Ms. Watkins' practice is focused on advising health care providers, insurers, vendors, technology companies and institutions on regulatory matters in healthcare transactions, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, corporate operations and administrative law litigation. She assists clients with developing and managing compliant healthcare programs.

Prior to working at Vedder Price, Ms. Watkins served as Senior Legal Counsel for a healthcare technology company, where she advised the company’s Health Solutions and Pharmacy Solutions subsidiaries on regulatory compliance obligations, and served on the company’s Compliance and Risk subcommittee as legal counsel for company privacy obligations under HIPAA and other privacy-related and cyber security regulations. She also previously served as Assistant Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio where she practiced in the Health and Human Services Section representing state health agencies and licensing boards.

Ms. Watkins received her law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law while also completing her master’s degree in health studies from the University of Alabama Graduate School, summa cum laude. While in law school, she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review and competed on the school’s Bryant Health Care Transactions National Moot Court Team. She received her bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Stillman College, summa cum laude, where she served as the Student Government Association President and was named valedictorian.