
Samantha concentrates her practice on representing health plans, payors, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in transactional and regulatory matters, with a specialized focus on PBM contract negotiation.
Prior to joining Mintz, Samantha was an associate in the Investment Management Group of a New York–based international law firm, where she worked on corporate transactions, fund formations, and securities compliance matters. She has experience assisting with mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, and reorganizations, preparing corporate agreements, and advising on compliance issues.
Samantha maintains an active pro bono practice that has included assisting pro bono clients with nonprofit incorporation and advising on asylum and housing matters.
Samantha earned her JD from Columbia University, where she served as a student editor and judge for the Foundation Moot Court and as a staff member of the Columbia Journal of Gender & Law. During law school, Samantha also organized a legal clinic in conjunction with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai’s East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership.
viewpoints
Mintz IRA Update — IRA Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program Updates for Q3 2025
September 15, 2025 | Article | By Rachel A. Alexander, Stephnie John, Samantha Hawkins, Hassan Shaikh
On May 12, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued draft guidance for the third cycle of the IRA’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (Negotiation Program).
Mintz IRA Update — Redesigning Part D for CY 2026
September 15, 2025 | Article | By Tara E. Dwyer, Samantha Hawkins
CMS finalizes 2026 Medicare Part D changes under the IRA, including new cost limits, subsidy guidance, and updated creditable coverage rules.
Mintz IRA Update — The Uncertain State of Affairs for GLP-1s
September 15, 2025 | Article | By Theresa Carnegie, Hassan Shaikh, Samantha Hawkins
GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) such as semaglutide, and dual agonists like tirzepatide, are transforming obesity treatment and reshaping the US health care landscape.
Federal Court Blocks Arkansas PBM Ownership Law, Citing Constitutional Violations
August 6, 2025 | Blog | By Theresa Carnegie, Samantha Hawkins
In a significant legal development, a federal judge has temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing Act 624. Act 624 prohibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies in the state, effectively forcing vertically integrated companies to divest or shut down their Arkansas pharmacy operations. However, on July 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Brian Miller granted a preliminary injunction to several major PBMs and affiliated entities, halting the law’s implementation pending final resolution of the case.
PBM Policy and Legislative Update — Spring 2025
June 10, 2025 | Blog | By Rachel A. Alexander, Theresa Carnegie, Tara E. Dwyer, Lauren Moldawer, Bridgette Keller, Pamela Polevoy, Madison Castle, David Gilboa, Xavier Hardy, Samantha Hawkins, Stephnie John, Alison H. Peters, Abdie Santiago, Hassan Shaikh, Sophia Temis, Payton Thornton
The PBM Policy and Legislative Update — Spring 2025 edition builds upon prior issues and summarizes activity from January through March (2025) that affects the PBM industry. It highlights federal activities, state activities, and other noteworthy events and trends affecting the PBM industry.
PBMs Sue Arkansas over Restrictive PBM Ownership Law
June 9, 2025 | Blog | By Theresa Carnegie, Hassan Shaikh, Samantha Hawkins, Mitchell Clough
On April 16, 2025, Arkansas enacted Act 624 (the Act), an unprecedented law prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies in the state. As we discussed in our May 2025 blog post, the law’s passage has already resulted in market disruptions, and PBMs with vertically integrated business models have cautioned that the law will limit patients’ access to drugs and cost many local jobs.
Now, two of the nation’s largest PBMs, CVS Health and Cigna’s Express Scripts (ESI), have filed federal lawsuits seeking to block implementation of the Act on the grounds that the Act is unconstitutional, preempted by federal law, and harmful to Arkansans.
Arkansas Law Takes Unprecedented Step to Prohibit PBM Ownership of Pharmacies
May 6, 2025 | Blog | By Theresa Carnegie, Hassan Shaikh, Samantha Hawkins
Arkansas Governor signed Act 624 on April 16, 2025, banning PBMs from acquiring or holding a direct or indirect interest in a pharmacy. This state-led move may inspire similar laws elsewhere.
Trump Administration Issues Drug Pricing Executive Order
April 30, 2025 | Blog | By Theresa Carnegie, Xavier Hardy, Samantha Hawkins, Abdie Santiago
On April 15, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to implement a variety of drug pricing reforms. The Executive Order addresses drug pricing from several different angles, including pharmacy benefit manager (“PBM”) competition and transparency, Medicare and Medicaid drug pricing, international importation, and drug manufacturer competition (the “Executive Order”).
The Executive Order, which is the first significant action taken by the current Administration to address drug prices, echoes initiatives and policy statements announced during the first Trump Administration. However, most of the drug pricing reforms announced during the first Administration were never fully implemented. It is unclear how many of the proposals in this Executive Order will ultimately be implemented, but it does provide the clearest outline yet of the Administration’s policy priorities regarding drug prices.
Mintz IRA Update — The Future of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program
February 13, 2025 | Article | By Samantha Hawkins, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about recent changes made by CMS to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program following the first round of negotiations, manufacturers’ reactions to CMS’s explanations about maximum fair prices, the drugs targeted for the second round of negotiations, and the implications of the Trump administration for the future of the program.
Mintz IRA Update — Fourth Edition: Q1 2025
February 13, 2025 | Article | By Rachel A. Alexander, Theresa Carnegie, Tara E. Dwyer, Lauren Moldawer, Hassan Shaikh, Stephnie John, Madison Castle, Mitchell Clough, Xavier Hardy, Samantha Hawkins, Alexander Hecht, Abdie Santiago
Mintz’s Pharmacy Benefits and PBM Contracting Practice is pleased to present the ‘Fourth Edition: Q1 2025’ of our Mintz IRA Update, a regular publication that delves into developments of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) and their impact on pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders.
podcasts
Health Law Diagnosed – New Year's Gratitude
February 3, 2025 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Alison H. Peters, Samantha Kingsbury, Theresa Carnegie, Joanne Hawana, Abdie Santiago, Stephnie John, Pamela Polevoy, Karen Lovitch, Jean D. Mancheno, Deborah Daccord, Rachel A. Alexander, Jane Haviland, David Gilboa, Kathryn Edgerton, Hassan Shaikh, Madison Castle, Laurence Freedman, Priyanka Amirneni, Samantha Hawkins, Tara E. Dwyer, Rachel Yount, Sophia Temis, Xavier Hardy
Host Of Counsel Bridgette Keller invites the Mintz Health Law team to reflect on what they’re grateful for as they prepare for the year ahead. Hear from a dynamic group of Members, Of Counsel, and Associates as they share their perspectives on what’s coming up over the horizon.
Recognition & Awards
Lawyers of Color: Hot List (2022)
National Black Lawyers: “Top 40 Under 40” for New York (2022)