Chelsea L. Gulinson
Practice Areas
Chelsea’s goal is to bring practical judgment, clear communication, and efficient case management to every matter, working to align litigation strategy with the client’s business objectives.
In commercial disputes, Chelsea represents business organizations and members in high-stakes cases involving contract breaches, business torts, and fraud, litigating effectively in court, arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
A significant portion of Chelsea’s work centers on the health care industry. Chelsea represents healthcare organizations, physicians, and providers in a wide range of matters, including healthcare fraud and abuse, compliance and regulatory investigations at the state and federal level, internal investigations, licensing, HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 compliance, and related litigation in state, federal, and administrative proceedings.
Chelsea also represents clients in employment matters, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and contract-related matters. She also has experience representing clients in construction- and lien-related disputes in state and administrative proceedings.
Chelsea has a distinct interest in public health law and during her time as a Research Scholar with the Center for Public Health Law and Policy at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, published articles and presented on a variety of public health topics, particularly, the Opioid Epidemic.
In her free time, you can find Chelsea cooking for her friends and family, traveling around the world, and hanging out with her dog.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Arizona
- Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Arizona Women Lawyers Association
- American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics
- Arizona Wellbeing Commons – Public Health Law, Policy and Equity Division
- American Bar Association
- Phoenix Children’s 40/40
Credentials
Education
- Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, J.D., 2018
- Certificates in Health Law and Genomics & Biotechnology
- Articles Editor for Jurimetrics, the Journal of Law, Science and Technology
- Willard H. Pedrick Scholar
- Recipient of the Ross Blakley Library Award for Exemplary Student Research
- President of the Women Law Students’ Association
- Member of the Health Law Society and Student Bar Association
- Internship/externship experience with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and the Honorable Donn Kessler (ret.) at the Arizona Court of Appeals
- Arizona State University, Barrett, the Honors College, B.A., 2015
Bar and Court Admissions
State of Arizona, 2018
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 2020
Professional Recognition
“Top Lawyers,” Phoenix Magazine, September 2022
“Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Star,” 2025
Publications
Chelsea Gulinson, Opioid Epidemic Litigation Update: Defendants are Settling, but Who will Benefit?, AzSHA Blog (Sept. 20, 2022).
John Conley and Chelsea Gulinson, Scrutiny and Regulation of Non-Compete Agreements, Milligan Lawless, (Aug. 21, 2021)
James Taylor and Chelsea Gulinson, Liability for Negligent Disclosure of Medical Records, Milligan Lawless (March 22, 2021).
John Conley and Chelsea Gulinson, You Can’t Spell Healthcare without “THC”: Arizona Voters Legalize Recreational Marijuana, Milligan Lawless (Dec. 7, 2020)
Chelsea Gulinson, CMS Restricts Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program, Milligan Lawless (May 8, 2020).
Chelsea Gulinson, Top 3 Things to Know About Responses to the Opioid Epidemic, Milligan Lawless (Oct. 31, 2019).
James G. Hodge Jr. et al., Exploring Legal and Policy Responses to Opioids: America’s Worst Public Health Emergency, 70 S.C.L. Rev. 481-517 (Nov. 3, 2019).
Leila Barraza et al., Immunization Laws & Policies Among U.S. Institutes of Higher Education, 47 J.L. Med. & Ethics 342-346 (July 12, 2019).
James G. Hodge Jr. et al, Public Health Law & Policy Implications: Justice Kavanaugh, 47 J.L. Med. & Ethics 59-62 (July 12, 2019).
James G. Hodge Jr. et al., Innovative Legal and Policy Responses to the Opioid Crisis, 47 J.L. Med. & Ethics 173-176 (April 17, 2019).
Lawrence O. Gostin, James G. Hodge Jr., & Chelsea L. Gulinson, Supervised Injection Facilities: Legal and Policy Reforms, JAMA (Feb. 7, 2019).
Chelsea Gulinson, Ebola Outbreak 2018-2019: An Escalating Health Crisis, The Network for Public Health Law (Jan. 15, 2019)
Chelsea Gulinson, Reauthorizing the Federal Violence Against Women Act, The Network for Public Health Law (Oct. 24, 2018).
James G. Hodge Jr., Chelsea Gulinson, & Drew Hensley, The Opioid Crisis Response Act: Looking Ahead, Ignoring the Present, JURIST – Academic Commentary (Sept. 22, 2018).
Chelsea L. Gulinson, Comment, Embryonic Stem Cell Tourism, 58 Jurimetrics J. 17 – 57 (Fall 2017).
Presentations
Panelist, The Opioid Epidemic: How the Nation Set Up Then Failed to Stop One of its Worst Public Health Emergencies, Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys, 2023 Annual Conference (Feb. 24, 2022)
Guest Lecturer, Legal & Policy Responses to Opioids, Public Health Law and Ethics, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University (Feb. 23, 2023)
Guest Lecturer, Law and Policy Responses to Opioids, Public Health Law and Ethics, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University (March 1, 2021).
Lecturer, Converging Emergencies: The Opioid Epidemic in the Age of Coronavirus, Health Law Selective, Mayo Medical School, Phoenix, AZ (Oct. 28, 2020).
Lecturer, The Opioid Epidemic: Law and Policy Responses, Selective Speaker Series, College of Public Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 27, 2019).
Lecturer, Controlling the Opioid Epidemic, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ (March 12, 2019).
Lecturer, Opioid Law and Policy Responses, Brophy College Preparatory Summit on Human Dignity, Phoenix, AZ (Feb. 27, 2019).
Guest Lecturer, Legal & Policy Responses to Opioids: America’s Worst Public Health Emergency, Public Health Law and Ethics, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University (Feb. 25, 2019).
Moderator, Preventing Communicable Disease through Vaccination Laws, Webinar, Network for Public Health Law (Jan. 31, 2019).
Moderator, The Potential Impact of the Midterm Elections on Public Health, Webinar, Network for Public Health Law (Dec. 6, 2018).
Lecturer, Advocacy v. Lobbying, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Phoenix, AZ (Dec. 5, 2018).
Speaker, Introduction to the Network for Public Health Law, Webinar, Council of State and Tribal Epidemiologists (Nov. 26, 2018).
Guest Lecturer, Public Health Law and Policy: Obesity Prevention, OBS 501: Obesity Prevention and Management – An Introduction, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ (Nov. 15, 2018).
Moderator, Public Health Law and Policy Implications Concerning U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Judge Kavanaugh, Special Session, Public Health Law Conference 2018, Phoenix, AZ (Oct. 5, 2018).
Lecturer, Top 5 Public Health Law Trends of 2018, Selective Speaker Series, College of Public Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 25, 2018).
Lecturer, Public Health Law 2018: Top 5 Trends, University of Arizona College of Public Health, Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 10, 2018).
Moderator, Public Health and Healthcare Services: Law, Policy and Equity Division, Arizona Wellbeing Commons, Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 7, 2018).
Featured Articles
The New Administrative False Claims Act Enhances Federal Agencies’ Power to Combat Fraud
The Administrative False Claims Act (“AFCA”), previously known as the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986 (“PFCRA”) is an infrequently used, but related counterpart to the more well-known False Claims Act (“FCA”). The FCA is a widely used tool by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to prosecute false claims and statements in federal courts,…
Are you Checking the PMP Before Prescribing? Pharmacy Board Audits of PMP Data
The Arizona Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (“PMP”) was established in 2007 and provides the State of Arizona with a central database to track the dispensing of controlled substances. The PMP is designed to assist providers in making better-informed decisions and help “prevent the diversion and misuse of controlled substances at the provider, pharmacy, and…
Emergency Rulemaking Expands AHCCCS’ Exclusion Authority
AHCCCS has broad authority to exclude participating providers from its program. For example, AHCCCS may terminate a provider’s AHCCCS participation agreement if the provider fails to comply with their provider participation agreement, or with federal and state laws, rules, or regulations. AHCCCS must also suspend payments pending an investigation of a “credible allegation of fraud”…
Scrutiny and Regulation of Non-Compete Agreements
On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued an “Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.”[1] The Executive Order takes aim at non-compete agreements, and affirms the Biden Administration’s policy “to enforce the antitrust laws to combat the excessive concentration of industry, the abuses of market power, and the harmful effects of monopoly…
Liability for Negligent Disclosure of Medical Records
Since HIPAA’s creation almost 25 years ago, many have long suspected that, eventually, a provider’s failure to comply with HIPAA might result in a patient’s recovery of economic damages as a result. Although HIPAA violations can lead to economic penalties imposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, HIPAA…
You Can’t Spell Healthcare without “THC”: Arizona Voters Legalize Recreational Marijuana
Just coming out of a lazy daze? Arizona voters recently puff-puff-passed Proposition 207, the “Smart and Safe Arizona Act,” legalizing the possession and recreational use of marijuana for users over age 21.[1] Individuals are also permitted to grow no more than 6 marijuana plants in their residences, so long as the plants are contained in…