May 31, 2023 | Firm News

Former HHS-OIG Senior Attorney Joins Garfunkel Wild

Former HHS-OIG Senior Attorney Joins Garfunkel Wild

Garfunkel Wild, P.C., a leading health care law firm, is pleased to announce that David Traskey, former Senior Counsel with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), has joined the firm as Partner in its Investigations, Audits, and Regulatory Compliance Practice Group. David spent almost a decade at OIG, helping to launch OIG’s Affirmative Litigation Branch, leveraging data analytics to initiate and resolve administrative enforcement actions, and representing HHS-OIG in litigation and settlements under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law and False Claims Act, where he collaboratively recovered over $118 million.

“David’s incredible experience formulating HHS-OIG’s enforcement policy in areas of the Civil Monetary Penalties Law and the False Claims Act expands Garfunkel Wild’s breadth of government knowledge and expertise, particularly in identifying compliance issues, mitigating risk, and, when necessary, submitting to state and federal voluntary self-disclosure programs,” said Andrew Blustein, Chairman of Garfunkel Wild. “David’s background and experience are extremely valuable. He brings insight and knowledge to complement our Investigations, Audits, and Regulatory Compliance Practice Group. He is a valuable resource to our clients and continues our strategy of recruiting top governmental talent to Garfunkel Wild.”

In addition to his extensive experience in health care fraud, investigations, enforcement actions, and compliance matters, David litigated numerous appeals of provider exclusions before HHS’s Departmental Appeals Board. He served as an advisor in subsequent appeals to U.S. District Court. He routinely negotiated and monitored provider integrity agreements and served as Litigation Hold Coordinator and the Affirmative Litigation Branch Component Liaison, where he provided related guidance and training to all HHS-OIG components on various topics.

“Health care providers and their in-house health care counsel are being faced daily with mounting pressures and a constantly changing regulatory environment,” said David Traskey, Partner at Garfunkel Wild. “Having worked opposite Garfunkel Wild’s compliance attorneys in the past, I look forward to collaborating with their highly regarded team and using my experience to build upon the excellent results they have delivered to clients for decades.”

David’s government service roles span nearly two decades. Prior to HHS, David worked at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), first at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, where he served as an Acting Veterans Law Judge, among other roles, and later at the VA Office of Inspector General.

Garfunkel Wild’s Investigations, Audits and Regulatory Compliance Practice Group, chaired by Partner/Director Robert A. Del Giorno, is comprised of a team of experienced attorneys who focus on the unique regulatory and business concerns of the health care industry. Our attorneys are counsel to a wide variety of providers, including hospitals and health systems, licensed clinics, skilled nursing facilities, physician practices, clinical laboratories, pharmacies, and community based providers. We routinely advise clients on federal and state Stark and anti-kickback laws and their applicable exceptions and safe harbors, False Claims Acts, Medicare and Medicaid billing and enrollment issues, healthcare fraud, professional misconduct rules, and other fraud and abuse laws.