Global Link Law > About > Daniel D. Santos

Special Counsel, Healthcare Transactions, Regulatory & Compliance

Healthcare Transactional & Regulatory Counsel

Daniel Santos is widely regarded as one of the leading healthcare transactional and regulatory lawyers advising insurers, health systems, and healthcare investors on strategic growth, governance, and complex regulatory and compliance matters across the United States. His practice is distinguished by a special combination of top-tier law-firm experience and senior C-suite leadership, having served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary of a $7B+ multistate health plan and General Counsel of a 500K+ member insurance division of a major integrated delivery system.

Daniel is particularly recognized for his work on transformative healthcare transactions, including multistate market expansions, insurer and provider acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, Medicaid and Medicare strategy, and multimillion-dollar partnerships between health systems, health plans, and emerging care-delivery organizations. His experience includes leading the due diligence, structuring, and negotiation of a $10M value-based senior-care investment; directing a three-state market expansion through new licensing and joint ventures; securing more than $282M in PBM-related savings; and serving as outside M&A counsel for payer and provider transactions exceeding $1.5B in value.

In the governance arena, Daniel is known for modernizing board structures, advising on fiduciary duties, and resolving high-stakes governance disputes. He co-led a multiyear governance restructuring of a multi-state, regional health plan—strengthening independence, diversifying board composition, and resolving contentious litigation with the organization’s founding institutional partner.

Daniel’s regulatory experience spans risk management, compliance program design, privacy/security matters, multi-state licensure, PBM and provider disputes, reinsurance transactions, and oversight of audits, investigations and litigation portfolios. Clients value his ability to translate complex regulatory frameworks into strategic, actionable guidance aligned with enterprise goals.

He has been recognized by leading industry publications and organizations—including the American Bar Foundation (Fellow), Minnesota Lawyer (In-House Counsel Award), Twin Cities Business (“Notable General Counsel”), Virginia Business (“Legal Elite”), Super Lawyers (“Rising Star”), and the Hispanic National Bar Association (“Top Lawyer Under 40”).

Before entering the legal profession, Daniel served as a decorated U.S. Navy Special Operations Officer, commanding elite diving and salvage detachments worldwide. This operational and leadership foundation informs his calm under pressure, clarity of execution, and disciplined approach to advising clients on high-stakes matters.

Daniel D. Santos Attorney Global Link Law LLC Pennsylvania USA

When you work with Daniel D. Santos, you’re partnering with a proven leader who blends deep legal expertise with strategic vision and operational excellence. Daniel doesn’t just solve problems—he anticipates them, turning complex challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

With over two decades of experience guiding boards, C-suites, and multi-disciplinary teams, Daniel brings a rare combination of governance insight, regulatory mastery, and business acumen. His track record speaks for itself:

Transformative Leadership: Former EVP and Chief Legal Officer for a $6B+ health plan, overseeing Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, Privacy, and Equity & Inclusion functions.
Strategic Impact: Led market expansions, $100M+ acquisitions, $200M+ joint ventures, and multi-year compliance overhauls.
Operational Excellence: Designed enterprise-wide contract management systems and drove governance reforms that strengthened organizational resilience.

Recognized among the top 1% of licensed attorneys as an American Bar Foundation Fellow, Daniel combines credibility with creativity. His decorated U.S. Navy service underscores his commitment to discipline, integrity, and mission success—values he brings to every client engagement.

Working with Daniel means gaining a trusted advisor who not only understands the law but knows how to leverage it to unlock growth, mitigate risk, and build sustainable advantage.

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary UCare: Executive leadership team member reporting to CEO; lead Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, Privacy, Special Investigations, and Equity & Inclusion. Oversight of $7M+ budget and 55+ staff.
Associate General Counsel Sentara Health: Legal and governance lead for $6B+ health plan division (500K members) and lead provider-side counsel driving health system expansion from 9 to 12 hospitals and 33K employees.
Williams Mullen: Led strategic healthcare and insurance transactions; managed due diligence and deal negotiation.
Attorney Saul Ewing LLP: Managed complex healthcare matters, major insurer clients, and multi-state transactions.
Attorney Eckert Seamans: Negotiated reinsurance agreements, closed $255M+ in debt financings for health care providers, and advised on major health system acquisitions.
U.S. Navy Special Operations Officer: Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal.

Speaking Engagements & Published Works

Delivered presentations and authored publications on critical topics for healthcare organizations and insurers
Featured at national and state bar associations, business forums, and health/insurance trade associations

Daniel D. Santos is a leading healthcare transactional and regulatory attorney with deep expertise advising insurers, health systems, and healthcare investors on strategic growth, governance, and complex regulatory matters across the United States. His practice centers on three interconnected pillars:

Healthcare Transactions & M&A: Daniel leads transformative healthcare transactions, including multistate market expansions, insurer and provider acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, and multimillion-dollar partnerships between health systems, health plans, and emerging care-delivery organizations. He guides clients through due diligence, deal structuring, and negotiation of complex payer and provider transactions.
Governance & Board Advisory: Daniel advises boards and senior leadership on fiduciary duties, board structure modernization, governance restructurings, and resolution of high-stakes governance disputes. He helps organizations strengthen independence, diversify board composition, and align governance frameworks with strategic objectives.
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management: Daniel’s regulatory practice spans Medicare and Medicaid strategy, multi-state licensure, compliance program design, privacy and security matters, PBM and provider disputes, reinsurance transactions, and oversight of audits, investigations, and litigation portfolios — translating complex regulatory frameworks into strategic, actionable guidance aligned with enterprise goals.

Learn more about how Daniel leads Global Link Law’s Transactional & Corporate and Regulatory & Compliance practices.

Bar Admissions:

Admitted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Virginia, State of New Jersey, State of Minnesota, and District of Columbia

Professional Memberships & Affiliations:

Member, American College of Healthcare Executives
Immediate Past President, Board of Directors, Association of Corporate Counsel – Minnesota Chapter
Former Chair, Board of Governors, Virginia State Bar Health Law Section
Former Deputy President, Region V (DC, VA, WV & MD), Hispanic National Bar Association

Strategic Legal Counsel for Healthcare & Health Technology

Your organization faces legal and regulatory complexity that demands more than outside counsel — it demands a partner who has sat on your side of the table.

From government investigations and FCPA matters to healthcare M&A and payer contracting, we’ve handled it from the inside and from the courtroom.

Whether you need fractional leadership, transactional support, or a defensible compliance framework, we deliver counsel built around what the business actually needs. What sets us apart is real-world in-house experience — our partners have served in senior legal roles within large and publicly traded companies, giving them a direct understanding of what business leaders and boards actually need from legal counsel.

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Daniel D. Santos

Special Counsel, Healthcare Transactions, Regulatory & Compliance

Strategic Legal Counsel for Healthcare & Health Technology

Issue #4 — Wells Fargo and the Number That Ate the Bank

Issue #3 — Theranos: The Board That Was Built Not To Ask

The Rise of the “Fractional Specialist”: Why Legal Teams Are Quietly Rewriting Their Hiring Playbook

Not Good: Bad Acts, BIG Costs Issue #2 — Dieselgate: Ten Monkeys, One Beetle, and Cartoons

The New Board Question: “What’s Our Exposure to AI‑Driven Misconduct?”

Red Flag: The Vendor Requested Far More PHI Than the Service Required

“When home.” How a two-word email subject line became part of a $650 million federal case.

Do we still need to care about the FCPA?

Issue #4 — Wells Fargo and the Number That Ate the Bank

Issue #3 — Theranos: The Board That Was Built Not To Ask

The Rise of the “Fractional Specialist”: Why Legal Teams Are Quietly Rewriting Their Hiring Playbook

Not Good: Bad Acts, BIG Costs Issue #2 — Dieselgate: Ten Monkeys, One Beetle, and Cartoons

The New Board Question: “What’s Our Exposure to AI‑Driven Misconduct?”

Red Flag: The Vendor Requested Far More PHI Than the Service Required

“When home.” How a two-word email subject line became part of a $650 million federal case.

Do we still need to care about the FCPA?

Daniel D. Santos

Special Counsel, Healthcare Transactions, Regulatory & Compliance

Why Working With Daniel is a Game Changer

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Professional Highlights & Memberships

Practice Areas and Key Contributions

Professional Affiliations and Admissions

Strategic Legal Counsel for Healthcare & Health Technology