Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce that Laura M. Kidd Cordova has joined its Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the firm's Health Care and White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement groups. Cordova joins the firm from the U.S. Department of Justice, where she supervised, investigated, and prosecuted health care fraud matters over the past six years as an Assistant Chief in the Criminal Division's Fraud Section. Cordova was most recently in charge of the Corporate Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which prosecuted large, complex, multi-jurisdictional fraud schemes throughout the United States.

"Health care fraud is an issue of great consequence for our clients, who face unprecedented risks of investigation and prosecution under the authority of the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and Stark laws," said Christopher Flynn, co-chair of the firm's Health Care Group. "A wide array of clients turn to our nationally recognized Health Care and White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement groups. Laura's experience as a distinguished supervisor and prosecutor, as well as her extensive knowledge of the health care sector, positions Crowell & Moring to deliver premier service for clients in all phases of health care fraud and abuse matters. We are thrilled to welcome her to the firm."

Cordova has more than a dozen years of government and private-practice experience. She joined DOJ in 2010 as a trial attorney in the Health Care Fraud Unit. She was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2013, and in 2015, she was appointed to create and lead the Corporate Health Care Fraud Strike Force. Cordova has emerged as a highly regarded prosecutor and thought leader in the health care fraud and abuse bar.

As a prosecutor and supervisor at DOJ, Cordova served as the lead trial counsel in numerous complex health care fraud cases around the country involving money laundering, false statements, government program fraud, and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Notably, she helped secure guilty verdicts in eight matters that involved more than $472 million in Medicare fraud. Cordova led the prosecution team for six of those jury trials in which all defendants were convicted.

During her time at the DOJ, Cordova supervised the Corporate Health Care Fraud Strike Force as well as the DOJ's Medicare Fraud Strike Force in various cities, including Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Brooklyn, N.Y. In this position, Cordova gained a comprehensive and invaluable perspective on health care fraud enforcement. She reviewed every health care qui tam (whistle blower) complaint filed in the United States and regularly coordinated with U.S. Attorney's Offices throughout the country, the DOJ Civil Fraud Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Counsel to the Inspector General.

"Laura's stellar track record and outstanding reputation at DOJ will be of tremendous value to our clients," said Daniel L. Zelenko, co-chair of the firm's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group. "Laura's background is the perfect complement to our already deep bench of white collar and health care fraud practitioners."

"Crowell & Moring has a national reputation in both white collar and health care fraud defense at all levels, from investigations to litigation," Cordova said. "I am excited to join such a great team and build my practice in a very collaborative way."

Cordova's accomplishments at DOJ resulted in several accolades and awards, including the Health and Human Services Inspector General's Award for Excellence in Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse; the IRS Criminal Investigation's Recognition for Outstanding Support of the IRS Criminal Investigation Mission; the Assistant Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service; and the FBI Director's Certificate for Demonstrated Excellence in Successfully Prosecuting a Major Criminal Case.

Cordova received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, a Master's of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, London, and Brussels.

About Crowell & Moring's Health Care Group

Crowell & Moring's nationally recognized Health Care Group provides a comprehensive range of litigation, investigation, regulatory compliance, fraud and abuse, transactions and counseling services to health care clients nationwide. Our clients include payers (including the top 10 national health insurers), hospitals and hospital systems, medical groups and medical group managers, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy benefit managers, academic medical centers, government contractors, as well as established and start-up medical device and biotech companies. Our clients rely on Crowell & Moring's expertise and interdisciplinary approach to provide strategic solutions to their complex legal challenges. The group publishes the C&M Health Law Blog, which includes analysis, commentary, and the latest developments in health care law and policy. Follow the group on Twitter at @CMHealthCareLaw.

About Crowell & Moring's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group

Crowell & Moring's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group routinely represents clients in the most significant white collar cases in the United States and has successfully defended and counseled clients around the world regarding all manner of government investigations, criminal trials, regulatory enforcement actions, and internal investigations. The diverse team is comprised of lifelong defense lawyers, including former assistant federal defenders, as well as former prosecutors and enforcement attorneys from DOJ, the Office of Independent Counsel, U.S. Attorney's Offices, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.