John C. Ivins, Jr.

"When preparing a case, clients are often looking for a captain of the ship: someone to navigate the challenges and steer them in the right direction. That’s the role I like to play."

When advising on healthcare, real estate and commercial disputes, John remains focused on each client’s desired outcome.  His substantive legal knowledge, experience and strategic planning skills are complemented by a strong commitment to managing legal matters efficiently and collaboratively.

John’s practice focuses primarily on healthcare and real estate disputes. He has extensive experience in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings and mediations/arbitrations.  He also regularly serves as a hearing officer in physician/hospital Fair Hearings and teaches advanced trial practice as an adjunct professor of law. 

Prior to joining the firm, John served as a staff judicial law clerk for the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Healthcare

John routinely represents hospitals and health systems, advising various committees, hospital staff and MECs/governing boards on:

• Peer review, credentialing, and bylaw compliance;
• Fair Hearings/administrative proceedings pertaining to physician privileges/employment disputes;
• Compliance reviews/audits, regulatory appeals and related litigation;
• DMAS audits/administrative hearings; and
• HIPAA compliance, NPDB requirements, contracts/business associate agreements and contract disputes, and a variety of risk management issues including OSHA.

John’s Fair Hearing experience includes serving as counsel to various hospitals and their MECs, serving as counsel to the Fair Hearing Panel and serving as a Hearing Officer.  He has served as a Hearing Officer in many cases around the country and is also on the American Health Lawyers Association panel of neutrals as both a mediator and hearing officer.

In addition to hospitals and health systems, John represents medical and dental practices, physicians, dentists and other healthcare professionals on a wide variety of matters, including medical/dental office operations, HIPAA compliance, contracts  and contract/employment disputes. 

He also represents physicians, dentists and other healthcare professionals in licensure and related administrative proceedings before various regulatory Boards, and manufacturers in the healthcare field in various types of product liability litigation. 

Real Estate

John’s real estate practice focuses upon a variety of leasing and related matters, representing regional and national shopping center/mall owners/developers and REITs, hospitals and health systems, long-term care facilities and national owners/developers of multi-family housing.  With his extensive knowledge of the laws pertaining to landlord-tenant relationships, Stark and Anti-Kickback, creditor rights and bankruptcy, he is called upon to handle a variety of litigation matters and to assist in the development of non-litigation dispute resolution strategies. 

John has served Hirschler in many leadership positions, including member of the board of directors, litigation section vice chair, healthcare practice chair and co-chair, firm hiring officer and firm recruiting chair.  From 1997 to 2017, he served as an adjunct professor for trial practice and lawyering skills at the University of Richmond School of Law.

Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation – Real Estate, 2011 - 2018, 2020 - 2025

"Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation – Real Estate, 2023

Virginia Super Lawyers, Business Litigation and Healthcare, 2006, 2011 - 2024

Named “Richmond Lawyer of the Year,” Litigation – Real Estate, The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., 2018

Profiled in field of Health Law by Virginia Business magazine, “Legal Elite,” December 2015

Named among the “Legal Elite,” (Healthcare, Litigation and ADR), Virginia Business magazine, 2006 - 2020; (Health Law), 2021 - 2023 

Martindale-Hubbell^® AV Preeminent^®  - This is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers.

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association (Member, Health Law; TIPS, Products, General Liability and Consumer Law Committees) (Member, Interest Groups on Healthcare Facility Operations, Healthcare Litigation and Risk Management and Physician Issues)

American Health Lawyers Association (Member, Practice Groups: Hospital and Health Systems; Medical Staff, Credentialing and Peer Review and Health Care Liability and Litigation)

Virginia State Bar

Virginia Bar Association (Member, Civil Litigation and Health Law Sections; Past Member, Young Lawyers Executive Committee)

Business and Civic Organizations

John has served on a variety of Boards which address the needs of children and adults in the community in various ways, including:

Health Center Commission for Chesterfield County d/b/a Lucy Corr, At-Large Commission Member 08/23 – present

Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia, Board of Directors, 2020-present

CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, Board of Directors, Governance Committee Chair and Board Vice President, 2016-2022

Chippenham-Johnston Willis Hospitals, Patient Advisory Council, 2011-2015

Science Museum of Virginia Foundation, Board of Directors and Past President, 2000-2010

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western Virginia, Past Board Member

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Capital Region, Past Board Member

In addition, John is a former board member of Leadership Metro Richmond (2005-2011), his law school association at the University of Richmond Law and the Richmond Bar Association.

John is very involved as a worship leader/musician at Passion Community Church, a multi-site church with 5 campuses throughout Virginia.  He leads worship as a guitar player and singer most Sundays at the main Powhatan, Va. campus, but also leads at other campuses as well. 

Related to this, John founded and has led a Christian rock band, traveling internationally.  Since 2004, John has been involved in leading worship and in international missions throughout Europe and the United Kingdom, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and China.

One particularly unique aspect of John’s practice is his service as a Hearing Officer in hospital Fair Hearings.  John is uniquely suited for this, having served as counsel for various parties involved in Fair Hearings.  In serving as a Hearing Officer, he brings his past experience, his knowledge of the laws which govern such proceedings and his understanding of the needs of the parties and the overall purpose of the process.  John has been engaged to serve in this capacity for many years and in a variety of settings around the country.