Biography Photo of Ralph Levy

Ralph Levy, Jr.

Of Counsel
Nashville

Ralph Levy is a senior partner in the Healthcare practice at Dickinson Wright.  He assists and advises entrepreneurs and owners of closely-held businesses in operationalizing their business plans, including the estate planning, business succession and tax planning issues thereof.

Ralph has over 40 years of experience in counseling clients in the Healthcare arena. He has served as General Counsel for a national health care services provider and manufacturer of medical equipment where he gained critical operating experience and an appreciation of the need for businesses to manage their legal matters in an efficient but proactive manner. He leverages this valuable knowledge by assisting clients in establishing, operating and expanding their businesses. Ralph also has significant experience advising boards of directors, compliance committees and senior management in connection with internal investigations and compliance-related matters.

Education & Credentials

Education

Colgate University

A.B., 1974
  • cum laude

Vanderbilt University

J.D., 1977
  • Nathan M. Burkan award by ASCAP for senior law school paper on "Estate Planning for Professional Songwriters After the Storm"
  • American Jurisprudence Award for Civil Procedure

New York University School

LL.M., 1978
  • Taxation

Bar Admission

  • Tennessee

Areas Of Practice

Corporate Corporate Governance Emerging Businesses Estate Planning & Administration Health Care Distressed Health Care Restructuring Health Care Fraud & Abuse Health Care Providers & Suppliers Mergers & Acquisitions Taxation Tax Controversy Probate and Fiduciary Litigation Health Care Design & Manufacture of Medical Equipment

Acknowledgements

  • National Business Institute  
    • Outstanding Faculty Award, 2023 
  • Nashville Medical News
    • "Top Thought Leader," 2021  
  • Nashville Medical News
    • In Charge Healthcare List, 2018-2020
  • Nashville Medical News
    • "Who's Who" in Nashville's Medical Community
  • Certificate of Merit from Tennessee Historical Society for assistance in preservation of The Temple Cemetery in Nashville, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2004
  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV Rating

Prominent Assignments

Assisted owners of dialysis clinics in dispositions to national dialysis providers (straight sales and joint venture dispositions).

Negotiated medical director service agreements on behalf of nephrology groups with national dialysis providers and on behalf of owners of dialysis clinics with nephrologists and/or nephrology groups.

Assisted regional provider of therapeutic foster care and family based and other services for developmentally disabled persons in several transactions involving the acquisition of and/or provision of management and administrative services to other providers of similar services.

Assisted closely held provider of non-fossil fuel power generation services in entity formation, development of template agreements for the sale and/or lease of generators for the production of power and in the financing-related documents needed as to financing of the company.

Advised nationally recognized provider of pet grooming services in developing and implementing its business plan to provide high quality pet grooming services and retail sales of pet-related products from leased and franchise locations inside a major retailer and over the web.

Assisted founders of closely held manufacturing and services businesses (and their estates) in the sale of businesses to their adult children and/or key senior management personnel and in the preparation of buy-sell and other transaction-related documents in planning for business succession.

Advised the founders of a closely held business in a change of the form of legal entity that operated the business from one with limited term to one of unlimited duration, including obtaining approvals from all legally required state and federal regulatory agencies and from all minority investors as required by governing documents for the entity.

Assisted a United States-based distributor of products in negotiation of distribution agreements with domestic and international products manufacturers and dealer agreements for the sale of products in the United States and other countries.

Assisted executors in successful administration of estates; represented clients in probate-related litigation as to breach of fiduciary duty, actions to construe wills and trusts and the pursuit of spousal rights against estates.

Successfully represented the executor of the estate of a well-known Texas “outlaws” singer/songwriter, removing a caregiver from her role as co-executor and evicting her from the house of the decedent, resulting in great progress on the administration of the estate.

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Nashville Bar Association (former Chair, Tax Committee on two occasions)
  • Member, Tennessee Bar Association
  • Member, American Health Lawyers Association
  • Member, Middle Tennessee Estate Planning Council

Community Involvement

  • Counsel and Board Member of the Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce
  • Formerly served as President of The Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom (2014-2016)
  • Served as Board Member and Secretary of Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society (2007-2008)

Prior Experience

Private practitioner in Nashville for more than 35 years, except for a ten-year period as General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Secretary of Gambro Healthcare, Inc., a national provider of dialysis services.

Publications/Presentations

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