Brief Bio
Courtney Newton, a partner at Sharp & Cobos, L.L.P., is a former Assistant General Counsel at the Texas Medical Board, where she served for three years. Her duties included serving as the General Counsel for the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners, serving as counsel to the Licensure Committee of the Medical Board, as well as the Physician Assistant Board. She also tried contested cases at the State Board of Administrative Hearings.
Subsequently Ms. Newton was employed as an Assistant Attorney General by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. She served as legal counsel for numerous health and human service regulatory agencies in hearings, appeals, and general legal matters. Ms Newton also served as an AAG with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, prosecuting criminal matters involving Medicaid Fraud, drug diversion, and elder abuse in Medicaid funded facilities.
Ms. Newton appears before all health care licensing agencies and is a member of the Health Law and Administrative Law sections of the State Bar. Ms. Newton is a trained mediator and has worked as a volunteer mediator at the Dispute Resolution Center.
Ms. Newton’s broad experience in all aspects of health care regulation particularly suit her for representation of individuals in these matters. She is experienced in defense, prosecution, and appeal of licensure and disciplinary matters, as well as possessed of a broad understanding of the delivery system as a whole.
Representative Experience
The following is a representative list of Administrative Agencies in which Courtney has represented clients:
- Texas Medical Board
- Texas State Board of Physician Assistant Examiners
- Texas Board of Nursing
- Texas Medical Foundation (Medicare)
- Texas Medicaid Audits
- CMS Medicare Audits
- Texas Medicaid OIG
- Texas Medical Foundation Medicare QA
- Hospital Medical Staffs
- Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
- Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
- Texas State Board of Examiners of Licensed Professional Counselors
- Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists
- Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners
- Texas State Board of Pharmacy
- Texas Midwifery Board
- Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners
- Texas Department of Health
- Texas Department of Human Services
- Texas State Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy Examiners
- Medical Licensure Boards of other states
In addition to her extensive administrative law experience listed above, Courtney has also litigated administrative cases at the State Office of Administrative Hearings through full trial hearings, as well as the SOAH mediation process.
Qualifications
- Office of the Attorney General
Assistant Attorney General, March 1999-August 2001
Administrative Law Division – Clients included: Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, Texas State Board of Nurse Examiners, Texas State Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners, Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Texas Department of Health and Texas Department of Human Services.
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
- Texas State Board of Medical Examiners
Assistant General Counsel, July 1998-March 1999
General Counsel (Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners)
June 1997 March 1999
Staff Attorney, December 1996-July 1998
- American Bar Association
- Austin Health Lawyers Group
- Austin Young Lawyers Association
- Travis County Bar Association
- Travis County Women Lawyers Association
- Administrative Law Section, State Bar of Texas
- Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity
Education
- Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, Texas Tech University, May 1993
- Juris Doctor, Texas Tech University, May 1996
- Professional and Community Activities
- Texas Tech Alumni Association
- Junior League of Austin
- Delta Delta Delta Sorority, Austin Alumnae Group
- Dispute Resolution Center, Volunteer Mediator
Additional Personal Information
Ms. Newton lives in Austin with her husband and children. She is a member of the Junior League of Austin and is active in the Austin Tri Delta Alumnae group. She also volunteers with numerous organizations.