A Washington Business Law Firm · Serving Clients Statewide
A Washington Business Law Firm That Thinks Like an Operator
Stratagem Law Group is a Washington business law firm built by someone who ran companies first. Founding attorney Matthew T. Macklin spent more than twenty years as an executive, licensed healthcare administrator, and nonprofit CEO before he practiced law. As a result, our advice starts with your goals, not with a list of reasons why not.
We advise owners, founders, executives, and boards on the deals, disputes, and regulations that shape a business. Moreover, we bring healthcare regulatory depth that few business firms can match. In practice, that combination matters whether you run a software company, a construction firm, a dental practice, or a skilled nursing facility.
20+
years running organizations before practicing law
8 yrs
between his MBA in 2013 and his JD in 2021 — the business degree came first
16 yrs
as a licensed nursing home administrator
Statewide
clients across Washington, in person and virtually
What We Do
Practice Areas
Each practice informs the others, so a client rarely has to explain the business context twice. For example, a partner dispute at a medical group draws on our litigation, governance, and healthcare regulatory work at the same time.
Business Law & Corporate Counsel
Formation, contracts, ownership and governance, M&A, as well as the everyday questions of running a company.
Business Litigation
Contract, partner, shareholder, and commercial disputes, handled with a clear view of what the fight is worth, so that fees stay proportional.
Corporate Compliance
Compliance programs, governance, internal investigations, and regulatory response, not only for healthcare but also for any regulated business.
Healthcare Regulatory
In particular, Stark, Anti-Kickback, False Claims Act, CMS surveys, licensure, and HIPAA, from an attorney who has run facilities himself.
Payer Disputes & Clawback Defense
Overpayment demands, offsets, SIU audits, and network terminations. Above all, deadlines controlled from day one.
Nonprofit Law
Formation, board governance, compliance, and disputes, from a lawyer who has both chaired and led nonprofits.
Not Sure Where It Fits?
Most real problems cross practice lines. Therefore, tell us what is happening, and we will tell you how we can help.
The Differentiator
Healthcare, From the Inside
Healthcare is the most regulated industry in the country, and most business lawyers learn it from the outside. Our founding attorney learned it as a licensed nursing home administrator, a multi-site executive, and a six-year member of Washington’s Board of Nursing Home Administrators. Consequently, we already know what surveyors look for, how audits unfold, and where compliance programs break down in practice.
Regulatory & Compliance
- Stark Law, self-disclosure, and the Anti-Kickback Statute
- HIPAA, business associate agreements, as well as data privacy
- Licensure, scope of practice, and survey readiness
Enforcement & Disputes
- False Claims Act and qui tam defense
- CMS and state survey appeals, in addition to civil money penalties
- Payer audits, clawbacks, offsets, and professional discipline defense
Operations & Transactions
- Practice formation, MSO structures, and management agreements
- Physician, provider, and medical director agreements
- Acquisitions and affiliations, as well as staffing arrangements
Who We Serve
Built for People Who Run Things
Founders & Owners
Startups, family businesses, and closely held companies that need counsel who understands cash flow as well as case law.
Executives & Boards
Leadership teams and directors who need clear answers on governance, risk, and strategy, delivered in business terms. In other words, no legalese.
Healthcare Providers
Physician and dental groups, behavioral health agencies, skilled nursing and assisted living operators, as well as the executives who lead them.
Nonprofits
Boards and executive directors who need governance, compliance, and dispute counsel from someone who has, in fact, sat in their seat.
How We Work
Why Businesses Choose This Washington Business Law Firm
An Operator’s Perspective
Our founding attorney carried profit-and-loss responsibility and answered to boards and regulators for two decades. Therefore, our advice reflects what actually works in a running business.
A Safe Yes
Instead of building roadblocks, we look for the path that gets the deal done or the problem solved within the rules.
Prevention First
Sound structure, strong documentation, and clear policies keep most problems from ever becoming disputes. Nevertheless, when one does, we are ready to litigate.
Responsive
Legal problems do not keep business hours. Consequently, for urgent matters we are available around the clock, and we respond to every inquiry within one business day.
Insights
Latest from the Firm
- Director Liability and Charitable Status Under the 2022 Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act: Lessons from Chappel v. Johnson
In Chappel v. Johnson, 35 Wn. App. 2d 479 (2025), the Court of Appeals held that four violations of the 2022 Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act did not, on the trial court’s findings, add up to a fiduciary breach, and that a nonprofit with charitable language in its articles was not a “charitable corporation.” What boards should take from the published opinion. - No Hearing, No Rule: How to Challenge a Washington Agency Rule
A DCYF child care rule was struck down because the agency never held the hearing Washington law requires. What the APA demands before a Washington agency rule can bind anyone, how to challenge one, and the two-year deadline for procedural claims. - The Board Is the Institution: A Nonprofit Board’s First Four Moves in a Transition or a Crisis
Whether the trigger is a planned founder succession or a threat to the organization’s survival, a Washington nonprofit board’s first four moves are the same: establish who has authority, secure the record, separate the organization from the people who are leaving, and only then decide.
Tell Us What You Are Trying to Accomplish
Call 253-313-2284 or send us a note. Then we will tell you how we can help, what it will cost, and what to expect. We serve businesses throughout Washington State, in person and virtually, as well as healthcare clients nationwide in federal matters. In addition, our attorneys are licensed through the Washington State Bar Association.
