Colleen P. Clarkson

Colleen Clarkson is an experienced insurance and regulatory attorney who guides clients through complex compliance and legal matters in highly regulated industries. She has a deep understanding of corporate transactions, regulatory frameworks, and alternative risk financing.

Colleen specializes in the formation and ongoing operation of captive insurance companies, both onshore and offshore, as well as self-insurance programs and risk retention groups. She provides regulatory research and compliance counsel on fiduciary and board duties, and other critical topics. Colleen also prepares and presents captive board meeting materials and drafts and negotiates key agreements, including trust agreements, brokerage agreements, business associate agreements (BAAs), clinical trial agreements, and indemnity and reinsurance contracts.

A skilled negotiator, Colleen has extensive experience working with Medicare and commercial health plans, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and providers of dental, vision, and hearing services. Her counsel extends beyond insurance, as she advises employee benefit plans and healthcare clients on essential policies related to ERISA and conflicts of interest, whistleblower protections, record retention, and cybersecurity. She has successfully navigated Department of Labor (DOL) audits and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) audits, collaborated with regulators, and advised on data privacy and cybersecurity best practices.

Before joining Honigman, Colleen served as in-house counsel and compliance officer for one of the largest non-governmental purchasers of healthcare in the United States. In this role, she mitigated legal risks and ensured compliance with intricate regulations, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Colleen’s hands-on experience includes advising organizations subject to IRS and DOL oversight, such as voluntary employees' beneficiary associations (VEBAs) and both self-insured and fully insured health and welfare benefit plans.

Practice Areas

Prior Experience

• UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, Assistant General Counsel & Compliance Officer
• Levine Benjamin Law Firm, Attorney

Clerkships

• The Hon. Laura Baird, 30th Circuit Court of Ingham County, Lansing, MI, Law Clerk, 2009-2011

Education

Admissions

Professional & Community Involvement

SBM Health Care Law Section, Secretary and Council Member, 2019-present

News

Press Releases