Healthcare Litigation Associate

Barnes & Thornburg LLP; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnes & Thornburg LLP seeks a Healthcare Litigation Associate in Washington, DC, to advise healthcare and life sciences clients on False Claims Act matters, investigations, and regulatory enforcement. The role involves managing investigations, leading internal inquiries, and drafting persuasive pleadings for federal and state agencies.

The ideal candidate has 4–6 years of FCA litigation experience, strong writing and research skills, and a track record of handling complex matters with minimal

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school is required.
• Active and in good standing with the DC Bar or eligible for waiver.
• 4–6 years of substantive False Claims Act litigation experience.
• Experience handling government investigations, enforcement matters, internal investigations, or complex litigation.
• Familiarity with healthcare fraud and abuse laws (FCA, AKS, Stark).
• Strong research, writing, analytical and communication skills; judicial clerkship preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple matters independently while collaborating with teams.

Responsibilities

• Represent healthcare providers and healthcare industry participants in investigations, enforcement actions, and complex civil litigation before federal/state agencies.
• Manage FCA investigations and litigation from inception to resolution with minimal partner oversight.
• Draft and revise high-quality motions, briefs, memoranda, and client correspondence.
• Lead internal investigations into healthcare fraud, billing irregularities, and regulatory noncompliance.
• Identify risks, anticipate developments, and propose strategic recommendations for clients.
• Handle a high-volume caseload across matters, meeting deadlines and client deliverables.

Skills

Healthcare litigation

Legal research

Legal writing

Client service

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school

Job description

Barnes & Thornburg is seeking a highly qualified and experienced Healthcare Litigation Associate to join the firm’s nationally recognized Healthcare Litigation Practice in Washington, D.C. This position will work closely with attorneys advising healthcare and life sciences clients in connection with False Claims Act litigation, government investigations, healthcare fraud and abuse matters, regulatory enforcement actions, internal investigations, and complex compliance issues.

The ideal candidate will have 4 to 6 years of experience representing healthcare providers, life sciences companies, and other regulated entities in False Claims Act litigation, government investigations, enforcement proceedings, and regulatory matters. This role offers the opportunity to work directly with clients facing high-stakes scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other federal and state agencies.

Responsibilities:

Represent healthcare providers, hospitals, health systems, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare industry participants in government investigations, enforcement actions, and complex civil litigation before the DOJ, HHS-OIG, CMS, FDA, DEA, state attorneys general, and other federal and state agencies. Associate will be expected to:

• Play a key role in managing False Claims Act investigations and litigation from inception through resolution, including formulating case strategy, directing discovery, and coordinating with clients and government counsel with minimal partner oversight.

• Draft, revise, and finalize high-quality motions, briefs, memoranda, demand letters, and client correspondence with a focus on persuasive legal writing.

• Lead internal investigations involving allegations of healthcare fraud, billing and coding irregularities, regulatory noncompliance, and potential violations of federal and state healthcare laws, including conducting witness interviews, managing document review, and preparing investigation reports.

• Proactively identify legal and regulatory risks, anticipate case developments, and develop strategic recommendations to advance client objectives and mitigate exposure.

• Manage a high-volume caseload across multiple simultaneous matters, maintaining rigorous attention to deadlines, court schedules, and client deliverables while keeping cases on track.

• Advise clients on healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, Civil Monetary Penalties Law, and related regulatory frameworks, providing practical, business-oriented guidance to navigate complex compliance environments.

• Collaborate with partners and colleagues across the firm’s Healthcare and Life Sciences practices to develop integrated legal strategies and support firm-wide client initiatives.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.

• Candidate must be active and in good standing with the DC Bar, or be eligible to waive in.

• 4 to 6 years of substantive False Claims Act litigation (including motion practice and discovery).

• Experience handling government investigations, regulatory enforcement matters, internal investigations, or complex litigation.

• Familiarity with healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law, and related federal and state healthcare regulatory frameworks.

• Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and communication skills. A past judicial clerkship is preferred.

• Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with clients and multidisciplinary legal teams.

• The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, possess strong client service skills, demonstrate sound judgment, and have the interpersonal skills necessary to thrive in a collaborative investigations and litigation practice.

We will not consider resumes submitted by external agencies or recruiters for this position. Recruiters and agencies will not be compensated for assisting Barnes & Thornburg LLP in recruiting for this position, regardless of whether such party has a recruiting contract with us.

Equal Employment and Opportunity Statement:

Barnes & Thornburg is committed to equal employment opportunity in both principle and as a matter of policy. We will recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate and provide benefits to all applicants and employees without regard to ancestry, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religion, religious creed, mental and/or physical disability, medical condition, military and/or veteran’s status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all recruiting, hiring, promotions, upgrades, layoffs, compensation, benefits, terminations and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. The firm complies fully with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.