Laura Hoey is co-head of Ropes & Gray’s global litigation and enforcement practice group and a leading white collar defense and government enforcement lawyer. A former federal healthcare fraud prosecutor with extensive experience in the healthcare industry, she is known for creative and tenacious defenses and efficient, well-managed internal investigations.
Laura is ranked by leading industry sources such as Chambers, where she is Band 1 nationwide for False Claims Act. Clients note that she is “unparalleled in her advocacy” and “a master of strategy” who “knows the FCA inside out."
Laura represents clients across the healthcare and life sciences industry, including pharmaceutical and medical device companies, diagnostic laboratories, hospital systems, electronic health record providers, and management companies that are facing government investigations and congressional inquiries. She conducts internal investigations in all types of government and regulatory compliance matters, including alleged violations of:
- The False Claims Act (FCA)
- Healthcare fraud laws, including anti-kickback statutes (AKS)
- The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA )
- Privacy and cybersecurity laws, including HIPAA
- Anti-corruption and anti-bribery statutes
Over the years, Laura has held many leadership roles at Ropes & Gray, including Chicago office managing partner, co-leader of the government enforcement and white collar group, and co-leader of the firm's healthcare and life sciences industry group. She maintains an active pro bono practice and is also a member of the firm's Women's Forum, which she previously co-chaired. Laura currently serves as a Steering Committee member of R&G Insights Lab, a differentiated solution for corporate governance and risk in complex business environments.
During Laura’s tenure as a federal prosecutor, she handled matters involving healthcare fraud, kickback violations, FDCA violations, document destruction and obstruction cases, and criminal HIPAA violations, as well as tax fraud and public corruption. She was first chair in five trials, winning convictions in all five. In 2008, Laura received the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s Integrity Award.
Experience
- Representing an elite university in responding to a FCA CID focused on potential research misconduct in connection with grants by the National Institutes of Health.
- Advising a major research university on a high-profile research integrity matter, involving federal grant considerations and allegations of research misconduct.
- Advising a top-ranked public university in connection with an internal review.
- Represented a private equity-owned healthcare software and EHR company in an FCA and AKS investigation conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office in Vermont and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Frauds.
- Represents one of the world’s leading medical technology companies in its responses to DOJ Civil Investigative Demands and OIG subpoenas.
- Represents a leading dental services organization in a civil FCA investigation involving allegations of unlawful billing of services.
- Represents a large healthcare provider in an internal investigation relating to allegations regarding coding practices, and in responding to a joint civil and criminal inquiry by the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
- Represents a biotechnology company in a qui tam FCA case related to healthcare providers’ participation in consulting arrangements and other company-sponsored programs, ultimately resulting in the government’s declining to intervene.
- Represented a major pharmaceutical company in an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York focused on alleged violations of the FCA.
- Represented a private equity company in a multiyear investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and in a related qui tam lawsuit relating to alleged FCA violations.
- Negotiated a civil resolution for a diagnostic laboratory that was the subject of a federal investigation concerning the marketing and billing of the lab’s services, including alleged anti-kickback and FCA violations.
- Defended a pharmaceutical company in a federal healthcare fraud investigation alleging off-label marketing and FCA violations.
- Investigated and negotiated resolutions of three FCA qui tam complaints for a physician practice management organization in connection with an investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
- Representing a group of surgeons in an FCA qui tam lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois relating to alleged unlawful billing of services.
- Representing a major medical device manufacturer in an FCA case alleging fraud against federal and state government healthcare programs in connection with certain spinal implant devices.
- Secured a motion to dismiss in an FCA qui tam action alleging violations of an anti-fraud statute against a physical therapy provider.
- Represented several pharmaceutical companies in a sweeping, industrywide investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts and the DOJ into donations to charitable assistance foundations that provide financial assistance to Medicare patients.
- Representing one of America’s largest home healthcare companies in an industrywide investigation by the DOJ Antitrust Division into price-fixing allegations related to payor rate negotiations.
- Representing an international home healthcare provider in connection with a DOJ investigation focusing on the company’s Medicaid claims submissions for home healthcare visits using Electronic Visit Verification.
- Represented a large medical device manufacturer in the resolution of a criminal investigation led by the Consumer Protection Branch and Fraud Section of the DOJ.
- Ongoing representation of a major international retail pharmacy company in numerous cases filed by insurers.
- Advising a national hospitalist services provider in responding to a state agency notice that its Medicaid payments were being suspended pursuant to federal regulation.
- Defending a major pharmacy company in a case alleging common-law fraud and violations of several states’ consumer-protection statutes.
- Represented a prominent Arkansas businessman in a federal public corruption case and prepared for trial defense against charges of conspiracy and honest services wire fraud.
- Secured dismissal of a putative national class action alleging fraudulent billing and reimbursement practices against leading pharmacies in the sale and distribution of insulin.
- Prosecuted breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims on behalf of a dental support organization; secured a complete dismissal of the defendant’s counterclaims against the client.
- Advising a private equity firm in connection with indemnification claims based on federal healthcare fraud investigations.
- Represented a dental services organization facing a congressional inquiry.
- Represented a healthcare data management client being investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the United States Postal Service.
- Negotiated resolution to a Public Records Act request and prevented disclosure of confidential business information submitted by a pharmaceutical manufacturer to a state agency.
- Led an internal investigation at a major pharmaceutical company involving allegations of clinical trial fraud.
- Led multiple internal investigations for a major pharmaceutical company into alleged Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) violations in China.
- Led internal investigations for a multinational medical device company regarding alleged FCPA violations in Central and South America.
- Represented an executive of a Japanese medical device manufacturer in a major DOJ and U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation.