D. McCarty "Mac" Thornton, Long-Time HHS OIG Chief Counsel, Joins Sonnenschein's Health Care Group.Business Editors WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2003 Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal announced today that D. McCarty (Mac) Thornton, Chief Counsel to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Noun 1. Department of Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Health and Human Services, HHS (HHS HHS Department of Health and Human Services. ) for the past 12 years (1990-2002), will join Sonnenschein as a Partner in the firm's national Health Care Group. "We are extremely happy to welcome Mac to our firm," says Duane C. Quaini, Sonnenschein Chairman. "As Chief Counsel to the HHS Inspector General for the past 12 years, Mac has been at the epicenter of Medicare and Medicaid Medicare and Medicaid U.S. government programs in effect since 1966. Medicare covers most people 65 or older and those with long-term disabilities. Part A, a hospital insurance plan, also pays for home health visits and hospice care. fraud and abuse law enforcement during a period of unprecedented activity in this area." "Coupled with the arrival of eight high-profile health care lawyers from Shaw Pittman earlier this month -- including former senior HHS official, Bruce Merlin Fried, and national fraud and abuse experts, Gadi Weinreich and Christopher Janney -- Sonnenschein's ability to provide regulatory and fraud and abuse counsel to health care organizations nationwide is now unparalleled," notes Cap Potter, Managing Partner of Sonnenschein's DC office. "I had extensive discussions with a number of very good law firms," says Mr. Thornton. "At the end of the day, however, I decided to join the national firm that, in my view, had the broadest and deepest combination of health law, public law and policy, FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. and litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. expertise. The momentum of Sonnenschein in general and the Health Care Group specifically is tremendous and I am thrilled to be a part of it." As Chief Counsel to the HHS Inspector General, Mr. Thornton was responsible for the development and issuance of all HHS Office of Inspector General Noun 1. Office of Inspector General - the investigative arm of the Federal Trade Commission OIG independent agency - an agency of the United States government that is created by an act of Congress and is independent of the executive departments (OIG Noun 1. OIG - the investigative arm of the Federal Trade Commission Office of Inspector General independent agency - an agency of the United States government that is created by an act of Congress and is independent of the executive departments ) anti-kickback law safe harbors, advisory opinions, fraud alerts, special advisory bulletins, and industry-specific compliance guidances. In addition, Mr. Thornton was involved in the prosecution of civil False Claims Act, civil monetary penalty, and exclusion actions; the negotiation and implementation of corporate integrity agreements; and the development of fraud and abuse legislation and policy. Prior to joining HHS in 1983, Mr. Thornton, who received both his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Stanford University, served for four years as a white collar crime white collar crime n. a generic term for crimes involving commercial fraud, cheating consumers, swindles, insider trading on the stock market, embezzlement and other forms of dishonest business schemes. prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice and, before that, as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Sonnenschein, with 600 lawyers in nine U.S. cities and trans-border representations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America, serves the legal needs of many of the world's largest and best-known businesses, nonprofits and individuals. |
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