharmaceutical and health care litigation, as well as consumer fraud actions.