Christianna L. Finnern

Christianna Finnern advises clients in health care, insurance and other regulated industries on federal and state regulatory compliance. She helps clients address current requirements and identify potential issues before they arise. Much of her practice involves representing clients before legislative bodies and state and federal regulators, including work connected to oversight by or interaction with the Minnesota Legislature, the offices of the Minnesota Attorney General and Governor, and state departments responsible for commerce, health and human services. Her experience also includes matters involving the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Minnesota boards of Pharmacy, Medical Practice and Nursing.

Finnern draws on her litigation background in contested case hearings and internal investigations. She examines records, conducts discovery and interviews employees to establish what happened and help clients address the risk of further issues. She also represents health care companies in state involuntary receivership matters.

For health care providers and businesses, Finnern handles litigation, enforcement proceedings, licensing board investigations and regulatory compliance matters. She serves as outside general counsel to health care professionals and practice groups, advising on state and federal privacy laws and data breaches; fraud, waste and abuse; anti-kickback and Stark issues; credentialing, privileging and peer review; employment matters; and practice purchases and sales. She also works with providers and practice groups on internal compliance investigations, including the identification of potential risks and the development of procedures and training.

Behavioral health is a particular focus of her practice. Finnern advises on state and federal regulatory requirements and privacy considerations under 42 CFR Part 2. She represents substance use disorder treatment providers, including providers that use methadone and buprenorphine to treat opioid abuse, on issues involving state health and human services licensing and enforcement and interactions with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Finnern also counsels operators of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, senior housing facilities and home care businesses on state and federal regulatory enforcement. Her work includes regular dealings with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on clients’ behalf and advice concerning Minnesota’s assisted living licensure statute and its effect on senior housing facilities that provide services to residents.

• Favorably settled an overpayment claim from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Surveillance and Integrity Review Section (SIRS) for urine drug screens on behalf of a clinical laboratory.  Successfully leveraged the weaknesses in the statistical extrapolation performed by AdvanceMed, n/k/a CoventBridge in negotiating a resolution.
• Negotiated the successful resolution of a Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Surveillance and Integrity Review Section (SIRS) overpayment demand on behalf of a behavioral health substance use disorder treatment provider.
• Resolved a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation of a provider for suspected inappropriate prescribing of opioids with the closing of the investigation and no action taken against the provider.
• Represented several professional fundraisers in connection with Minnesota Attorney General civil investigative demands and enforcement actions.
• Advocated at the legislature for behavioral health licensing rules to be codified into statute thereby eliminating the cumbersome rule-making process and paving the way for more efficient legislative action and changes.
• Represented a health care REIT in connection with defeating certain proposed legislation that would have negatively impacted the rights of owners and operators in nursing home involuntary receivership actions.

• Obtained the dismissal of a complaint against a podiatry provider by a large insurer on the basis that the provider agreement between the parties required disputes to be arbitrated.
• Favorably settled an overpayment claim from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Surveillance and Integrity Review Section (SIRS) for urine drug screens on behalf of a clinical laboratory.  Successfully leveraged the weaknesses in the statistical extrapolation performed by AdvanceMed, n/k/a CoventBridge in negotiating a resolution.
• Successfully negotiated the resolution of a coding, billing and prior authorization dispute between a home health care agency and a large insurer resulting in substantial repayment to the home health care agency.
• Negotiated the successful resolution of a Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Surveillance and Integrity Review Section (SIRS) overpayment demand on behalf of a behavioral health substance use disorder treatment provider.
• Resolved a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation of a provider for suspected inappropriate prescribing of opioids with the closing of the investigation and no action taken against the provider.
• Represented a large specialty provider group in connection with its acquisition of a complementary provider group.
• Served as regulatory counsel for a behavioral health care provider in connection with its acquisition by a private equity sponsor.
• Conducted internal investigations for a large specialty provider group regarding potential billing and coding issues, reviewing and revising internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance.
• Conducted internal investigations for a large specialty provider group regarding disruptive physician issues, drug diversion issues and physician fitness for duty concerns.
• Conducted more than twenty internal investigations and record-keeping audits for large behavioral health providers regarding state and federal regulatory compliance issues, including diversion.
• Represented a behavioral health provider in connection with an administrative license revocation appeal. Successfully resolved the license revocation appeal through informal resolution on favorable terms to the provider.
• Represented a behavioral health provider in challenging the imposition of an order of conditional license through a writ of certiorari appeal to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, resulting in the reversal of several challenged citations and remand to the Commissioner of Human Services for reconsideration of the appropriate action.
• Represented a health care real estate investment trust in connection with an involuntary receivership action brought by the Minnesota Department of Health against the operator of a nursing facility. Negotiated a satisfactory resolution that allowed for the nursing home to continue operating without having to relocate its residents.
• Represented a health care real estate investment trust in connection with an involuntary receivership action brought by the Minnesota Department of Health against the operator of three nursing facilities. Assisted the health care real estate investment trust in marketing the facilities for sale to other nursing home operators.
• Represented many licensed professionals before boards of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and social work in several different jurisdictions.
• Negotiated with numerous health insurers to ensure that providers are receiving the statutorily and contractually correct reimbursement.
• Challenged a six figure overpayment demand from a health insurer, demonstrating that the extrapolation method used was fundamentally flawed, which resulted in the insurer withdrawing the overpayment demand in its entirety.

University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., 2001

• Articles Editor, Journal of Corporation Law, 2000-2001
• Member, Journal of Corporation Law, 1999-2000
• Van Oosterhout Moot Court Competition, 1999-2000

Wartburg College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1998

Minnesota, 2001
U.S. District Court, D. Minn., 2005
Iowa, 2020
Ho-Chunk Nation

Twin Cities Business

Notable Women in Law, 2025

The Best Lawyers in America©

Health Care Law, 2021-2025

Minnesota Super Lawyers®

2017-2019, 2023-2026
Rising Stars, 2008-2016

Benchmark Litigation

Litigation Star, 2016-2026
Under 40 Hot List, 2016
Future Star, 2010-2015

Minnesota Business

"Dream Team" Leaders in Health Care Award, 2014

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

40 Under Forty, 2014

Minnesota Lawyer

Legal 250 List, Health Care Attorneys, 2026
Up & Coming Attorney, 2011

Minnesota Monthly Top Lawyers in Minnesota

Health Care Law, 2025-2026