Industry Guidance Branch Chief of HHS Office of Counsel to the Inspector General Joins Epstein Becker Green

Washington, DC (June 20, 2019) – Epstein Becker Green (EBG) is pleased to announce that Jennifer E. Michael, former Chief of the Industry Guidance Branch at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (OCIG), has joined the firm’s Health Care and Life Sciences practice.

At EBG, Ms. Michael will advise health care organizations on a wide range of federal and state health regulatory, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement matters. In addition, she will assist clients with internal investigations and voluntary self-disclosures and defend clients undergoing civil and criminal investigations for health care fraud by Department of Justice (DOJ), HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), and other state and federal governmental authorities.

While at OCIG, Ms. Michael led a team of attorneys responsible for interpreting and applying federal fraud and abuse statutes to a wide variety of arrangements across all segments of the health care industry. Under her leadership, the Industry Guidance Branch issued dozens of advisory opinions, the first-ever rescission of an advisory opinion, Special Fraud Alerts, policy statements, and various other guidance documents. She also advised the Chief Counsel and other members of senior leadership at OIG on the application of fraud and abuse laws to health care arrangements. As the leading source of knowledge on federal fraud and abuse statutes, Ms. Michael provided and supervised technical assistance to government officials at DOJ, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other state and federal agencies. Earlier in her career, Ms. Michael was an attorney in the health practice of national law firm.

“For nearly a decade, Jennifer has been at the forefront of helping the health care industry comply with our nation’s fraud and abuse laws, and her experience will be beneficial to our clients as we help them navigate significant regulatory hurdles and strategically manage risks in this area,” said George B. Breen, Chair of EBG’s National Health Care and Life Sciences Practice Steering Committee. “Her exceptional government and industry knowledge and perspective will add tremendously to our existing capabilities.”

“EBG has a long history of welcoming lawyers with former health care industry experience and government service to our firm, and we’re thrilled to welcome Jennifer, who we have known and respected for some time through her work at OCIG, as a colleague,” said David Matyas, Managing Shareholder for the firm’s Washington, DC, office.

“I am excited to join EBG in its pursuit to comprehensively assist health care organizations as they wrestle with a constantly changing regulatory landscape,” said Ms. Michael. “In choosing to leave the government, I was looking for a strong firm deeply rooted in the health care industry with excellent clients and innovative ideas, and I certainly didn’t need to look further than EBG to find just that.”

In 2016, Ms. Michael completed the Excellence in Government Fellows Program, a leadership development program that helps senior-level federal employees build essential leadership skills and empowers its graduates to develop and implement innovative solutions to improve their agencies’ effectiveness. She is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, where she has presented to its Fraud and Compliance Forum. Ms. Michael received her B.B.A., magna cum laude, from James Madison University and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

About Epstein Becker Green

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., is a national law firm with a primary focus on health care and life sciences; employment, labor, and workforce management; and litigation and business disputes. Founded in 1973 as an industry-focused firm, Epstein Becker Green has decades of experience serving clients in health care, financial services, retail, hospitality, and technology, among other industries, representing entities from startups to Fortune 100 companies.  Operating in locations throughout the United States and supporting domestic and multinational clients, the firm’s attorneys are committed to uncompromising client service and legal excellence.  For more information, visit www.ebglaw.com.