A headshot of Gabriela Sanchez.

Gabriela Sanchez

Partner
Portland

As Co-Leader of the Senior Living and Long-Term Care Group, Gabi Sanchez has devoted her career to understanding the challenges faced by long-term care, senior housing, and home health and hospice providers. Gabi takes great pride in offering an integrated suite of services to her clients, providing compliance, regulatory, and risk management advice.  

Gabi's clients benefit from her no-nonsense, pragmatic approach to the often-complex senior housing and long-term care industry. She is passionate and committed to helping long-term care clients avoid, mitigate, and solve problems.

Experience 

Representative Matters

Multinational Senior Living, Health Care, and Residential Community Provider
Provide general counsel services to a large national senior living, health care and residential community provider.

Single-Facility Provider
Counsel client on business, regulatory, and resident matters.

National Owner and Operator of Senior Living Communities
Assisted a long-term care provider in successfully resolving a complex case involving license revocation and replacement of management companies. The matter involved defending the client in an Oregon Department of Justice Uniform Trade Practices Act investigation, resolving related elder abuse litigation, and sale of facilities.

Independent Health Care Providers
Drafted admission documents for all types of providers, including adult foster homes, assisted living, residential care, and skilled nursing facilities.

Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, Home Health, Hospice, and Home Care Service Providers
Successfully represented multiple providers in complex resident transfer cases involving resident behavioral and/or payment issues.

National Senior Living Health Care Provider
Recovered millions of dollars owed to providers from residents, Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial and government related insurance companies. Single-Facility Providers Provide effective risk management strategies involving contentious resident issues.

Professional Highlights

Professional Activities

LeadingAge Legal Committee, 2020-present; Chair, 2024

American Health Lawyers Association, Post-Acute and Long Term Services Practice Group, Chair, 2022-2024); Post-Acute and Long Term Services Practice Group, Vice-Chair, 2017-2022; Post-Acute and Long Term Services Practice Group Leadership Development Program, 2016-present

Washington Health Care Association

Oregon State Bar Association, Health Law Section; Debtor/Creditor Section, 2003-2012

Oregon Hispanic Bar Association, Co-Chair, Board of Directors, Board Member, 2019-2020

Washington State Bar Association, Health Law Section

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Best Lawyers in America, Elder Law, 2025

Thomson Reuters, "Oregon Super Lawyer," Health Care, 2021-2024

Thomson Reuters, "Oregon Rising Star," Health Care, 2012-2014

Speaking Engagements

"Hot Legal Issues for Senior Living," Oregon Health Care Association, May 23, 2024

"Hot Legal Issues and Updates for Senior Living and Care," LeadingAge Oregon, May 16, 2024

"Nightmare on Survey Street: Strategies to Manage the CBC Survey and Enforcement Process, LeadingAge Oregon, October 19, 2023

"10 Things You Hate About the SNF Survey Process and What you Can Do About It," LeadingAge Oregon, October 19, 2023

"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out: Use of Psychedelics in Senior Living and Care," LeadingAge Washington, June 13, 2023

"Hot Legal Issues and Updates for Senior Living and Long Term Organizations, Providers, and Employers," LeadingAge Oregon, May 10, 2023

Board Memberships & Community Service

Vital Life Foundation, Board Member, 2020-present

Oregon Health Care Association, Board Member, 2017-present

Touchmark Foundation, Board Member, 2016-present

Mary's Woods, Board Member, 2016-2018

American Cancer Society, Committee Co-Chair, Portland Hope Ball, 2010-2014

Iron Ridge Homeowner's Association, Secretary

Loaves and Fishes Meals on Wheels, Volunteer, 2011-2014

Credentials 

Education

University of Oregon School of Law (J.D.)

The University of Texas at El Paso
M.S. Candidate
Biological Sciences
BEST Graduate Fellow (1999-2000)

The University of Texas at El Paso (B.S.)

Languages

Spanish - Fluent

Admissions

Oregon

Washington

U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit