Howard L. Pierce
Partner
Howard Pierce is a partner in the firm’s Healthcare Cost Containment Practice Group. Howard has developed a national practice representing some of the largest healthcare payors, self-funded organizations, and property/casualty insurers in healthcare provider overpayment cost containment issues across the United States. He also represents whistleblowers in healthcare qui tam/False Claim Act lawsuits as well as representing whistleblowers who have information about federal tax fraud and tax underpayments involving millions of dollars and may be entitled to a reward from the Internal Revenue Service.
Howard spent 16 years as a federal agent, the last ten of which were as a supervisory investigator with the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Health and Human Services (Recipient of Special Achievement Award from the United States Department of Justice), concentrating on investigating, criminally prosecuting and seeking civil remedies for violations of Federal Medicare/Medicaid laws. Howard then went on to create and lead the group health claims inappropriate billing deterrence and detection component of the Hartford Life Insurance Company (1990 Corporate Quality Award Recipient) and was also a Corporate Officer and Director of Investigations at Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company.
For over two decades, he has represented clients in claim negotiations and litigation with experience in civil fraud litigation and case development, representing clients before federal regulatory agencies and additional experience in criminal, white collar crime and general litigation. He served as outside litigation counsel for MetraHealth; Medicare DMERC, Region A, Fraud and Abuse Unit.
Howard served as the firm’s lead attorney in its representation of a union welfare and benefit fund and a group health third-party payer as part of a class of third-party payers of health care costs against Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. in Re Vytorin/Zetia Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litig., MDL No. 1938, No. 08-0285 (D.N.J.). The litigation resulted in a settlement of $41.5 million to resolve all claims involving defendants’ co-marketed drugs Vytorin and Zetia.
Howard represented groups of healthcare payors in major national cases, some recent anti-fraud matters have included: healthcare fraud by third party administrators, national hospital chains, home care providers, mail-order pharmacies, clinical laboratories, national dialysis providers, and dental groups. He has represented property/casualty insurers in state law-based fraud litigation against medical providers, national durable medical equipment manufacturers and distributors and others engaged in fraud, and he has represented payors in individual cases involving fraudulent activity by regional or small physician/healthcare provider groups.
Howard is currently serving as general counsel to the New England Anti-Fraud Association.
Practice Areas
Education
- State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Management, B.S.
- Quinnipiac University School of Law, J.D.
Admitted to Practice
- Connecticut
- United States District Court, District of Connecticut
- United States District Court, Southern District of New York
- United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
- United States Supreme Court
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association: Criminal Law Section, Litigation and Healthcare Law Section, Former Co-Chair, Fraud & Abuse Subcommittee
- Connecticut Bar Association: Former Member of the Executive Committee, Computer Law Section
- Federal Bar Association
- Hartford County Bar Association
- National Health Lawyers Association
- New England Anti-Fraud Association, General Counsel
- International Claim Association
Honors
- Named to Connecticut Super Lawyers, 2006
- National Campaign for Tolerance: Wall of Tolerance Honoree, 2003
Community Activities
- Anti-Defamation League: Member, Regional Civil Rights Committee, 2007 – Present
- Congregation Beth Israel: President, 2005 – 2007, Member, Board of Trustees, 1996 – Present
- Leadership Greater Hartford, Member
- National Multiple Sclerosis Corporate Achievers Award recipient, 2000
Teaching
- University of Connecticut School of Law, Trial Practice Teacher, 1996 – 2002
