Derek J. Padilla

Derek Padilla is a corporate and commercial attorney who advises health care providers, facilities, health care-adjacent businesses, and other companies on complex transactions and strategic business arrangements. His practice includes acquisitions, sales, mergers, affiliations, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, business formations, organizational structuring, due diligence, governance, and other operational and corporate matters. He helps clients assess and address the business, structural, and regulatory considerations that affect transactions and ongoing operations in the health care industry.

Derek also drafts and negotiates a broad range of commercial and health care agreements, including professional and management services agreements, provider employment and independent contractor agreements, hospital and facility arrangements, vendor and technology agreements, equipment acquisition and service agreements, confidentiality agreements, business associate agreements, and data-use and data-sharing agreements. He advises clients on federal and state regulatory requirements affecting transactions, compensation arrangements, contractual relationships and operations, including HIPAA, the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, fraud and abuse laws, provider compensation, reimbursement, and related compliance considerations.

Before joining Carlton Fields, Derek served on active duty as an attorney in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps, where he handled contract and fiscal law, regulatory compliance, investigations, and litigation. He drafted and negotiated agreements involving government contracts, teaming arrangements, joint ventures, intellectual property rights, and manufacturing licenses. Derek currently serves as a major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve with the 325th Fighter Wing.

• The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Health Care Law (2025–2027)