Akin Grows its Leading False Claims Act Practice with Addition of DOJ Assistant Director of the Civil Fraud Section Sara McLean
Contact:
(Washington, D.C.) – Akin announced today that Sara McLean has joined the firm as a regulatory and health care & life sciences partner in Washington, D.C. A luminary in the False Claims Act (FCA) investigation and enforcement space, McLean bolsters the firm’s regulatory group and FCA practice during a time of record FCA enforcement, with nearly 1,000 new qui tam filings last year and an expected uptick in FCA cases related to health care, cyber fraud, education and alleged tariff evasion.
McLean brings more than 25 years of service at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), most recently as Assistant Director of the Civil Division Commercial Litigation Branch, where she managed the section’s attorneys and support staff. Prior to becoming Assistant Director, she was a trial attorney in the Civil Fraud Section for more than 10 years. She has litigated and/or supervised FCA matters in the key areas of health care, cyber, education, procurement/government contracts, trade, energy and financial fraud.
“We have long been known as having one of country’s top FCA practices and during this period of heightened FCA enforcement, clients across our regulatory practices will benefit from Sara’s counsel, with experience as a trial attorney and more than 15 years leading the DOJ’s FCA enforcement efforts,” said Akin co-chair Abid Qureshi. “We are thrilled to welcome Sara to the firm.”
“Sara is a terrific addition to our regulatory group, bringing deep experience on FCA investigations to our health & life sciences, cybersecurity, government contracts, international trade and litigation practices,” said Tom McCarthy, head of Akin’s regulatory group.
“Akin has a premier regulatory platform and a prominent FCA practice that is the ideal destination for my practice,” said McLean on her move to the firm. “I am looking forward to working with new colleagues and clients throughout our regulatory practice, providing counsel during this period of heightened investigative scrutiny.”
About Akin’s Regulatory Group
Akin’s regulatory practice offers wide-ranging experience for clients operating in heavily regulated industries, such as, among others, health care & life sciences, energy & infrastructure, and technology. Our practice is distinctive, in terms of the number of regulatory lawyers and the scope of practice areas in which we advise clients, including antitrust, communications, cybersecurity, financial services, environmental, government procurement, health care, international trade, privacy and transportation issues.
About Akin’s False Claims Act/Qui Tam Defense Practice
Akin has extensive experience advising clients on the False Claims Act (FCA) and defending FCA lawsuits and related civil and criminal investigations. Our practice includes a multidisciplinary team of lawyers from the firm’s health care, government contracts, litigation, and white collar defense practices, with many decades of experience representing clients in FCA matters involving, among other areas, health care reimbursements, government contracts, payments to education institutions, cybersecurity, international trade, technology, and energy.
About Akin’s Health Care & Life Sciences Practice
Akin’s health care & life sciences practice has over 45 years of industry-leading experience representing health care providers and manufacturers on a wide range of matters involving regulatory compliance, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, legislative and policy advocacy, HIPAA, fraud and abuse, transactions, financial restructuring, tax and antitrust.
Our practice is a recognized market leader in False Claims Act (FCA)/fraud and abuse and Medicare reimbursement litigation, as well as regulatory challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
Akin is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
###