We Defend Doctors

When the government comes knocking, it is crucial that you have experienced legal counsel who understands healthcare. For well over a decade, we have defended physicians and physician practices in connection with government investigations, including False Claims Act (FCA) qui tam whistleblower lawsuits, criminal investigations, and administrative investigations by agencies including the DOJ, HHS-OIG, CMS, and the DEA. 

Headed by a former federal healthcare fraud prosecutor, our team of healthcare attorneys and consultants brings years of experience to bear in order to strategically, and where necessary aggressively, defend our physician clients. 

Responding to payor audits and overpayment demands—whether from Medicare, Medicaid, or a private insurer—can be stressful and, if handled improperly, costly. Thankfully, physicians have the right to challenge these overpayment demands. However, appealing an overpayment demand can be complicated and time-consuming, with various rules and deadlines that must be strictly followed. 

We have handled hundreds of Medicare audits and overpayment appeals, and know the the ins and outs of the appeal process. In addition to our healthcare attorneys and staff, we also regularly collaborate with a team of consultants—including medical experts, billing and coding specialists, and statisticians—ensuring we can address any issue that may arise.

The typical physician maintains numerous licenses and credentials and may occasionally be called upon to defend them. We assist physicians with a wide variety of licensing and credentialing disputes, including issues related to DEA and CMS (Medicare/Medicaid) revocation, hospital and payor credentialing disputes, and Medical Board investigations. 

After receiving notice of such an issue,  a physician typically has only a short period of time to request an appeal. Our team has successfully represented physicians in licensing and credentialing disputes and appeals, ensuring that their livelihoods are protected and that they can continue to focus on what they do best: caring for patients. 

Because state medical boards have the authority to impose limitations upon, and even suspend, a physician's license to practice medicine, when a physician receives an inquiry from the Medical Board, it is imperative that the physician get an experienced healthcare attorney involved as early in the process as possible. 

We have represented hundreds of physicians across various specialties before medical boards, and the vast majority of those investigations have been closed with no discipline. Moreover, our attorneys have fostered professional working relationships with Medical Board investigators and attorneys, relationships which we are often able to leverage to ensure a smooth process and favorable outcome for our physician clients.

No physician wants to litigate, but sometimes there are no other options. Unlike many other lawyers, we actually try cases. All of our attorneys come from either government prosecution offices (including the DOJ and local D.A. offices) or large international law firms, and have extensive experience litigating complex cases in federal and state courts throughout the country. 

Our deep understanding of the healthcare industry allows us to effectively advocate for our physician clients. We leverage our low overhead and other efficiencies of a boutique-sized law firm to control costs while achieving favorable outcomes. Moreover, because our adversaries recognize our reputation as trial-ready litigators, we are often able to reach favorable resolutions for our physician clients without the need for a full-blown trial. This means you can focus on your practice, staying out of the courtroom and in the exam room.

When it comes to healthcare compliance, just as in medical care, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With years of experience in healthcare compliance, we provide guidance and counseling to physician clients on various compliance-related matters, including reimbursement issues, Medicare audits, Medicaid rules and regulations, Stark and Anti-Kickback compliance, as well as HIPAA and cybersecurity compliance. 

Our team consists of experienced healthcare attorneys and staff, along with experts and consultants who specialize in areas such as billing, coding, and cybersecurity. Whether you need advice on reimbursement rules, assistance in building a compliance program, developing policies and procedures, reviewing contracts, or simply answering a compliance-related question, we offer the tools necessary to help you stay off the government’s enforcement radar and avoid costly audits, investigations, or litigation.

Each year, cyber criminals become increasingly sophisticated, leaving your Electronic Medical Records and Protected Health Information more vulnerable than ever. 

Whether it's responding to a cybersecurity incident such as a ransomware attack, defending investigations by HHS' Office of Civil Rights (OCR), addressing cybersecurity-related lawsuits or class actions, or simply implementing preventative measures to ensure compliance with HIPAA rules and regulations, we can help.

If you are employed by, or contract with, a hospital or health system, you are subject to the hospital's peer review rules, under which the hospital can limit, or even terminate, your privileges, but only after a fair hearing process. It is common for hospitals to approach physicians and encourage them to consent to such discipline, but it is very important that you contact experienced healthcare counsel before you agree to anything. Because these matters are often reported to the National Practitioner Databank, they can follow you for the entirety of your career. 

We will fight for you to ensure that your rights are protected throughout the peer review process and beyond.