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Robert W. Liles
Robert W. Liles has worked in regulatory compliance as a Federal prosecutor and as defense counsel, for more than 25 years. This has provided a unique perspective on the challenges faced by clients in highly regulated industries such as health care, banking and finance. Mr. Liles focuses his practice on fraud defense, internal audits, investigations, compliance and regulatory matters. He has represented both individuals and entities in administrative, civil and criminal proceedings.
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Mr. Liles first began working in hospital management after receiving both an M.B.A. and an M.S. in Health Care Administration. After graduating from law school, he was hired as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) where he primarily handled False Claims Act cases. He was later promoted to Chief, Financial Litigation Unit.
Shortly after the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Mr. Liles was asked to serve as our country’s first National Health Care Fraud Coordinator.He was detailed to Washington, DC and was later promoted to the position of Deputy Director, Legal Programs, for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). While at EOUSA, he advised Federal prosecutors around the country on civil and criminal fraud statutes, schemes, investigative tools, privacy concerns, and compliance issues. He was instrumental in writing and implementing DOJ guidance on the judicious use of the False Claims Act. Notably, while a Federal prosecutor, he was asked by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to travel overseas and train Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators on health care fraud and abuse issues. Mr. Liles also regularly taught OIG agents and investigators at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), on Jekyll Island.
Robert’s health care management education / background and his prior experience as a Federal prosecutor provide a real-world perspective when advising individuals and entities on enforcement and regulatory compliance issues.
Financial / Regulatory Matters Handled:
- Managed our team in an investigation and document production responding to a subpoena directed to a large, international bank, by the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).
- Managed our production team’s efforts in responding to a subpoena for documents by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that was directed to our client, a U.S. bank.
- Represented bank officer and defended his deposition by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
- Represented large international bank in a False Claims Act case.
Health Care Regulatory Matters Handled:
- Represented multiple health care providers in Medicare revocation cases where CMS had revoked the provider’s billing privileges.
- Represented licensed health care professionals in State Licensing Board proceedings.
- Represented multiple entities in connection with UPIC and ZPIC audits, and investigations by OIG.
- Worked with a variety of providers and suppliers to develop and implement an effective Compliance Plan. Conducted training for staff on statutory and regulatory requirements to be followed.
- Reviewed and challenged the validity of the statistical methodology used to extrapolate alleged damages in audit cases of Medicare, Medicaid and private payor medical, home health, DME and dental claims.
- Directed the internal audit of non-profit corporate operations, policies and procedures to better ensure statutory and regulatory compliance.
- Conducted internal investigation of alleged malfeasance of corporate employees. Provided recommendations for the implementation of safeguards to better prevent improper employee conduct.
- Worked with corporate clients to properly incorporate privacy provisions into the client’s overall effective compliance strategy.
- Provided assessment and advice to corporate clients on proposed business models, addressing both the prohibition against improper self-referrals, Federal and State Anti-Kickback Act concerns, and violations of False Claims Act provisions.
- Represented individuals and entities in ongoing litigation under the False Claims Act, addressing concerns raised by DOJ and State prosecutors.
- Managed large document productions on behalf of corporate clients in response to Grand Jury, DOJ and Federal agency subpoenas. Advised investors and investment companies with respect to health care sector issues and the possible impact of health care fraud enforcement activities.
- Served as Independent Review Organization (IRO) in connection with multiple Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs) between the OIG and Medicare providers.
Jennifer Papapanagiotou
Jennifer Papapanagiotou focuses her practice on transactional, corporate and regulatory matters for health care providers, including but not limited to: physicians and physician organizations, hospitals, laboratories, home health agencies, hospice providers, mental health professionals, and durable medical equipment companies. She also works extensively with health care management and billing companies. Her work focuses on the types of issues health care providers deal with every day….
Practice Concentration and Experience:
- Advising clients on day-to-day operational and compliance issues.
- Drafting contracts including medical directorships, employment agreements, management contracts, etc.
- Representing individuals and entities in the purchase and sale of health care provider businesses.
- Assisting new providers with initial corporate structuring and existing providers with restructuring.
- Advising providers and suppliers on governmental and private pay reimbursement questions.
- Conducting health care fraud and abuse analyses under Stark, the Anti-Kickback Statute, the False Claims Act and a variety of state statutes and regulations.
- Providing complex compliance guidance and reimbursement counsel for numerous clinical labs.
- Advising on compliance with Federal and State health care fraud and abuse laws, the Federal Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA), Medicare, Medicaid, private payer reimbursement policies, and general operations issues.
- Drafting contracts between labs and independent contractors, including lab directors, physician advisors, management entities and marketing companies.
- Representing health care clients being investigated by Federal criminal and civil law enforcement authorities.
- Litigating Medicare and Medicaid initial provider enrollment and revocation appeals.
- Preparing state licensing and private accreditation applications and assistance with responding to surveys.
- Defending of licensed professionals facing disciplinary action.
In addition to her work in transactional and regulatory matters, Ms. Papapanagiotou supplies substantive support for health care investigations and litigation. Her work has included representing hospitals, laboratories, skilled nursing facilities, physicians and others being investigated for potential violations of Federal criminal statutes, state health care laws and professional licensing requirements. Ms. Papapanagiotou also serves as a healthcare subject matter expert in the representation of clients being sued over alleged violations of contractual relationships.
David Parker
Business Transaction & Healthcare Practice:
David Parker practices in the business transaction and healthcare areas. His business practice includes overseeing all legal aspects of private debt and equity financings and the purchase and sale of businesses. He represents buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of business operations and entities. He has experience in originating, syndicating, closing, servicing, and working-out a broad range of private financings of operating businesses. Mr. Parker’s lending practice includes many forms of senior and junior debt, representing both capital providers and borrowers. His equity finance practice includes venture capital and similar early-stage transactions, and many forms of later stage equity capital formation. He also provides advice on general corporate matters. Mr. Parker also advises officers, directors and owners of businesses in control disputes and similar internal conflicts.
In the health law area, Mr. Parker represents providers in Medicare, Medicaid, and private payor administrative proceedings involving overpayment, revocation and other audit matters, and buyers and sellers in healthcare related transactions. He also gives advice on False Claims Act, Stark, and Anti-Kickback Statute issues.
From 1995 until 2006, Mr. Parker was a partner with Dickstein Shapiro LLP in Washington, DC, with a corporate transaction practice. From 1979 to 1995, Mr. Parker served as the principal in-house attorney for Allied Capital, a publicly traded Business Development Company headquartered in Washington, DC; he was its general counsel from 1985 until 1995. At Allied Capital, he handled his clients’ transaction work, including closings, servicing, and workouts of equity investments, mezzanine and senior loans, and managed both in-house and outside counsel engaged in corporate governance and regulatory matters.
Recent Matters Handled Include:
Financing
- Purchase and restructure of $64 Million of senior secured and subordinated debt and preferred stock financings for sponsored commercial aviation heavy maintenance and repair company headquartered in Miami. Representing in-coming lead lender.
- $54.5 Million syndicated senior and term B secured loan facility, and related preferred stock purchase, to finance sponsored buyout of privately-held printed circuit manufacturer in Colorado. Representing lender/equity investor.
- $46 Million senior secured debt financing for unsponsored international long-distance and VOIP provider with headquarters in the D.C. Metro area and operations in 7 foreign countries, in connection with confirmation of its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization. Representing lead lender.
- $37 Million senior and subordinated secured debt and preferred equity financing for unsponsored acquisition of 5 domestic Muzak franchises and control of Muzak Western Europe area franchisor.
- Representing lead lender/investor. $25 Million senior secured loan to finance acquisition of Los Angeles area AM radio station.
- Representing sole lender. $10 Million subordinated unsecured debt financing for sponsored importer and distributor of kitchenware headquartered near Seattle, in connection with refinancing of senior loan facility. Representing lead subordinated lender. $
- $9 Million first mortgage and participation feature financing for acquisition of retail real estate in Jacksonville, FL. Representing lender REIT.
Acquisitions & Sales
- $250 Million sale of unsponsored food packaging materials manufacturer in North Carolina to publicly-held strategic buyer. Representing lead investor in the target company.
- $35 Million acquisition of 125 rural cable and satellite television systems and franchises in 6 Midwestern states from Chapter 11 Debtor in Possession. Representing buyer and buyer’s capital provider.
- Merger of limited liability companies, partnerships and corporations owning and managing 137 broadcasting tower facilities in 4 states. Representing surviving entity and its REIT majority owner.
Michael Cook
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Michael Cook has more than 35 years of experience representing a wide variety of health care related clients in regulatory, compliance, coverage, reimbursement, policy, strategic planning, government relations, and business matters. This experience includes managing the health care practices in the Washington, DC offices of several large national law firms. Additionally, Michael began his career representing the Federal regulators of the Medicare and Medicaid programs as an attorney with the Office of General Counsel of the United States Department of Health and Human Services – often on significant matters of the highest profile and sensitivity, and during his tenure at the Department, as a Special United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He has extensive experience representing clients before the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and numerous State agencies.
Michael has represented clients in such areas as reimbursement and coverage counseling and disputes under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, audits, litigation, fraud and abuse counseling, investigations and compliance issues (including development of compliance programs), network development and managed care contracting for post acute entities, preparation of comments and negotiations on significant rulemaking actions, serving as regulatory counsel in complex and significant transactions and acquisitions, crisis management situations, survey and enforcement, licensing and certificate of need, quality improvement, patient care, and privacy issues, and a wide variety of other types of difficult regulatory, operational, and reimbursement matters. He has also supervised matters in a wide variety of other areas for health care related clients.
Michael has a significant familiarity with the health reform legislation and its implementation. He has advised candidates for public office on its progress and implementation and clients on the law, its implications, and strategic planning with the incentives under the law. Michael has also advised the campaigns of candidates for State and Federal office on a variety of other issues. Additionally, Mr. Cook served on the Long Term Care Work Group of the Health Reform Commission for a former Governor of Virginia, and on the Health Care Transition Teams for the current and a former Governor of Virginia.
Michael has been included in numerous editions of Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who in America. He has been selected by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News as one of the 100 most influential people in long-term care. He has also received the highest possible ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and AVVO.
Michael has been a guest lecturer at the American University School of Law, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, George Washington University School of Public Health, Shenandoah University, and the Administrative Law Review, and has served as adjunct faculty for an executive course at the Erickson School of Aging Studies of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Michael also served on the faculty for Aspen Systems, Inc., for a course on integrating long-term care into the hospital setting.
In addition, Michael has lectured extensively to a variety of industry groups, such as the American Health Lawyers Association, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, the Cavendish Global Health Care Initiative, the American Health Care Association, Leading Age, the National Subacute Care Association, Argentum, the American Hospital Association, the American College of Health Care Administrators, the American Medical Directors Association, the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care, and Morgan Stanley addressing topics such as:
- hospice
- coverage and payment for new technologies under the public programs
- the Affordable Care Act and its implementation, including delivery system reform
- opportunities for home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities under Alternative Payment Methodologies such as the Comprehensive Joint Replacement program
- internal investigations
- subacute care
- government audits and suspension
- RAC audits
- the Medicare Part D program
- managed care contracting for nursing facilities
- complying with the privacy rules and implementing HIPAA requirements to protect health information
- integrating post-acute services in the continuum of care
- contracts and other joint ventures between hospitals and long-term care companies
- integrated networks and managed care contracting for post-acute services
- institutional reimbursement disputes under the Medicaid program
- discrimination by payer source in access to long-term care services
- diversification for long-term care facilities
- survey and certification disputes
- fraud and abuse and corporate compliance programs
- the Nursing Home Reform provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987
- Medicare routine-cost limits
- regulatory issues for assisted living facilities
Michael has contributed articles on significant issues to leading medical industry trade publications. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Health and Life Science Law, a publication of the American Health Lawyers Association.
Representative Matters:
- Counsel to hospital on major issues of Medicaid audits similar to Medicare RAC audits
- Providing counsel to companies seeking Medicare coverage and reimbursement for new products
- Counsel to large home health agency on an audit by the Office of the Inspector General
- Advised skilled nursing facility company on the settlement of an investigation by the United States Department of Justice over therapy services
- Representing companies before the Office of Inspector General in the voluntary disclosure process
- Provide strategic advice for company with new technology and product on markets and opportunities in the market and with respect to delivery system reform
- Obtaining successful decision for home care company threatened with the loss of its license
- Successfully obtaining settlement to reverse decision terminating privileges for dentist under the Medicaid program
- Conducted internal investigation for health care company
- Successful resolution of Medicare dispute for LTACH
- Regulatory counsel for private equity group in $370 million acquisition of assisted living facilities
- Numerous Medicare reimbursement disputes and audits, including a recovery for a major publicly traded company that owns and operates CCRCs of in excess of $2 million in a Medicare payment dispute over home healthcare services, and settlements resulting in excess of $1-2 million for a variety of disputes under the Medicare routine cost limits for skilled nursing facilities.
- Special counsel for the acquirers of a chain of nursing facilities for over $1 billion.
- Obtained retroactive adjustment to the wage index for a group of hospitals through Medicare IPPS rulemaking press.
- Regulatory counsel in a $260 million acquisition of group homes and ICF/MRS located in numerous states.
- Regulatory counsel for $500 million acquisition of assisted and independent living properties.
- Counsel or special counsel to companies in investigations involving the provision of home health services, nursing facilities, and DSH funding.
- Negotiated exemption of transferred nursing facilities from corporate integrity agreement
- Assisted in the development of corporate compliance programs for two chains of nursing facilities.
- Assisted publicly traded company in the business of senior housing, CCRCs, and assisted living in complying with HIPAA privacy requirements.
- Counsel in numerous licensing, survey, and certification disputes and issues in numerous states and federal regions for nursing facilities, hospice programs, and assisted living facilities.
- Counsel in numerous Medicaid payment disputes and audits in a variety of states, including disputes under the former Boren Amendment.
- Successful legislative relief exempting county healthcare complex from classification as an institution for mental diseases.
- Represented skilled nursing facility in audit of therapy services by the Office of the Inspector General.
- Involved in the development of one of the first skilled nursing facilities in the country to deliver care to ventilator-dependent residents under the Medicaid program, including the development of special enhanced payment rates.
- Represented landlord, debtor and creditors committee, in various nursing-home and hospital bankruptcies.
Community Service & Affiliations:
Michael has served as a member of the Assisted Living Federation of America’s President’s Council and Legal Task Force and of the Products Committee for the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care. Michael has also served on a variety of task forces for trade associations, including the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Advisory Task Force on Long Term Care, the Professional Certification Committee of the American College of Health Care Administration, the Assisted Living Federation of America’s Managed Care and Public Policy Task Forces, and the Reimbursement Committees of the National Subacute Care Association and of the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care. Additionally, Michael served as a member of a task force of the American Health Care Association that monitored the degree to which states complied with requirements that they fund the costs that nursing facilities incurred in complying with nursing-home reform under Medicaid. Michael currently serves as a member the Executive Committee of the Advisory Board of the Center for Public Service and Scholarship at Shenandoah University, the Executive Committee of the Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia, the Advisory Board for the Political Science Department of Temple University, the Board of First Star (national charity that establishes and operates academics serving children in foster care), the Board of the Osteoporosis Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Taylor Run Citizens Association in Alexandria, Virginia, and has been appointed to the Board of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance which oversees Virginia’s Medicaid program by Governor McAuliffe.
Les Johnson
Les helps clients navigate the myriad of regulatory, compliance and business issues facing today’s health care providers and practitioners. Core areas of Les’s practice include handling Medicare & Medicaid appeals; Medicare and Medicaid participation and compliance….
PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE:
Les assists clients with operational and business issues involving hospital/medical staff relations, practitioner credentialing, health care contracting issues, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust hurdles, joint ventures, practice formation and restructuring, stark and Anti-kickback law compliance, state self-referral prohibitions and any other regulatory issues a client may face.
Les is a frequent presenter on regulatory compliance, fraud & abuse, and business issues facing health care providers and practitioners. He was named a Health Care Hero by New Orleans City Business Magazine, and was also recognized by the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center for his work to help open the Lower 9th Ward Health Clinic, a free clinic opened in early 2006 in New Orleans’ flood ravaged Lower 9th Ward neighborhood.
Andy C. Lynch
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Andy Lynch has more than 30 years experience as a transactional lawyer representing corporations and financial institutions in business and commercial matters. He has significant experience representing buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions and in representing issuers and investors in capital formation transactions. Andy has worked extensively in the telecommunications, internet, technology, real estate, health care and government contracting industries. Andy currently acts as outside general counsel for a number of clients and was previously the general counsel of a telecommunications company.
Representative Matters Handled Include:
- Representation of buyers and sellers in merger and acquisition transactions involving privately held and publicly traded corporations Representation of issuers and investors in public and private securities offerings.
- Representation of entrepreneurs, corporations and venture investors in preferred stock and venture capital investments.
- Representation of financial institutions, lenders and corporations in secured and unsecured financings.
- Representation of companies in commercial contract negotiations and general business and corporate matters.
Richard Pecore
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Richard Pecore is an experienced healthcare lawyer with a passion for defending healthcare providers and suppliers in UPIC Medicare and Medicaid audits. He has over 20 years of legal experience and has exclusively worked in the area of health care regulatory compliance for more than a decade. In addition to holding a law degree, Richard is also a “Certified Medical Compliance Officer.”
After completing his law degree, Richard worked for a number of years in the areas of OSHA compliance and mass torts. He has gained extensive experience representing healthcare providers in Medicare and Medicaid audits. He quickly developed a reputation for being a skilled and strategic advocate for his clients, and his success rate in these cases has been impressive.
Richard’s approach to representing his clients is centered around developing a deep understanding of their businesses and operations. He recognizes that healthcare providers are often unfairly targeted in audits, and works tirelessly to ensure that his clients are treated fairly and that their rights are protected.
Richard is a frequent speaker at healthcare industry events, where he shares his expertise on healthcare law and compliance issues. Overall, Richard is an accomplished and highly-respected health lawyer who has made a significant contribution to the healthcare industry. His expertise in defending healthcare providers in UPIC Medicare and Medicaid audits has been invaluable to his clients, and he continues to be a trusted advisor and advocate for healthcare providers across the country.
Ashley Morgan
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Ashley Morgan focuses her practice on regulatory health care compliance matters, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement issues. Ms. Morgan represents health care providers across the country in connection with a wide variety of health law issues including coverage disputes, documentation concerns, compliance, medical board complaints, and exclusion / termination issues. She has worked with an assortment of providers including dentists, home health companies, hospice agencies, pain management practices, primary care and specialty physicians, mental health professionals, physical therapists, and licensed acupuncturists.
Ms. Morgan is one of only a small percentage of health lawyers who has also trained and passed the certification examination requirements to become designated as a “Certified Professional Coder.” On the billing side, she has also obtained her certification as a “Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist.” These skill sets have been invaluable when conducting GAP Analyses of a provider’s medical record documentation in order to determine whether the claims meet applicable Medicare, Medicare or private payor coverage and payment requirements. Ms. Morgan has handled claims disputes with major payors including Medicare, Medicaid, various BlueCross BlueShield entities, and UnitedHealthcare. She has extensive experience working on administrative appeals of large alleged extrapolated overpayments assessed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) program integrity contractors — primarily Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs). She also represents health care providers and suppliers in connection with Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) audits, Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC) reviews and Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) “Targeted Probe and Educate” (TPE) reviews. Finally, Ms. Morgan has extensive experience representing our health care clients in connection with private payor audits and investigations by private payor SIUs.
In addition to her considerable experience handling government and private payor claims audits, Ms. Morgan also has successfully defended numerous licensed providers in connection with complaints and disciplinary proceedings brought against our clients by State Medical Boards, State Nursing Boards and other State Licensing Authorities. Ms. Morgan also has extensive experience representing providers in connection with state and federal fraud investigations.
In addition to her other certifications, Ashley Morgan is also a “Certified Medical Compliance Officer” and helps clients implement effective compliance programs and provides counsel on mandatory state and industry-specific policies and procedures. In this capacity, Ashley provides both remote and onsite reviews to review regulatory, OSHA and HIPAA compliance audits.
Heidi Kocher
Practice Concentration and Experience
Heidi Kocher has more than 20 years of experience in health care legal and compliance related issues. Her experience includes positions at a large hospital corporation, serving as a compliance officer for a sleep lab / Durable Medical Equipment (DME) company and a compliance director, chief privacy officer and interim chief compliance officer at a medical device manufacturer. In addition, Ms. Kocher has represented and advised critical access and long-term care hospitals, physician groups, home health agencies, DME companies, pharmacies (including compounding pharmacies), non-profit organizations, and licensed individuals. As a result, she understands the complexities and challenges that providers large and small face in complying with increasingly varied and complex laws.
Ms. Kocher is an expert in all aspects of compliance and privacy programs, including developing and deploying policies, procedures and training. Her experience includes implementing the various requirements and aspects of a Corporate Integrity Agreement, responding to and defending audits from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers up through the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) level, guiding clients through voluntary self-disclosures, seeking advisory opinions from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and defending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) audits. Ms. Kocher developed criteria for and implemented an aggregate spend system, permitting a medical device manufacturer to timely report correct information under the Physician Open Payments Acts (also known as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act). In addition, she is experienced in developing and implementing a compliance program to address Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) requirements, including Eucomed guidelines. Ms. Kocher also has significant reimbursement experience, addressing coverage policy issues, challenging denials, recoupments, and loss of billing privileges, obtaining HCPCS codes, and other reimbursement related issues.
In an acknowledgement of her experience, Ms. Kocher was recently appointed a lecturer in the University of Texas at Dallas’ Bioengineering Department graduate program. Her course helps bioengineering and medical device entrepreneurs identify and navigate risks in commercializing and marketing new and innovative products. Additionally, Ms. Kocher is a highly-sought national speaker on compliance and regulatory issues.
Ms. Kocher speaks fluent Spanish and German, and conversational French.
Specialty Areas Handled by Heidi Kocher:
- Fraud, Waste and Abuse Guidance
- Stark Laws
- False Act Act
- Federal Anti-kickback Statute
- Home Health and Hospice Regulatory Issues
- Medicare Reimbursement Issues
- AdvaMed Industry Guidance
- HIPAA and State Privacy Statutes
- Corporate Integrity Agreements ( CIAs)
- Compliance Program Training
- Compliance Issue Resolution
- Government Investigations
- Government Audits
- Government and Private Payor Claims Appeals
- Medicare ALJ Hearings
- Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) Issues
- Eucomed Compliance
Leonard Schneider
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Mr. Schneider’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. He has also been selected to serve as City Attorney for a number of cities and municipalities. In this capacity, he has performed a wide range of legal services, ranging from contract drafting and administration to affirmative civil litigation on behalf of his municipal clients. Mr. Schneider has extensive experience ensuring that applicable statutory and regulatory requirements are met by municipalities. Mr. Schneider has expanded his practice to also include a wide variety of health law matters and cases.
Mr. Schneider also served as the Assistant District Attorney for Galveston County in Texas. In this role, he prosecuted both felony and misdemeanor criminal cases and honed his litigation skills with significant time before a judge and jury. While he seldom prosecutes criminal cases in his current role, his experience in this field has afforded him a strong skill set in working with criminal law. Mr. Schneider is also responsible for litigation brought by or against the cities he represents, often managing teams of attorneys brought in specifically for each case. In this way, he keeps his litigation skills fresh. His criminal and civil litigation trial experience allows him to give practical and timely advice to clients in civil matters, including business litigation, contracts, breach of contracts, collections, elections, and economic development.
Recent Matters Handled Include:
- Successfully pursued commercial litigation on behalf of a well-known Texas city, resulting in both a significant recovery for the city and an award of attorney’s fees.
- Successfully defended city in inverse condemnation case brought by private property owner.
- Negotiated and guided client in sale of natural gas system.
- Obtained summary judgment against Plaintiff for corporation on breach of contract case regarding letter of intent to purchase real property.
- Assisted clients in employment matters including managing outside attorneys to defend wrongful termination claims.
- Assisted corporations in collections of outstanding receivables.
John Pierce
Practice Concentration and Experience
John Pierce in an experienced former Federal prosecutor and trial attorney whose practice focuses on sophisticated criminal defense and civil litigation. His background is rather unique. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Pierce served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California, the District of Columbia and in the Eastern District of Virginia. While working as a Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, he represented the office on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) for Health Care Fraud. Since leaving the government, Mr. Pierce has successfully represented both foreign and domestic individuals and corporations in health care, commercial securities, corruption, export control and tax disputes. He has also handled a number of whistleblower cases.
After leaving the government in 2000, John Pierce worked at a large Washington, DC based firm known for its vigorous prosecutions of antitrust claims, and other complex litigation. He prosecuted antitrust claims worth $1 billion, defended corporate clients in commercial litigation, and conducted internal investigations. Mr. Pierce opened his own practice in 2003 and founded Themis in 2010. Prior to formally joining our firm, Mr. Pierce worked on a significant number of health care fraud cases with Liles Parker attorneys.
If you are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) or one of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams that have been established, give John Pierce a call. He can help protect your business, your reputation and, most importantly, your personal liberty.
Financial / Regulatory Matters Handled by John Pierce:
- Defended an attorney investigated by U.S. government for investment fraud.
- Defended an Iranian-American businessmen investigated by U.S. government for criminal violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
- Defended both U.S. and foreign financial experts investigated by the SEC.
- Defended a U.S. company and its officers investigated for money laundering.
- Defended a CEO investigated for securities fraud by a state securities regulator.
Robert Saltaformaggio
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Robert Saltaformaggio is an Senior Counsel at a law firm. He focuses on regulatory healthcare compliance matters, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement issues. Robert represents clients nationwide. He has experience in assessing client records for documentation compliance in private payor and CMS audit preparation as well as identifying and improving documentation deficiencies.
Robert helped lead Amazon.com’s compliance efforts for its state and local political engagement program. Robert also previously served as an Attorney Advisor with the US Department of Commerce’s Ethics Law and Programs Division. This time included a detail as an Ethics Attorney in the White House Counsel’s Office.
Meaghan (McCormick)
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Meaghan (McCormick) DeBenedetto is an Associate Attorney at a law firm where she concentrates her practice in the area of health care regulatory compliance. Meaghan has experience with auditing claims, identifying deficiencies, and assisting clients in improving their documentation. She also assists providers with creating and implementing effective compliance plans. Meaghan has assisted Dentists, DME providers, community mental health centers, hospices, and home health agencies across the country.
Regina G. Morano
PRACTICE CONCENTRATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Regina G. Morano, J.D., CHC is a healthcare regulatory attorney and compliance executive with more than two decades of experience in both the private and public sectors. Ms. Morano began her healthcare career as a Jesuit Volunteer and founding staff member of Baltimore’s Health Care for the Homeless Program, and has served in key legal and compliance positions with leading healthcare and regulatory organizations.
As a regulatory Special Counsel and Ethics Officer during the administration of then- New York Governor George Pataki, Ms. Morano provided legal and legislative counsel to the chairman of the New York State Workers Compensation Board, and drafted key legislation and regulations for the protection of injured workers. Ms. Morano has also recently served as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for University of Maryland Faculty Physicians; Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for the nation’s leading interventional pain physician group, and previously as Vice President & General Counsel for UR Medicine-Thompson Health in New York. Earlier in her career she was also Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer for the nation’s premier medication monitoring laboratory, and served as lead regulatory and compliance counsel for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, New York’s largest not-for-profit health plan.
Among the honors Ms. Morano has received in her career, she was appointed by then-New York Governor George Pataki to the Governor’s Council on Women’s Issues; and was honored by her peers in the legal community as one of the New York Daily Record’s Top 10 in-house counsels in 2011.
Ms. Morano focuses her practice on regulatory compliance matters involving hospitals, physician practices, laboratory and interventional pain providers, workers compensation regulations, and strategic implementation of corporate integrity agreements for healthcare providers who have been subject to government enforcement. She has been certified in healthcare compliance since 2007.
Charles E. Abney
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Charles E. Abney, J.D., M.D. serves as a Counsel at a law firm. Dr. Abney’s background is rather unique. While continuing to manage a highly respected medical group, he entered law school and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2005. Since graduating from law school, Dr. Abney has continued to practice in both worlds. Dr. Abney’s perspective on Medicare, Medicaid and private payor audits in both practical and effective. Dr. Abney’s expertise can be invaluable when representing physicians and physician groups in government audits and investigations.
Areas where Dr. Abney currently focuses his legal practice include:
- Assisting physicians and medical practices in addressing ADRs and prepayment review actions by UPICs and MACs.
- Working with physicians and other members of the Liles Parker to defend a practice in a postpayment audit of physician services and DME claims.
- Developing and implementing effective Compliance Programs for physician practices and clinics.
- Representing physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in connection with State Licensure Board.
Gunnar T. Jurgensen
Gunnar attended Binghamton University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and obtained a BA, magna cum laude, in political science. Gunnar pursued his law degree at William & Mary Law School where he developed a passion for health law and policy. As a student at William & Mary Law School, Gunnar participated in the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic where he represented veterans in coverage disputes with the VA. Gunnar served as an Articles Editor for the William & Mary Business Law Review, and his student note was selected as an alternate for publication. Gunnar served as a Student Admissions Ambassador after the Office of Law School Admissions selected him for the position in both his second and third year of law school. He also held various positions in other student organizations.
In May 2022, Gunnar graduated from William & Mary Law School and went on to pass the Tennessee Bar Exam. He is pending admission to the DC bar. Gunnar further distinguished himself as a Certified Medical Compliance Officer and a Certified Professional Coder after passing both accreditation exams.
Gunnar focuses on regulatory healthcare compliance matters, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement issues. He represents clients nationwide and practices out of the Washington, DC office. He has experience assessing client records for documentation compliance in private payor and CMS audit preparation, in addition to identifying and improving documentation deficiencies. Gunnar also helps providers navigate the administrative claims and exclusion/ suspension appeals processes.
Christin Thompson
Practice Concentration and Experience:
Christin Thompson is an Associate at a law firm. She focuses on healthcare compliance and reimbursement issues. Christin represents clients nationwide and practices out of the California office. She has experience in assessing client records for documentation compliance in private payor and CMS audit preparation as well as identifying and improving documentation deficiencies. Christin is also a medical coder certified in inpatient, outpatient, and risk adjustment claims.
John R. Minarcik, MD
Born in 1947, John R. Minarcik, MD’s early life in Chicago saw him relocate to West 18th Place at age 3. His father worked at Automatic Electric, his mother nurtured the family. Fond memories of school, friends, and family interweave into his narrative. High school at Quigley and Palatine led to Loyola College, where his marriage to Barbara in 1972 coincided. Medical school at UIC posed challenges, Dr. Swerdlow’s mentorship proved pivotal. Dual residencies at Northwestern and Michael Reese Hospitals ushered in achievements amid conflicts. Amidst 13 job offers, clashes included, John thrived.
Personal growth is a recurring motif, from reserved student to college enthusiast. Mentors like Dr. Swerdlow and Dr. Pinsky steered his medical trajectory. Steadfast support from Barbara, and son Johnny’s arrival in 1974, framed a life balanced between Yamaha commutes and moonlighting. Michael Reese’s conclusion birthed job opportunities in adversity’s embrace. Challenges, conflicts, and achievements fortified his medical path.
At 30, a detour. Concluding residencies yielded 13 offers, enlightened by guiding light Bob Smith. Moonlighting, carried from residency, at hospitals like Alexian Brothers and West Suburban sustained them. A Washington DC offer pivoted to four transformative Maryland years, marked by highs, deceitful betrayals, and business lessons. Amidst personal lab ownership and deceitful administrators, resilience shone.
Fort Lauderdale exuded fun, melding exhilaration and humbling moments. Holy Cross Hospital beckoned in 1983, unveiling partnership disparities. Fort Lauderdale friendships, like enigmatic Dr. Roger Haugen and Dr. John Fichtelman, enriched his perspective. As 40 dawned, St. Petersburg embraced him. Pathology prominence amidst camaraderie kindled family joys and MRI fascination.
Enduring a journey of resilience, wisdom, and growth, Minarcik’s life weaves tapestries of medical insights, personal trials, and cherished bonds.
1990-2002, Ft. Pierce. A cautionary chapter unveiled, daughter Julia’s birth, conflicts with administrators at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center, battles against Medicare fraud accusations etched by mentors and colleagues. Amidst struggles, pets’ companionship, and unity among medical staff, administrators cast a shadow.
Transitioning to Skokie, 2002-2015, unveiled legal battles, focus on teaching, grandbaby joys, and evolving relationships. Lake Bluff, 2006-2017, marked healing and teaching pursuits, instilling appreciation for online education and forging significant connections.
Gurnee’s final chapter, a fleeting three years, radiated transformative serenity. Matt Stanton’s guidance led to teaching avenues, burgeoning advocacy, and connections with stalwarts like Dr. Rudd. Pandemic rays rekindled hope. Culmination reverberated, legacy boundless, nurturing roots and aspiring branches.
Dr. James McGuire
Dr. James McGuire is the director of the Leonard S. Abrams Center for Advanced Wound Healing and a Professor Clinician Scholar in the Departments of Podiatric Medicine and Biomechanics at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. His undergraduate degree is from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA (1974) and his Physical Therapy Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. (1975) He practiced physical therapy in Philadelphia until 1977 when he entered Podiatric medical school.
His DPM degree (1981) is from the former Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine, now part of Temple University. He completed a residency in podiatric surgery in the Maryland Podiatry Residency Program in Baltimore, MD and began private practice in Rutland, Vermont from 1982-1992.
Dr. McGuire left private practice to become a member of the Temple University faculty in 1992. Dr. McGuire is a board-certified podiatrist and wound care specialist. He has more than 40 years of experience in biomechanics and wound management, has published extensively, and has participated in several research trials involving the diabetic foot and wound healing. Dr. McGuire has lectured both nationally and internationally in the areas of wound healing, diabetic foot management, off-loading, and biomechanics of the at-risk foot.
A fellow and founding member of the American Professional Wound Care Association, and the Academy for Physicians in Wound Healing, he also serves on the board of the Council for Medical Education and Testing. Dr. McGuire is also a licensed physical therapist and pedorthist, and is certified in wound care by the Council for Medical Education and Testing. He is also board certified by both the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. He serves as the Clinical Editor for Wounds medical journal.
Edward P. Southern, MD, MBA
Edward P. Southern, MD, MBA received his Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, where he also completed his internship in general surgery. Dr. Southern was awarded a research fellowship in biomechanics at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Yale University in New Haven CT, followed by an additional general surgery PGY2 residency at Yale, and then a residency in orthopaedic surgery also at Yale.
After orthopaedic residency training, he performed a clinical fellowship in spinal deformity surgery at Rush University in Chicago and a second clinical fellowship in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at the University of California Los Angeles and Orthopaedic Hospital Los Angeles. During his military career, he completed the United States Army Trauma Training Course at the University of Miami, FL, and then served two active duty tours overseas with the US Army. He has practice in variety of military, private practice, academic and international health care systems. From 2013 to 2018, Doctor Southern lived and worked in Shanghai and Guangzhou, China doing missionary work and working for a large private healthcare organization based in Singapore with hospitals and clinics throughout China. During his tenure of employment in China, he earned his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with an additional certificate in business from Jiaotong University in Shanghai.
In 2018, Doctor Southern and his family returned to the United States from Shangha when the took over a position as a civilian orthopedic spine surgeon for the Department of Defense at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. This was followed by an appointment as an associate professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston for two years. Since 2021, he returned to work for the Department of Defense as a civilian orthopedic surgeon and is stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
His research interests have included spinal deformity, minimally invasive non-fusion spine surgery in trauma and deformity, operative treatment of kyphosis, deformities in spinal osteomyelitis, complex spinal surgery, infections and tumors of the spine, improving treatment regimens for musculoskeletal tumors of the spine and minimizing complications in spinal surgery.
Dr. Southern is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a member of numerous other professional organizations, including the Scoliosis Research Society, the University Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is licensed to practice medicine in Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, Michigan, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Minnesota.
Richard A "Red" Lawhern PhD
Richard A. “Red” Lawhern PhD, has had three careers. He completed 21 years’ active duty as a Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, with extensive publications in the classified literature, in the evaluation of advanced technology and policy studies in US National military intelligence; he then served 22 years in Defense Aerospace as a project engineer, technology analyst, and Chief Systems Engineer. Overlapping his second career, he became a volunteer patient advocate for people in pain and then a subject matter expert on US, Canadian, and European Community public policy for regulation of prescription opioid analgesic pain relievers and clinicians who employ them in managing chronic (long-term) patients.
Dr Lawhern has 26 years’ hands-on experience as a creator or moderator for multiple peer-to-peer patient support groups in social media, involving tens of thousands of patient interactions. He began this work as webmaster and a member of the Board of the US Trigeminal Neuralgia Association. He has since authored or co-authored over 200 papers, articles and interviews in a mixture of peer-reviewed medical journals and mass media. These include The Journal of Medicine of the US College of Physicians, Frontiers in Pain Research, Pain Management – Future Medicine, Pain Medicine News, Pain News Network, and KevinMD, a widely read subsidiary publicatoin of MedPage Today. He sits as an invited patient advocate on two editorial boards: The Journal of Practical Pain Management, and The American Council on Science and Health.
The focus of Dr Lawhern’s recent published work has been on correcting significant errors and misdirected public policy in opioid prescribing guidelines issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Veterans Administration, and Department of Defense.
Andrew Nathan Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN
Andrew Nathan Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN, is a board-certified internist, board-certified neurologist and fellowship-trained epilepsy specialist. After graduating from Yale University, he studied medicine at the Faculte Catholique in Lille, France for two years. Dr. Wilner graduated from the Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University, Providence, RI, in 1981.
In 1982, Dr. Wilner discovered that locum tenens was the perfect solution to achieve work/life balance as a physician and writer. He subsequently practiced locum tenens in outpatient, inpatient, academic and community settings.
Dr. Wilner is a prolific medical journalist and has written hundreds of articles for Medscape.com and other medical news outlets. He is author of four books, including “Bullets and Brains” and “The Locum Life: A Physician’s Guide to Locum Tenens.” He hosts the biweekly podcast “The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner” and the YouTube channel “Underwater with Dr. Andrew.” He also hosts podcasts on ReachMD and RadioMD.
Dr. Wilner is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Division Director of Neurology at Regional One Health, Memphis, TN. He is the medical director of Lingkod Timog, a nonprofit group that performs medical missions in the Philippines. On a typical day, Dr. Wilner cares for patients, teaches, writes, and lives with his wife and son.
Dr. Joseph Parker
Dr. Joseph Parker was born in Great Bend, Kansas and spent most of his childhood on a farm in rural Arkansas. He joined the US Marine Corps immediately after high school and served with the 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade earning a good conduct medal and meritorious unit citation. While on active duty he completed an associate degree in business management from Chaminade University in Honolulu, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Roosevelt University out of Chicago. He then worked in the Hawaii State Sheriff’s Department Civil Division while applying to US Air Force Officer’s Training School. He was accepted into OTS and earned the General James Award of Merit and was sent to Vandenberg AFB for training as an ICBM Commander.
He graduated from that training and served with the Strategic Air Command and later US Space Command, being awarded an Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and a Presidential Unit Citation. He was then accepted in the Mayo Clinic Medical School where he graduated with honors in neuroscience. He has since practiced general and emergency medicine and has been the director of several pain management and addiction clinics. He went on to accomplish a master’s degree in science and is currently in a graduate program in addiction studies and works as a medical and science journalist and researcher, creating content that educates scientists, physicians, medical staff, and patients, about the realities and dangers of pain management and addiction, including addiction and diversion avoidance.
Jonelle Elgaway
Leah Houston M.D.
I’m an Emergency Physician and the Product Founder at HPEC where we empower physicians through decentralized identity by automating the credentialing and identity management process so they can work and move freely.
Healthcare is the fastest growing sector in the US with over 20M employees, yet systems face excessive turnover due to dissatisfaction. With HPEC the physician is in control of their digitized and automatically verified credentials that allow them to onboard to systems or open and collaborate with colleagues to build their own individual private practices without the friction of currently available legacy driven credentialing systems.
As a company we have two interoperable products:
1.) HPEC is the physician-facing mobile application that serves as a decentralized identity and credential wallet as well as a digital guild for the physician community. Physicians are the credential holders and the creators of authentic healthcare data and this allows them to own and control their professional identity and data. Physicians can also advocate, communicate and govern themselves in the in app social and governance space. They can also connect and collaborate with other verified and credentialed physicians to build their own independent physician referral networks in order to get their patients the best care.
2.) Evercred is the institution facing credential issuing and data management software used by credential issuers and verifiers. Evercred issues practicing physicians their digital credentials creating perpetual and automated permanent primary source credential verification in a secure-trusted, and decentralized way. The Evercred system automates employment and workforce mobility for practicing physicians and provides a foundational framework for the trusted authentic healthcare data ecosystems of the future.
Previously I practiced as an Emergency Physician across the US for ~10 years. Observing how poorly our system runs, afforded me a deep understanding of the problems in our systeem, the barriers we face to correction, and the need for a decentralized solution. I am a nationally requested speaker and author on the topic of self-sovereign identity in healthcare, and have training in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare through MIT.
We are ready to automate and unload the most friction filled administrative processes to unburden physicians and get them back to doing only what they were meant to do: provide the best direct and personalized patient care!
Gregory R. Piche
Opened a virtual health care practice firm on January 1, 2010. Practiced healthcare law at Holland & Hart and a tributary firm since 1973. Served as leader of the firm’s health care practice group for more than 20 years. Holland & Hart is a 450 attorney law firm with 15 offices across the Mountain West.
Managed a wide variety of healthcare legal representation in both counseling and litigation for and on behalf of hospitals, physicians, physician networks, limited license providers, nursing homes, durable medical equipment providers, home health agencies, healthcare service providers and managed care companies.
Representation includes compliance counseling for HIPAA, Stark law, Anti-kickback Statute, CMP and “fraud and abuse” defense, healthcare criminal defense, joint ventures, anti-trust, professional license disputes, provider fair hearings, state and federal administrative appeals, provider-hospital disputes, business torts, management services contracts, employment contracts and managed care service contracts
Founder of Holland & Hart health care practice representing hospitals, professionals, and health care related firms in counseling, business transactions, regulatory compliance and litigation.
Developed multi-state, regional practice in health care law.
Obtained compliance from the U.S. Department of labor for health care benefits due to cancer ridden former nuclear energy workers.
Overturned exclusion of health care agency banned from participation in Medicare by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Developed antitrust, HIPAA and fraud and abuse compliance programs for hospital systems and hospitals in various states.
Served as outside general counsel for large Catholic hospital system.
Served as special counsel to board of trustees of a university hospital.
Nominated twice to the Colorado Court of Appeals by the Colorado Supreme Court nominating committee.
Chaired Litigation Section of the Colorado Bar Association. Developed innovative, award winning, health care law blog with large internet presence and international following (see blog web address below
Serving as only lawyer member of the University of Colorado School Of Business Program in Hospital and Healthcare Administration.
Active in dispute and conflict resolution reform in state and federal practice.
Frequent speaker at national and regional health care events and programs on topics such as health care reform, clinical integration, the uses of brain scans in litigation and the legal status of TPA in the treatment of ischemic stroke victims.
As chairman of the Colorado Bar Association’s Jury Reform Committee, introduced the “one day/one trial” jury service system to Colorado and co-authored the jury orientation audiovisual program shown daily in state courts throughout Colorado. The “one day/one trial” system in Colorado substantially reduced jury service time.
Author, THE TRIALS OF HENRY FORD AND HIS PURSUIT OF THE DARK FRUIT OF NACISSISM. (To be published by Open-Books Press) (2019)
Chapter author, Successful Strategies for Dealing with Government Agencies in Health Care Law: Leading Lawyers on interacting With State and Federal Agencies, Understanding Potential Legal Issues, and Navigating an Ever-Changing Regulatory Environment. Aspatore Books (June, 2007) ISBN: 9781596227958.
Faculty chairman, co-author and editor of The Federal Rules of Evidence Self Assessment Program, and of an ongoing experiment in participatory continuing legal education cosponsored by Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. and Professional Evaluation and Publication Services, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Publications include “New Advocacy in Mental Health Representation,” The Colorado Lawyer, 1977; “Medical Confidentiality – An Overview,” Rocky Mountain Medical Journal, July/August 1979; “Dodging the Bullet – Avoiding Conspiracy Claims in Professional Staff Disputes,” Hospitals and Health Services Administration, Winter, 1988; “Confidentiality of Medical Records,” Lorman Business Center, Inc., 1988.
Pro Bono:
Represented three convicted death row inmates in Texas and Oklahoma in appellate and post conviction hearings, where fair process had been denied.
Challenged constitutionality of state exclusion of legal aliens from state Medicaid coverage and obtained stay of exclusion for seriously ill patients.