Manatt Welcomes Addiction Medicine and Substance Use Disorder Leader as National Advisor in Washington, D.C.

By: Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP via GlobeNewswire

August 14, 2025 at 09:00 AM EDT

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, today announced the arrival of National Advisor Dr. Yngvild Olsen, MD, MPH, to the Firm’s Health Care group. A nationally recognized leader in addiction medicine, public health policy and clinical care integration, Dr. Olsen provides strategic counsel to clients working with substance use disorder (SUD), particularly opioid use disorder (OUD), primary care integration and Medicaid, as well as state block grants, Medicaid waivers and behavioral health integration efforts.

With over two decades of experience across clinical, academic and governmental roles at the local, state and federal level—including leadership at REACH Health Services, Johns Hopkins and the Baltimore Substance Abuse System—Dr. Olsen brings unmatched knowledge, deep policy insight and a strong national network to Manatt’s renowned health care team. She will play a critical role in advising clients on strategies to advance integrated care delivery, reentry services, federal and state block grants, and the expansion of access to high-quality, evidence-based SUD/OUD services. She has also counseled states on the use of Medicaid waivers and behavioral health integration strategies.

“Manatt has long partnered with states, health systems and community-based providers in navigating challenging health care issues and policy landscapes, and Yngvild’s arrival meaningfully strengthens our ability to continue doing so,” said Manatt Health Leader Bill Bernstein. “Yngvild’s work has had a profound impact on addiction medicine, and we are excited for the contributions she will offer as part of our team, helping clients implement innovative and strategic solutions in response to health crises across the country.”

Most recently, Dr. Olsen served as the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, where she oversaw $5 billion in grant funding and led national efforts to expand access to care, strengthen the behavioral health workforce and promote evidence-based practices in the treatment of substance use disorders. She has also held leadership roles at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), where she led the association’s policy position development on a range of substance use-related issues and helped advance the ASAM Criteria, or continuum of care, which is the most widely used and comprehensive set of standards and framework for the specialized treatment of patients with addiction and co-occurring conditions.

“Manatt’s commitment to driving impact on the ground and working in partnership with clients aligns with my passion for improving health outcomes and access to effective and equitable addiction treatment,” said Dr. Olsen. “I look forward to collaborating with my new legal and consulting colleagues to offer comprehensive and strategic services that meet the needs of today’s changing health care landscape.”

Dr. Olsen joins the Firm’s roster of legal and consulting professionals who have also joined over the last year across core industry sectors, including Digital and Technology (Tod Cohen and Vejay Lalla); Energy and Environment (Mike Stoker); Entertainment (Kimberly Lord); Financial Services (Hope Adams and James Williams); Government and Regulatory (Nicholas (Nick) Doherty, Chris Dombrowski, Richard Leib and Darrell Steinberg); and Health Care (Haider Andazola, Patrick Brennan, Doug Brown, Richard Cho, Mandy Cohen, Elizabeth Dervan, Kyla Ellis, Vin Gupta, Amy Hunsberger, Ellen Montz, Tina Papagiannopoulos, Alexander Somodevilla, Joshua Tauber, and Shaina Zurlin).

Dr. Olsen earned her M.P.H. from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, M.D. from Harvard Medical School and B.S. from Haverford College.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Silicon Valley), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the Firm represents sophisticated clients—including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies—across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

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