Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Suzanne is an experienced civil litigator. Her practice concentrates on the litigation of complex commercial disputes, including class actions, before state and federal courts throughout the United States. The recent focus of Suzanne's practice has been on False Claims Act qui tam litigation matters and government investigations in the health care industry. Other substantive areas of Suzanne's practice include unfair competition and consumer claims, securities and corporate governance actions, intellectual property claims (trade secret and Lanham Act litigation), fraud, product liability, and general business litigation.

As a health care litigator, Suzanne represents hospitals and health care systems in health care-related litigation as well as in health care fraud investigations and qui tam actions arising from allegations of Medicare fraud and abuse. She also represents health care clients in connection with voluntary disclosures and government investigations involving complex Medicare reimbursement issues.

Throughout her 18 years of practice as a general litigator, Suzanne also has represented clients in a wide variety of other industries, including food and beverage, telecommunications, automobile, consumer credit, real estate development, overseas shipment and transportation, food supplements and pharmaceuticals, heavy equipment, and financial industries. She has tried cases, and been a member of trial teams, in both federal and state courts.

Prior to attending law school, Suzanne held sales, marketing, and management positions in a Fortune 500 company and an entrepreneurial start-up company. She also gained experience with compliance and federal project contracting issues through her work at a prominent, nationwide construction company.

Suzanne has been active in pro bono and community outreach matters. She has received recognition and awards from several organizations for her successful representation of, and dedication to, pro bono clients, including the Alliance for Children's Rights and Chadbourne & Parke LLP. In 1999 and 2000, she served with other Jones Day lawyers as counsel to Governor Gray Davis's Advisory Panel on Hate Groups, culminating in a final report to the governor with the panel's conclusions and recommendations for new and strengthened laws and programs to address the problem of hate groups.

Suzanne was recognized by her peers and Law & Politics as a 2009 Southern California Super Lawyer (general litigation). She is a member of the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.

Areas of Practice

• Health Care
• Trial Practice

Representative Cases

• Dennis R. Penna v. HR Textron Inc. and Textron Inc., Case no. BC243326
• Harms v. Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Case No. C07-00697 (JF) and Case No. SACV07-604 PA (PLAx)
• Stearn v. Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Case No. CV06-2249 PA (SHx)
• The Savant Group, Inc. et al. v. PepsiCo U.S.D.C. C.D. Cal.
• Confidential Government Investigation Concerning Outlier Reimbursement
• Defense of California Hospital System in U.S.D.C., Central District of California, False Claims Act Qui Tam Litigation
• Defense of Los Angeles Superior Court Real Estate Partnership Action
• Defense of United States District Court, Central District of California Fraud and Contract Action
• Defense of United States District Court, Central District of California Libel, Business Torts and Breach of Contract Action
• Government Investigation in Connection with Sealed False Claims Act Qui Tam Actions
• Intellectual Property
• Licensing Dispute and Alleged Trade Disparagement
• Shareholder Cases

West Practice Categories

Bankruptcy Litigation, Class Actions, Complex Litigation, Disability, Elder Law, Federal Appellate Practice, Federal Claims Court, Federal Trial Practice, Food & Drug Administration, Health & Health Care Law, Hospital Law, International Trade Litigation, Litigation & Appeals, Medicare & Medicaid, Mental Health, Military & Veterans Appeals, Multidistrict Litigation, Nursing Home, Patent Litigation, Social Security -- Disability, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, Tax Litigation, US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, US Supreme Court

Bar Admissions

• California

Education

• Loyola Marymount Univ - CA

Address

555 South Flower Street
Fiftieth Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2300

Phones

1.213.243.2431 (Business Phone)

Faxes

1.213.243.2539 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.jonesday.com