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Overview

With a background at the DOJ, Cara defends healthcare clients in commercial litigation, fraud allegations, and white collar matters.

Thanks to a lifelong interest in law and the justice system, Cara began her career in the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she assisted attorneys with healthcare fraud, procurement fraud, and financial fraud cases involving violations of the False Claims Act and Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act. She went on to enroll in law school, where coursework introduced her to the white collar and internal investigations practice area.

Today, Cara focuses her practice on hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare organizations. She concentrates primarily on litigation, fraud and abuse claims, and False Claims Act violations, and she guides clients through both internal and government investigations. In addition, Cara also counsels organizations on compliance with a wide array of healthcare regulations, helping them prevent future litigation. After cutting her teeth on healthcare fraud at the DOJ, Cara loves working directly with these organizations and is fascinated by their complexity. With regulations changing rapidly, she understands the monumentally difficult task large health systems face in regulatory compliance, and she provides clients with the legal guidance they need to remain focused on their mission.

Cara’s time at the DOJ gave her an inside view of the federal government: she’s been part of government decision-making processes, and she knows how cases originate and progress. In most cases, she finds she already knows what the DOJ is thinking—letting her find holes in the government’s strategy from the very beginning.

Above all, Cara is known for her intense client focus and her personalized advice. She always puts clients first and wants each client to feel as though their matter is the only one on her desk.

Industry

Services

Education

  • J.D., George Washington University Law School
    • Federal Circuit Bar Journal, Senior Staffer
  • B.S., Pennsylvania State University

Admissions

  • California
  • District of Columbia

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Bar Association
Experience
  • Represented individual clients in state and federal court litigation, internal investigations, arbitration, and mediation in various practice areas including government and internal investigations, white collar litigation, securities enforcement litigation, and employment litigation.
  • Participated in the representation of small business owners and homeless individuals in first-of-a kind civil rights action and secured billions of dollars in funding to solve homelessness.
  • Represented individual in high-value employment matter as the only staffed associate and managed discovery database, drafted discovery requests and responses, meet-and-confer letters, motions, mediation brief, and assisted in the preparation of trial exhibits and trial notebook.
  • Advised and represented business clients in complex commercial matters involving intellectual property, franchise and distribution, unfair competition, trade secret claims, and business disputes.
  • Participated in the representation of corporations and individuals in internal investigations from inception to conclusion to include management of investigative plan, extensive document review and analysis, management and coordination of document productions, participation in witness preparation and interviews, and drafting reports in response to government inquiries from federal agencies including the Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, and Securities and Enforcement Commission.
Outside the Office

Cara’s legal career was sparked by her interest in true crime: she’s never happier than when her nose is buried in a true crime novel or when she’s engrossed in a new documentary. It’s a hobby she finds time for almost every day.

Cara also enjoys Pittsburgh and Penn State sports, trying out new restaurants and cuisines, and traveling. Her favorite destination so far has been Santorini, Greece.