Frank J. Ross, Jr.

Frank Ross is known for his sincere interest in helping clients pursue opportunities and overcome challenges to succeed in business. He has dedicated his professional career to enthusiastically representing a diverse mix of organizations, ranging from some of the nation’s largest corporations to closely-held and family-owned enterprises.

As Chair of the firm’s Business Department, Frank led the growth of the business department from 30 attorneys in 1998 to more than 400 professionals in 2017. In 2017 and 2018, due to their success and dynamic growth, the Intellectual Property group and Health Care group were recognized as separate departments of the firm.

Frank's leadership within the firm and his approach to serving clients has been integral to the successes of both. Among his recent successes, The American Lawyer recently featured the firm in part for its ability to grow a national health care practice in a down economy, which has been facilitated by Frank’s collaborative and strategic vision for the practice.

Frank leads in a manner that maximizes the deep experience of our attorneys and the resources of the firm.  "We’re not tradition-bound," Frank told The American Lawyer, a personal philosophy that means we focus on the client first and that we ignore the view of "we've always done it this way."  That philosophy, which is pervasive among our attorneys, has captured the attention of business media, like the Kansas City Business Journal, as well as numerous business clients, including the premier academic medical center in the region, which tapped Polsinelli as its outside general counsel in 1998. 

"Renowned for building strong relationships with clients," Frank has been recognized by industry media such as Chambers USA, which has chronicled Frank’s career with note-worthy client comments, including:

• "A consummate professional; he's extra responsive and treats us like we're the biggest client in his mix."
• “The 'outstanding’ Frank Ross possesses a broad range of experience that runs the gamut across the transactional spectrum.” 
• "He is renowned for building strong relationships with clients, who attest to his complete investment in us and ability to meet our needs."
  
• "[He] is recommended for his corporate advice to private companies and is also recognized for his active transactional practice..."
• "Chairman of the Business Law Department, Frank Ross is noted for his proficiency on complex business transactions. His work for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to closely held private entities is viewed as 'always of the highest quality -- any corporate issues you give him, you know he'll be able to handle them.'"
• "Sources appreciate Frank Ross for his ability to effectively summarize complicated topics and his loyalty to his clients."
• "He is visible for his work in sectors including insurance and healthcare. He advised the Kansas Insurance Department in the $400 million demutualization of a mutual insurance holding company."
• "Sources describe him as a hard working lawyer with a well-deserved reputation."
• "Frank Ross handles the transactional work for health care and medical device companies, alongside his duties as chairman of the firm's Business Law Department."

Frank’s service to clients is varied based on the unique needs of a business, but he regularly partners with clients in a capacity similar to that of an in-house general counsel or a business’ transactional leader. In these strategic roles, he advises clients on the difficult issues and challenging opportunities confronting them on a daily basis or with their transactions.

Frank has either served as the firm’s leader or had significant involvement in numerous complex and substantial transactions, including: 

• Representation of a national nonprofit health system in a merger with a nonprofit public-benefit corporation that operates hospitals and ancillary care facilities. This complex transaction took more than two years to complete. In addition to the traditional and extensive work required in negotiating and documenting a transaction of such magnitude, it also required negotiating and seeking approval of multiple states Attorneys General, the FTC and DOJ for antitrust clearance and multiple licensing agencies in multiple states. The resulting entity will have nearly $30 billion in annual revenue, 142 hospitals, 150,000 employees and more than 700 sites of care across 21 states, making it one of the largest health systems in the country.  
• Representation of an asset manager in connection with its majority sale of the ownership interests of a mutual fund complex.
• Representation of an academic medical center in connection with its acquisition of the assets of an acute care psychiatric hospital.
• Representation of a faith-based health system in a change of sponsorship of its state-wide ministries.
• Representation of an academic medical center in its acquisition of the membership interests of a community hospital.
• $2.4 billion merger of several faith-based tax-exempt hospitals and an academic medical center into a state-wide integrated delivery system.
• $1.6 billion combination of a data analytics company and a business supply chain company.
• Sale of substantially all of the assets of a reference laboratory to a national and publicly traded company.
• Acquisition of a home health agency operating in multiple states by a national tax-exempt integrated delivery system (purchase price confidential).
• Representation of the special committee of the Board of Trustees of a major non-profit organization in a complex internal investigation and its successful resolution.
• Acquisition of a minority position in a nationally prominent hospital revenue cycle organization by a national tax-exempt integrated delivery system (purchase price confidential). 
• Acquisition of a controlling interest in a Medicare Advantage Health Plan by a national tax-exempt integrated delivery system (purchase price confidential). 
• Acquisition of a physician-owned hospital by an Academic Medical Center (purchase price confidential).
• $540 million sale of assets of a privately held medical device manufacturing business, with operations in the U.S., Great Britain and Canada, to a publicly traded Fortune 20 company. 
• $750 million negotiation and regulatory approval for an assumption reinsurance agreement/portfolio transfer agreement.
• Acquisition of the world's largest sports, entertainment and venue architecture practice from its privately held parent company (purchase price confidential).
• Acquisition of all of the assets of the nation's second largest seminar and continuing education organization by a nonprofit, tax-exempt Catholic University (purchase price confidential).
• $40 million sale of a physician-owned Health Maintenance Organization.
• $300 million transfer of an academic medical center and negotiation of numerous affiliation agreements. 
• Acquisition of two AM radio stations in two large urban markets.
• Acquisition of a mutual fund registered investment advisor (purchase price confidential).
• $400 million negotiation and drafting of a multi-year affiliation agreement for an academic medical center and related professional service agreements.
• $185 million sale of company selling and administering insurance coverage for wireless phones and equipment.
• Sale of a large CNN licensed radio station in a top 10 United States metropolitan area.
• $70 million sale of all assets of an Internet-based marketing firm.
• $35 million sale of a Medicaid HMO.
• $20 million purchase of a medical device product line.
• $15 million sale of an 80-physician multi-disciplinary clinic and related employment agreements for all 80 physicians. 
• $20 million acquisition of an outpatient cancer facility by an academic medical center.
• Acquisition of the stock of two large physician groups and related employment agreements for 30 physicians by an academic medical center.
• $50 million sale of a surgical products/devices product line. 
• $50 million acquisition of stock owned by minority shareholders of a medical device manufacturing company.
• $30 million sale of all of the assets of a technology-driven manufacturing company with operations in Mexico and the U.S. 
• Sale of the stock of a large multi-discipline 75+ physician-owned clinic to a large tax-exempt integrated delivery system and related employment agreements for 80 physicians.