Biography
Jack is a trial lawyer with multiple specialties and a proven track record helping clients with tough issues. He represents healthcare providers, landlords, and many other types of clients in litigation, arbitration, administrative hearings, and negotiations.
Jack focuses two main areas. First, Jack represents many long-term care, skilled nursing, assisted living, hospice, home health, and other health care providers in litigation and administrative law hearings related to reviews, surveys, and enforcement actions imposed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Jack further advises healthcare 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.
Second, Jack represents landlords. With close to two decades of experience helping with the thorny issues around real estate tenancies, Jack has the skill and knowledge to help landlords with lawsuits, regulatory issues, and appeals. While he handles eviction work for both commercial and residential landlords, he has long provided his specialized knowledge for manufactured home communities throughout Texas. Jack also volunteers his time on the other side of the docket, taking on Volunteer Legal Services cases on a monthly docket for indigent tenants.
Furthermore, Jack has provided valuable assistance in several government procurement and protest matters on behalf of clients. Jack has routinely sought public records on behalf of clients, and has significant experience through filing many objections to requests for his clients’ confidential information held by the government. Many of those objections end up in litigation, and Jack is very experienced in handling those lawsuits. 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 OIG resource 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)
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 2023-2024
- Arbitration, 2023-2024
- Commercial Litigation, 2023-2024
- “Austin’s Top Attorneys” List – Health Care Law, Austin Monthly, 2021-2023
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2014, 2015
- Norm Hummell Award of Excellence, BSA Armadillo District, Austin, Texas
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)
Presenter, “Eviction Issues for Manufactured Homes, Continuing Legal Education presentation for Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas,” August 24, 2023.
- 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
August 17, 2023
Attorney News‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 287 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2024 Edition, Including 12 “Lawyers of the Year” and 80 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 287 Jackson Walker attorneys across 5 offices and 82 specialty practice areas in its 2024 edition, including 12 Lawyers of the Year and 80 Ones to Watch. In this year’s guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (66 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (60 attorneys) and the addition of 35 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
July 17, 2023
Attorney News‘Austin Monthly’ Lists 12 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” of 2023
Jackson Walker congratulates the 12 attorneys recognized among Austin Monthly’s list of “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2023. For recognition in the list, Austin attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer experienced counsel in one of 39 categories.
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.