Biography Photo of Billee Lightvoet Ward

Billee Lightvoet Ward

Of Counsel
Grand Rapids

Billee Lightvoet Ward co-chairs Dickinson Wright's Academic Institutions and Life Sciences group. She has been a practicing health care attorney since 2002, and represents hospitals and other healthcare institutions, physicians and physician practices, medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers, and healthcare vendors in an array of regulatory, compliance, contract and transactional matters.  She provides counsel to clients ranging from individual physicians and start-up companies at the local level, to hospitals and large health systems, and pharmaceutical and medical device companies operating on an international scale.

Billee has extensive experience handling commercial arrangements and complex contracting matters, and has represented healthcare clients in a variety of business transactions including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, co-management arrangements, and other strategic transactions.  She has specialized experience advising life sciences companies, health care providers, and institutional review boards concerning regulatory and contract issues associated with clinical investigations and human subjects protections.  She counsels product manufacturers and other companies on FDA requirements and other regulatory and practical considerations concerning product classification, premarket strategy, advertising and promotion, and other product development and commercialization matters.

Education & Credentials

Education

Universidad de Extremadura, Caceres, Spain

1993

Kalamazoo College

B.A., 1994

DePaul University College of Law

J.D., 1997

Bar Admission

  • Michigan
  • Illinois
    (Inactive)

Areas Of Practice

Health Care Health Care Design and Manufacture of Medical Equipment Health Care Institutions Mergers & Acquisitions Corporate Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Food & Agribusiness Higher Education Health Care Research and Academic Institutions Biotechnology & Life Sciences

Acknowledgements

  • Grand Rapids Magazine
    • "Top Lawyers," Health Care Law, 2020
  • Best Lawyers in America®
    • Healthcare, 2021-2024
  • Crain's Detroit Business
    • "Notable Women in Law," 2019
  • Michigan Super Lawyers®
    • "Rising Star," Healthcare 2011
  • National Collegiate Athletic Association
    • Division III All-American,1994

Prominent Assignments

Counsel to international cosmetics brand in FDA regulatory compliance 

Counsel to personal protective equipment importer on COVID-related FDA compliance 

Counsel to COVID-related product developer on FDA labeling and compliance

Counsel to COVID diagnostic test developer on Emergency Use Authorization and 510(k) submission process

Counsel to start-up and established cannabis product developers in FDA and state regulatory compliance

Counsel to physician practice in sale of assets to national health system

Clinical research contract and regulatory counsel to cardiac device company engaged in national, multi-site clinical research trial

Clinical research contract and regulatory counsel to international pharmaceutical company conducting multi-site clinical research trial

Clinical research contract and regulatory counsel to publicly-traded medical technology company conducting multi-site clinical research trial

Counsel to start-up medical device manufacturer in product classification and pre-market strategy

Regularly counsel physician practices and hospitals in professional service arrangements, medical directorships and employment agreements

Regularly counsel covered entities and business associates in health information privacy and breach risk assessments and reporting

Provide counsel to healthcare providers and suppliers in federal and state fraud and abuse matters

Counsel to hospital and health system in clinical research contracting matters and Institutional Review Board operations

Counsel to medical device manufacturer in Open Payments (“Sunshine”) Act reporting

Regularly advise on compliance with the federal Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute and corresponding state fraud and abuse laws

Professional Involvement

  • American Health Lawyers Association

  • State Bar of Michigan – Health Care Law Section

Community Involvement

  • Current Member, Board of Directors, Community Healing Centers
  • Current Member, Covenant Medical Center Institutional Review Board
  • Adjunct Professor, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine
  • Co-Chair of Player Services, USTA Boys 18s and 16s National Championships
  • Past Member, Board of Directors, Big Brothers Big Sisters – A Community of Caring
  • Past Member, Board of Directors, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
  • Past Member, Community Research Institutional Review Board

Publications/Presentations

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