STEVEN L JOHNSON, JD

Steven L. Johnson, Esquire, is a partner-shareholder and health law attorney at the Augusta, Maine law firm of Kozak & Gayer, P.A., which received a First Tier Ranking in the 2013-2014 Editions of the U.S. News-Best Lawyers’ List of “Best Law Firms” in the categories of Health Care Law and Administrative/Regulatory Law. Steven’s practice encompasses a broad range of areas and issues in health law, including regulatory compliance (HIPAA/HITECH, EMTALA, Stark, Anti-Kickback Statute, tax exemption, human subjects research and IRB compliance), consent and confidentiality, involuntary commitment, healthcare decision-making, bioethics, health care employment law, health care institution policy writing, physician contracting, and representation of health care professionals before professional licensing boards. Steve is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law (cum laude) where he received the Award for Excellence in the Study of Health Law by the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section and the Bureau of National Affairs. He is licensed to practice in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Prior to law school, Steve earned a B.A. in philosophy (magna cum laude) at Asbury College, an M.A. in philosophy at the University of Kentucky (1990), and was pursuing a Ph.D in philosophy at the University of Illinois when he decided to make a career change from philosophy to law. From 1996-2001, he served as a clinical bioethicist at Carle Foundation Hospital and Carle Clinic Association (both in Urbana, Illinois) and was chair of the Carle Ethics Committee from 1997-2001. Steve also has extensive teaching experience, and has taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in bioethics and health law. He is frequently an invited speaker at seminars, conferences and in-service trainings on topics in health law and bioethics. Steve is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the Maine State Bar Association, New Hampshire Bar Association, and the Vermont Bar Association, and has served on four healthcare organization ethics committees and a hospital Institutional Review Board. He was also chair of the Health Law Section of the Maine State Bar Association from 2013-2014. Steve was recognized as a “Rising Star” in the 2011-2014 editions of New England Super Lawyers Magazine, and was named in the 2013-2014 19^th and 20^th editions of the Best Lawyers in America for Health Care Law.