Elizabeth I. Hack is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in its Washington, D.C. office. A member of the Firm’s Health Law Department, Elizabeth focuses her practice on complex civil litigation involving health care fraud and abuse and civil rights discrimination.
Elizabeth represents pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers, and health care systems in federal and state court litigation, government investigations and compliance matters. She also handles the full range of employment and civil rights legal issues for companies.
Prior to joining McDermott, Elizabeth was a partner in a large law firm in Washington, D.C., where she was lead counsel representing a multinational pharmaceutical manufacturer in multidistrict class action litigation, numerous State Attorneys General actions, and U.S. Department of Justice investigations across the country alleging that Medicare, Medicaid and/or private payors overpaid for prescription drugs. These matters involved federal and state False Claim Acts, state fraud, consumer protection and other laws.
Elizabeth’s extensive litigation experience covers all phases of discovery, mediation, and trial including taking and defending hundreds of depositions, arguing scores of motions in federal district courts across the country, and serving as both first and second chair at trial.
Elizabeth has more than 12 years experience as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division and the Civil Frauds Section of the Civil Division. She was lead or co-lead counsel in numerous complex investigations and litigation matters involving Medicare and Medicaid fraud allegations. She also obtained considerable experience overseeing investigations and audits undertaken by the FBI, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General’s TRICARE program.
Elizabeth is on the Board of Directors of the Educated Consumer Project. She is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.
Awards
- Special Achievement Awards, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
- Letter of Commendation, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
- Letter of Commendation, Director of the FBI
- Transportation Security Award, top 3% of agency, Transportation Security Administration
Recent Presentations and Publications
-
What Medical Technology Sales & Marketing Should Know About Fraud & Abuse, Enforcement, and Compliance,” AdvaMed Medical Technology Learning Institute (June 2007)
-
Pharmaceutical Global Marketing Practices: Increased Scrutiny Ahead?” Food and Drug Law Journal, Vol. 62 No. 2, 2007
-
Pharma Global Marketing Practices: Increased Scrutiny Ahead?” MWE International News, Spring 2007
-
Applying the Lessons Learned from Recent Settlements and Corporate Integrity Agreements,” American Conference Institute’s Sixth Annual Forum on Fraud and Abuse in the Sale and Marketing of Drugs. (October 2006)
-
Government Inquiries and Investigations,” American Conference Institute’s Fifth Annual Forum on Fraud and Abuse in the Sale and Marketing of Drugs. (October 2005)
Elizabeth is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York.
Education
- George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1988
- State University of New York-Stony Brook, B.A., 1985
