Biography
Jack E. Skaggs is a trial lawyer and an administrative healthcare law attorney from Austin with extensive experience representing healthcare providers in administrative appeals and related litigation. Jack started his legal career at Jackson Walker, broadly focused on collections litigation, forcible detainer actions, manufactured home community representation, real estate litigation, creditor’s rights matters in bankruptcy court, and ERISA-related litigation and arbitration for healthcare insurance companies.
After solidifying his strong background in general litigation matters, Jack started working closely with Carla Cox on her large docket of matters for healthcare providers. After learning from one of the best in the business, Jack now focuses on this area and represents many long-term care, skilled nursing, assisted living, hospice, home health, and other health care providers on appeals from reviews, surveys, and enforcement actions imposed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Jack further advises providers with regard to compliance and licensure issues, working with the client to help them reach a favorable result in the face of increased enforcement from the state and federal governments. He has successfully resolved many Resource Utilization Group audit appeals, has defended several long-term care facilities in licensure actions, and has repeatedly negotiated favorable resolutions to Civil Money Penalties assessed against providers. This focused approach to helping long term care providers resulted in Jack being named to the Texas Healthcare Association Legal Advisory Committee.
Jack has provided valuable assistance in several government procurement and protest matters on behalf of clients. His primary focus has been in open records disputes throughout the country. Indeed, Jack has routinely sought public records on behalf of clients, and further has significant experience through filing many objections to competitor requests for his clients’ confidential information. Many of those objections end up in litigation, and Jack is very experienced in handling those lawsuits and seeking an effective resolution of the same. Jack is well positioned to assist in procurement matters and, in particular, open records disputes that often arise in protest actions.
Education
B.A., Austin College
J.D., with honors, Baylor Law School
- Technical Editor, Baylor Law Review
- Member, Baylor Mock Trial team
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
United States District Court for the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas
- Representing providers in administrative appeals before the Departmental Appeals Board, Texas Health & Human Services Commission, State Office of Administrative Hearings, and Department of Health & Human Services
- Representing long-term care, assisted living, and home health providers on appeals from enforcement actions imposed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Representing long-term care providers on appeals from Texas Health & Human Services Commission utilization reviews
- Counsel to multiple manufactured home communities on pertinent landlord/tenant issues, regulatory matters, and eviction assistance
- Successfully objected to the release of information under public information act laws in multiple states, with significant experience in objecting to the release of client information under the trade secret and commercially sensitive exceptions to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act
- Successfully defended summary judgment on appeal, Shamel v. Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC et al, No. 03-12-00691-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 29, 2014, no pet. h.)
- Successfully appealed judgment, resulting in reverse and render in favor of client, Westminster Falcon/Trinity L.L.P. v. Shin, No. 07-11-0033-CV (Tex. App.—Amarillo Oct. 23, 2012, no pet.)
- Represented a national health insurance company and assisted in obtaining summary judgment and dismissal in putative class action, involving ERISA coordination of benefit issues, Mullan v. UnitedHealth Group, Inc., 2006 WL 2524192 (D. Neb. 2006)
- Successfully defended a real estate development company in a three day trial in Travis County, Texas
- Successfully represented the owner of several convenience stores in a trial for the recovery of earnest money
- Successfully represented a real estate development company in multiple eviction lawsuits in order to remove over ninety manufactured homes from a former manufactured home community in preparation for the re-development of the community property
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 2023
- Arbitration, 2023
- Commercial Litigation, 2023
- “Austin’s Top Attorneys” List – Health Care Law, Austin Monthly, 2021, 2022
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2014, 2015
Author, “Have Gun, Will Travel? The Hopelessly Confusing Journey of the Traveling Exception to the Unlawful Carrying Weapons Statute,” 57 Baylor L. Rev. 507-29 (2005)
- State Bar of Texas
- Travis County Bar Association – Litigation and Administrative Law Sections
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2016
- Austin Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2016
- Texas Healthcare Association, Legal Advisory Committee
- Covenant Presbyterian Church – Austin, Deacon
- Laity Lodge Family Camp, Advisory Council
October 25, 2022
Attorney News‘Austin Monthly’ Lists 14 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” of 2022
Jackson Walker congratulates the 14 attorneys recognized among Austin Monthly’s list of “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2022. For recognition in the list, Austin attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer experienced counsel in one of 38 categories.
August 18, 2022
Attorney News‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 214 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2023 Edition, Including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” and 41 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 214 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 79 specialty practice areas in its 2023 edition, including 11 Lawyers of the Year and 41 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
August 3, 2021
Attorney News‘Austin Monthly’ Lists 20 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” of 2021
Jackson Walker congratulates the 20 attorneys recognized among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2021. For recognition in the list, Austin attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer experienced counsel in one of 43 categories.
February 9, 2016
Attorney NewsJack Skaggs Appointed to the Texas Healthcare Association Legal Advisory Committee
Jackson Walker partner Jack Skaggs was appointed to the Texas Healthcare Association (THCA) Legal Advisory Committee.
February 1, 2016
Attorney NewsJack Skaggs Elected as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
Jackson Walker partner Jack Skaggs was elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation.
May 6, 2015
Attorney NewsJack Skaggs Speaks at Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice Conference
Jackson Walker partner Jack Skaggs spoke at the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice Pediatric Conference held in Austin, Texas, on May 6.
March 9, 2015
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates Its 32 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars”
Thirty two Jackson Walker attorneys were selected to the “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list by Thomson Reuters.
March 7, 2014
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates Its 29 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars”
Twenty-nine Jackson Walker attorneys were selected to the “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list by Thomson Reuters.