BALTIMORE, MD (December 18, 2008) - Venable LLP announced that Marta Harting, a leading Maryland legislative and regulatory attorney, has joined the firm as a partner in its Baltimore office.
Ms. Harting, who arrives from the Baltimore office of DLA Piper, represents a wide range of business interests before the Maryland General Assembly as well as the state's regulatory agencies.
Ms. Harting, who several years ago was recognized by the Baltimore Business Journal as one of city's "40 Under 40" outstanding young business leaders, has been especially active on insurance and health care issues, as well as matters related to real property, state budget appropriations, taxation, and public finance.
Ms. Harting has served as lead legislative counsel to a variety of insurance, health care and other business entities over the last fifteen years, including State Farm, Kaiser Permanente, and Diageo. She was centrally involved in all major insurance reform legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly for the past 15 years, including competitive rating for auto insurance and small employer health insurance reform. She represents insurance companies and health maintenance organizations before the Maryland Insurance Administration on a variety of regulatory matters, including market conduct examinations, financial examinations, rate and form filings, and other compliance issues.
Ms. Harting has also worked on behalf of the state's major alcoholic beverage producer and a number of leading financial services and health care companies, as well as representing the National Federation of the Blind in state budget appropriation matters.
Ms. Harting has an active practice representing health-care providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, and physician groups in certificate of need matters. She has appeared in rate setting proceedings before the Public Service Commission and the Health Services Cost Review Commission and has represented public utilities and other entities in certificate of public convenience and necessity proceedings before the Maryland Public Service Commission. She regularly handles matters before Maryland's Health Care Commission, Health Services Cost Review Commission, Insurance Administration, Public Service Commission, Department of Licensing, and Labor Regulation Financial Regulation Division, as well as the Comptroller of Maryland Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division.
"Marta Harting is hands-down one of Maryland's top government and regulatory attorneys, representing many of the state's largest employers and industries on the most important legislative issues that our state has grappled with over the past ten years - we are extremely fortunate to have her on our side," said Venable partner John R. Stierhoff, who formerly served as Counsel to Maryland's State Senate President.
Ms. Harting has also been a prominent trial and appellate lawyer, arguing four cases before Maryland's highest court, the Court of Appeals, and handling numerous other matters before lower level appellate courts.
Two of her appellate victories had significant impact on insurance law. In 2006, the Court of Appeals reversed a lower appellate decision invalidating Maryland's widely used "named driver exclusion" in commercial automobile liability policies.
In 2002, Ms. Harting successfully represented Johns Hopkins Hospital in a suit against Maryland's Medicaid program, over whether the state must approve liver transplant surgery for two children. The state Medicaid program had denied coverage of the life saving surgery, holding that while it might have been medically necessary, it did not meet the cost-benefit "appropriateness" test in the state's Medicaid regulations. The Court of Appeals tossed out the "appropriateness" test for all future cases.
"I am very excited about joining Venable - it's a great firm with outstanding lawyers and a strong commitment to Maryland," Ms. Harting said. "My legislative and regulatory practices fit perfectly here. I'm especially looking forward to harnessing my legislative work alongside John Stierhoff, who was a legend in the State Senate. Venable already has a top-tier Maryland legislative practice - I hope my contributions can make it even stronger."
Ms. Harting has also been active in pro bono work. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of the Maryland Food Bank and is a member of the state's advisory board for the Salvation Army. Ms. Harting is a 2002 graduate of The Leadership Program of the Greater Baltimore Committee, where she just finished service as a member of their board.
Ms. Harting received her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law (1989) and her B.A. from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1986).