Bradford E. Adatto decided to become a lawyer during sixth-grade Career Day, when he promised to represent his best friend, a future doctor. A few decades and many miles later, he started his own law firm that focused on representing health care and corporate clients. And yes, his best friend from sixth grade is among them.
Brad’s background is in regulatory, transactional, and securities law. Having worked in health care law his entire career, he has an in-depth knowledge of the “do’s and don’ts” of this heavily regulated industry. As the son of a medical doctor and grandson of a medical doctor and dentist, Brad has the health care industry in his blood. He enjoys helping his clients build successful businesses by showing them how to avoid legal problems, create new opportunities, develop new partnerships, and form new entities.
Brad has worked with physicians, physician groups, and other medical service providers in developing ambulatory surgical centers, in-office and freestanding ancillary service facilities, and other medical joint ventures. He regularly counsels clients with respect to federal and state health care regulations that impact investments, transactions, and contract terms, including Medicare fraud and abuse, anti-trust, anti-kickback, anti-referral, and private securities laws. His extensive transactional experience includes preparing and negotiating corporate and commercial arrangements such as certificates of formation, bylaws, shareholder agreements, asset purchase agreements, physician employment agreements, recruitment agreements, and medical intellectual property mergers and acquisitions. He is also experienced in advising clients in private securities offerings, including preparing and reviewing private placement memorandum and private disclosure statements in compliance with state and federal regulations.
Brad enjoys reading, running, and spending time with his family. He is active in the health care community, and often speaks at conferences, associations, and educational events. He is also actively involved in various community and philanthropic associations, and services as a Board Member of Bird’s Eye View Project and Carry The Load, charitable organizations founded to help first responders, veterans and their beneficiaries.
Credentials & Experience
Learn more about your compliance partner.
Education
- Texas Christian University, B.A. (1994)
- Loyola University School of Law, J.D. (1998)
Admissions
- Louisiana State Bar
- Mississippi State Bar
- Texas State Bar
- Massachusetts State Bar
- Oklahoma State Bar
- Arizona State Bar
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi
Honors
- Selected in Best Lawyer in America in Health Care (2017-2023)
- Selected to the Thomson Reuters, Texas Super Lawyers List (2019-2022)
- Selected by D Magazine, Best Lawyer in Dallas in Health Care (2016, 2018-2022)
- Selected in Best Lawyer in Texas (2019)
- Selected by Dallas Morning News, Top Rated Lawyer (2016)
- AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Associations
- American Health Law Association
- Louisiana Bar Association
- Mississippi Bar Association
- Texas Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Dallas Bar Association, Health Law Section Board Member (Past-Chair)
- New Orleans Bar Association Young Lawyers Section (Past-Chair)
- Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
- Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- State Bar of Arizona
Publications
- Contributing Author (2019) The Business of Plastic Surgery, 2nd Edition, Thieme Publishers
- Contributing Author (2016) Representing Physicians Handbook, 4th Edition, American Health Lawyers Association
- Contributing Author and Contributing Editor (2012) Representing Physicians Handbook, 3rd Edition, American Health Lawyers Association
- Contributing Author and Contributing Editor (2009) Representing Physicians Handbook, 2nd Edition, American Health Lawyers Association
- Contributing Editor (2006) Representing Physicians Handbook, 1st Edition, American Health Lawyers Association
Media
- Co-host of the Legal 123s with ByrdAdatto podcast
- Guest, “Medical Spa Law Behind The Scenes”, Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “COVID-19: The Customer Nobody Wants”, In Touch with Terri Podcast with Terri Ross
- Guest, “Rob and Dale Show Episode #123 with Michael Byrd and Brad Adatto”, BulletProof Mindset by Rob and Dale Podcast
- Guest, “The Elective Medical Prophylactic: Your Protections Against it All”, True to Form Podcast with Crystal Clear Digital Marketing
- Guest, “PPP Loan Forgiveness Application and Other Updates” Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “PPP Update: Guidance on Forgiveness Rules, IRS Rulings, and Other Moving Targets” Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “Risks of Re-opening for Texas Medical Spas” Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “Re-Opening Toolkit for Medical Spas” Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “Weekly PPP Update: Program Refunded, Loan Forgiveness Details, and Beginning to Re-Open”, Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “Compliance Issues in Telemedicine”, Shorr Solutions: The Podcast
- Guest, “Compliance is Cool with ByrdAdatto”, In Touch with Terri Podcast with Terri Ross
- Guest, “The Cares Stimulus and MedSpas, MSOS, and Independent Contractors”, Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “What Recent Arrests Mean for The Medical Spa Industry”, Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “Let’s Talk Compliance: Are You Operating Within The Law”, True to Form Podcast with Crystal Clear Digital Marketing
- Guest, “Legal Roundtable at the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery Symposium”, Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
- Guest, “Breaking News Podcast: AmSpa Interviews ByrdAdatto Attorneys About Texas Botox Arrest”, Medical Spa Insider Podcast with AmSpa
Presentations
- Co-Speaker with Renee Coover and Bala Mohan, COVID-19: The Customer That Nobody Wants, ByrdAdatto University
- Speaker, The Patient No One Wants, What To Do When COVID-19 Walks Through Your Medical Office Door, American Educational Institute webinar
- Speaker, What Your Practice Needs to Do When You (or Your Staff) Get COVID, Shorr Solutions webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Holding up a Mirror to Your Business: Exposing Your Liability Risk Through A Practice Assessment (2 Part Series), American Educational Institute
- Speaker, Re-opening Your Medical Spa During COVID-19: A Legal Perspective, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Speaker, Contracts 101, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, PPP Loan Forgiveness Application and Other Updates, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Matthew Vuckovich, Contracts 101, National Attendee Outreach webinar
- Speaker, Phasing-In – Reopening Your Medical Practice, Symposium for Cosmetic Advances & Laser Education webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, PPP Update: Forgiveness Rules, IRS Rulings, and Moving Targets, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Phasing-In – Reopening Your Medical Practice, Association of Dermatology Administrators and Managers
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Risk of Re-Opening for Texas Medical Spas, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Renee Coover, Re-opening Toolkit for Medical Spas, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Matthew Vuckovich, Contracts 101, Ohio State University Residents webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Weekly PPP Update: Program Refunded, Loan Forgiveness, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Speaker, The Big Five – Questions Every Physician Wants Answered Today, Symposium for Cosmetic Advances & Laser Education webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, The CARES Stimulus and MedSpas, MSOs, and Independent Contractors, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Speaker, Medical Spa Rules & Regulations, American Med Spa Association Virtual Boot Camp
- Speaker, Contracts 101, Methodist Charlton Medical Center, Family Medicine Residents
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Jay Reyero, Legal 201: Patient Privacy; Medical Spa Advertising; Kickbacks and Compensation; Dealing with an Angry Patient; and Social Media Law, American Med Spa Association- Medical Spa Show
- Panelist with Alex Thiersch, Michael Byrd, Jay Reyero and Patrick O’Brien, Legal Panel: The Houston Med Spa Arrests- What Happened and What Does it Mean for your Medical Spa?, American Med Spa Association- Medical Spa Show
- Speaker, Contracts and Employment: The Legal Pitfalls of Contracts and Human Resources, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident’s Symposium
- Speaker, How to Handle Disgruntled, Disruptive Employees, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident’s Symposium
- Speaker, Corporate Compliance in Medicine – What does it Mean?, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident’s Symposium
- Speaker, Setting up a Corporation, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident’s Symposium
- Speaker, Contract: What you Need to Know – Five Key Details, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident’s Symposium
- Speaker, What your Business Lawyer Wants you to Know Before the Settlement/Mediation, Advanced Family Law Drafting
- Speaker, Corporate Practice of Medicine, American Association of Physician Leadership
- Co-Speaker with Alex Thiersch, Florida Rules and Regulations a MedSpa Owner Must Consider, American Med Spa Boot Camp Orlando
- Speaker, What’s your Practice Worth? A Session on Practice Valuation, HintMD Investor Meeting
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Preparing for Retirement: Late Career Practice Boot Camp, American Society of Plastic Surgeons- Plastic Surgery The Meeting
- Co-Speaker with Alex Thiersch and Michael Byrd, Texas Rules and Regulations a MedSpa Owner Must Consider, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp Dallas
- Speaker, Top 5 Top Reasons Your Practice Is Going To Get Investigated, Vegas Cosmetic Surgery
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Why Do I Have To See The Patient First for Non-Invasive Treatments?, American Society of Plastic Surgeons The Aesthetic Meeting
- Speaker, The Law: Growing Your Practice in Compliance, American Academy of Anti Aging Medicine- Spring Congress
- Panelist with Michael Sacopulos, JD and James T. Tran, MD, JD, FAANS, Ripped from the Headlines- Doctors in Medico-legal Crosshairs: Lessons Learned to Keep Lawyers and Regulators Away, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Speaker, Hot Topics in the Business of Aesthetics, The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Preparing For The Business Side of Medicine, UT Southwestern Professional Day
- Co-Speaker with Renee Coover, Legal Issues and Social Media: What You Should Know, American Med Spa Association- Medical Spa Show
- Co-Speaker with Jay Reyero, The FDA Focus: What Do They Really Think About Medical Spas?, American Med Spa Association- Medical Spa Show
- Speaker, Top 5 Reasons You’re Going to Get Investigated, American Med Spa Association- Medical Spa Show
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Laws and Regulations in the Medical Spa Industry: What You Need to Know, American Med Spa Association- Medical Spa Show
- Speaker, Contracts and Employment: Discuss The Legal Pitfalls of Contracts and Human Resources, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Symposium
- Speaker, How to Handle Disgruntled, Disruptive Employees, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Symposium
- Speaker, Corporate Compliance in Medicine – What Does it Mean?, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Symposium
- Speaker, Setting Up a Corporation, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Symposium
- Speaker, Contracts: What You Need to Know: 5 Key Details, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Symposium
- Speaker, Dealing with a Medical Board or Nursing Board Investigation, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Alex Thiersch, Florida Rules and Regulations a MedSpa Owner Must Consider, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp Orlando
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Contracts 101 – Evaluating Your Employment Opportunities, International Symposium of Facial Plastic Surgery
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, The Devil’s in the Details: Compensation Models and Contracts, American Society of Plastic Surgeons- Plastic Surgery The Meeting
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Late Career Practice Boot Camp, American Society of Plastic Surgeons- Plastic Surgery The Meeting,
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Malpractice and the Ripple Effects – Proactive Steps to Manage Your Risk, International Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Nurses
- Speaker, Basics of Employment Contracts in Medspas, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Jay Reyero, Flow of Funds – Understanding the Legal Regulatory Traps for Cash Flow in Medical Practices, Taxation and Business Planning Conference
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, Texas Rules and Regulations a MedSpa Owner Must Consider, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp Dallas
- Speaker, Legal Issues Surrounding Influencers: FTC, Kickbacks, And Fee-Splitting, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Alex Thiersch, Texas Med Spa Law: An Overview, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Alex Thiersch, All Star Legal Forum, Vegas Cosmetic Surgery
- Speaker, Succession Planning for Professional Service Businesses, CPA Luncheon
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Preparing for the Business Side of Medicine, UT Southwestern Resident Professional Day
- Speaker, Contracting 101: Evaluating Your Employment Opportunity, Methodist Charlton, Family Medicine Residency Program
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Hot Topics in the Business of Medicine & Dentistry, Dallas Bar Association- Health Law Section
- Co-Speaker with Jay Reyero, How Are The Explosions of Med Spas Impacting Plastic Surgeons?, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting
- Speaker, Entity Creation and Structure Pitfalls, CPA Taxation and Business Planning Conference
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, Med Spa Rules and Regulations in Texas, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp, Dallas, Texas
- Speaker, Using Corporate and IP Counsel to Creatively Navigate Corporate and IP Pitfalls in a Family Law Setting, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, The Legal Risk Surrounding Aesthetic Practices, Vegas Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetic Dermatology
- Speaker, CPA’s Buying and Selling Businesses and Structuring Acquisitions, CPA Taxation and Business Planning Conference
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Business of Plastic Surgery, Regulatory 101, Contract 101, Your Practice, UT Southwestern Resident Professional Day
- Speaker, Introduction to the Featured Non-Profit Partners of Carry The Load, Carry The Load Kick Off Event
- Co-Speaker with Alex Thiersch, Med Spa Rules and Regulations, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp Orlando
- Speaker, Ready Set You’re Already Late, Understanding HIPAA, Baylor University School of Medicine
- Speaker, Entity Creation & Structure Pitfalls, CPA Taxation and Business Planning Conference
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, Med Spa Rules and Regulations in Texas, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp Dallas
- Speaker, Compensation and Buy-Sell Planning, Baylor University School of Medicine
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Jay Reyero, Hot Topics in the Business of Medicine and Dentistry, Dallas Bar Association- Health Law Section
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Hot Topics in Plastic Surgery, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting
- Speaker, Legal 101: Preparing for Employment, Baylor University School of Medicine
- Speaker, Using Corporate Counsel to Creatively Navigate Corporate Structures, Annette Stewart American Inn of Court Meeting
- Speaker, Legal 101: Preparing for Employment, Methodist Charlton, Family Medicine Residency Program
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, The Legal Risks Surrounding Ownership of MedSpas, American Med Spa Boot Camp Dallas
- Co-Speaker with Elisaveta Dolghih, Competitive Advantage – Using Corporate & IP Counsel to Creatively Navigate Corporate & IP Pitfalls in Family Law Setting, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, The Legal Risks Surrounding Social Media Marketing, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Alex Thiersch, Hot Legal Trends in the Business of Aesthetics, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Annual Conference
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Legal Issues for Plastic Surgeons, including, The Top 5 Risk to Plastic Surgeons, Contracts 101, and Regulatory 101, UT Southwestern Plastic Surgery Department
- Speaker, Compensation and Buy Sell Planning, Baylor University Medical Center’s Family Medicine Upper Level Workshop
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Hot Legal Topics in Plastic Surgery, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Young Plastic Surgeons Committee Lecture: Legal Topics in Plastic Surgery, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons, Annual Meeting
- Speaker, Legal 101 – Preparing for Employment, Baylor University Medical Center
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Hot Topics in the Practice of Medicine and Dentistry, Dallas Bar Association-Health Law Section
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform Impact On Physician Practices, American Society of Plastic Surgery
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform Impact On Physician Practices, Senior Resident Conference of the Plastic Surgery Foundation
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, The HRSouthwest Conference – Health Care Forum
- Speaker, Preparing for the Business Side of Medicine, Methodist Charlton Family Medical Residency Program
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform Webinar 3 Part Series, Resourcing Edge Incorporation
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, Resourcing Edge Inc. Annual Client Conference
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Escape from New York – How to Escape the Attacks from Patients, Partners and Government in Today’s Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Annual Conference
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Conference
- Speaker, Compliance with HIPAA & Texas Medical Privacy Act, Jefferson Physician Group
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, Resourcing Edge Inc. Client Conference
- Speaker, Tips to Maximize the Value of Your Practice, Dental Roundtable Lunch
- Speaker, Legal 101: Preparing for Private Practice, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department
- Speaker, Tips to Maximize the Value of Your Practice, Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society Annual Conference
- Speaker, Legal Update–The Impact on ASCs, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, North Texas Paralegal Group Association
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, Jefferson Physician Group Quarterly Conference
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Conference
- Speaker, The Hospital Relationship, Genesis Physicians Group
- Speaker, National Health Care Reform, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
- Speaker, Legal and Accounting 101: Preparing for Private Practice, UT Southwestern Medical School Plastic Surgery Department
- Speaker, Strategic Growth for Physician’s Practice, North Texas Asian American Physician Association
- Speaker, Adjunct Assistant Professor, gratis, Louisiana State University, School of Public Health and University of New Orleans, School of Business. Instructed Master in Public Health and Master in Business Administration candidates on Fraud and Abuse in the Health Care Sector
- Speaker, Legal 101: Preparing for Employment, Family Medicine Residency Program at the Methodist Charlton Medical Center
- Speaker, Contracting 101: Evaluating Your Employment Opportunity – Preparing for Employment, Baylor University Methodist Charlton Family Medical Residency Program
- Co-Speaker with Bala Mohan, Medical Advertising 101 – What You Can, and Can’t, Say When Advertising Your Med Spa, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Speaker, Which Corporate Entity Should I Choose For My Business? S Corp, LLC? What Does It Mean?, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Jay Reyero, Regulatory 101 – Spotting Red Flags in Health Care Transactions, ByrdAdatto University
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd, Communications 101, ByrdAdatto University
- Speaker, Texas Med Spa Law: An Overview, American Med Spa Association webinar
- Co-Speaker with Michael Byrd and Renee Coover, Med Spa Rules and Regulations in Illinois, American Med Spa Association Boot Camp Chicago