South Texas Spinal Clinic Sued Surgery Partners
The San Antonio clinic alleges that a potential buyer stole trade secrets to launch a rival practice.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Healthcare
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South Texas Spinal Clinic filed a lawsuit in the Texas Business Court seeking over $5 million in damages. The clinic claims Surgery Partners used confidential acquisition data to recruit physicians and form a competing group.
Why it matters
The case centers on allegations that Surgery Partners exploited information shared during failed merger talks to identify and poach the clinic's highest-producing medical staff.
Surgery Partners maintains a $1.9 billion market value and operates over 300 locations across 30 states. The defendant reported $3.3 billion in annual revenue and $99 million in net income last year.
The players
South Texas Spinal Clinic
A medical facility that has operated for 40 years in San Antonio.
Surgery Partners
A Tennessee-based healthcare company that manages more than 300 surgical facilities.
Dr. Antonio Webb
A physician who departed the South Texas Spinal Clinic to join a competing practice.
The details
South Texas Spinal Clinic asserts that Surgery Partners utilized sensitive financial and productivity data provided under a 2024 nondisclosure agreement to build the South Texas Surgical & Specialty Group. The lawsuit follows the departure of four key physicians who left the clinic between April and May 2026.
Timeline
November 5, 2024: The parties signed a formal nondisclosure agreement.
December 2025: Surgery Partners terminated all acquisition negotiations.
March 2026: Surgery Partners registered the competing practice name.
April 17, 2026: Dr. Joel Edionwe departed from the clinic.
May 31, 2026: Dr. Antonio Webb, Dr. Dianne Lou, and Dr. Diane McShane left the clinic.
Market Landscape
This litigation highlights the high stakes of consolidation in the specialized surgery sector as larger networks aggressively compete for market share. It reflects broader industry trends where acquisition negotiations often involve deep access to proprietary data, creating significant legal risks when deals collapse.
Patients may experience shifts in care availability or provider accessibility as medical practices undergo transitions involving staff departures and legal disputes. Clients should monitor local service listings to determine if their primary physician remains at their original clinic location.
The takeaway
Healthcare providers should ensure that nondisclosure agreements contain strict enforcement clauses regarding the solicitation of personnel during failed M&A talks. Robust governance of proprietary productivity and patient metrics is essential for firms engaging in high-level acquisition discussions.
Further reading
For broader trends in medical practice management, read more in Healthcare.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Antonio Express-News.
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Should companies be trusted with proprietary data during confidential acquisition negotiations?
