Norton Rose Fulbright attracts healthcare-focused litigation partner in Austin

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright today announced that Tim Ribelin has joined its Austin office as a partner in the litigation and disputes practice, bringing an impressive track record of acting for hospitals, physician groups, ambulatory surgery centers and large healthcare systems in arbitrations, trials and bet-the-company disputes across the country.

Coming from Husch Blackwell, Tim represents providers in disputes with insurers and payers over reimbursement, billing and claims processing as well as contract issues, business torts, False Claims Act litigation and shareholder and partnership conflicts. Drawing on prior experience as a research scientist in oncology and antibacterial medicinal chemistry, he combines a scientist's fluency in underlying regulatory and technical issues with a clear read on how they intersect with his clients' broader business objectives.

"Our firm was built on a foundation of litigation excellence, and our trial lawyers have taken center stage in Texas for more than a century," said Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright's Global and US Managing Partner. "Tim has built a reputation for handling some of the toughest disputes in healthcare, and his addition reinforces our position as the firm that providers turn to when the stakes are highest."

The 31^st US lateral partner for Norton Rose Fulbright in 2026, Tim is the latest in a string of talent brought on to expand the firm's healthcare industry offering. In May, Dallas partners John Bonnet and Mark Pendleton joined as part of an eight-lawyer team focused on private equity in the sector. Earlier this year, the firm welcomed a five-partner group to enhance its healthcare transactional capabilities across the Midwest.

"Tim adds meaningful depth to our managed care litigation practice as providers are under growing pressure to secure appropriate reimbursement for the care they deliver," said Shea Haass, a Dallas-based litigation partner who also focuses on serving healthcare providers. "Tim's experience representing hospitals and physician groups aligns directly with the work our team does, and he is the kind of tenacious advocate our clients deserve."

Tim arrives at a time when healthcare organizations are facing heightened litigation risk, as complex payer arrangements, reimbursement disputes and contracting structures create additional challenges for providers. Norton Rose Fulbright's 2026 Annual Litigation Trends Survey found that healthcare respondents reported the greatest litigation exposure at both the federal and state levels, illuminating the need for counsel who can navigate this shifting landscape.

"Providers are operating in a more interconnected marketplace, and Norton Rose Fulbright's global platform offers access to resources that can help my clients address opportunities and challenges wherever they arise," Tim said. "That reach and the opportunity to work with the firm's top-tier healthcare litigators were major draws for me."

Tim joins an office that has been an integral part of Austin's legal and business communities for more than 45 years and is home to approximately 100 lawyers, many of whom also focus on the life sciences, healthcare and technology sectors. The Austin American-Statesman and Energage named the firm a "Top Workplace" in Greater Austin for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, ranking ninth among 55 large employers and standing as the only law firm recognized in the category.

Licensed in Texas, Tim earned his law degree from Baylor Law School, his master's degree in medicinal chemistry from the University of Kansas and his bachelor's degree in health science from Baylor University.

Norton Rose Fulbright's global litigation and disputes practice includes more than 1,200 lawyers representing many of the world's largest corporations and financial institutions in their most important cases. In the healthcare space, the firm has more than 400 lawyers around the world who take an industry-centered approach to helping clients thrive in a fast-moving sector.