ATLANTA, GA and SAVANNAH, GA--(Marketwired - Mar 3, 2016) - Edgar Bueno, the former Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia, joins the Healthcare and Litigation Practices of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP. Bueno, who joins the firm as a partner, is based in the firm's Atlanta and Savannah offices.
"We are delighted he is joining us," said Bob Threlkeld, a partner in the firm's Healthcare and Litigation Practices. "His deep experience as a prosecutor, his service with the Office of Inspector General for HHS in Washington, D.C., and his work with prominent private firms broadens the capabilities of the firm's Litigation group."
"His experience in the government sector -- assessing whether to bring and prosecute fraud cases -- will be of incredible value to our clients," said Louise Wells, the firm's Managing Partner. "He is a great addition to our award-winning Healthcare and Litigation teams."
As Civil Division Chief, Bueno was responsible for supervising attorneys and involved in all aspects of investigation, discovery and litigation for numerous high profile cases. Bueno also served as the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Under his leadership, the office saw an unprecedented increase in the number of enforcement actions brought under the False Claims Act with a central focus on healthcare fraud. His work in this area resulted in millions of dollars being repaid to the government.
With both government and private sector experience, Bueno has been a frequent speaker on healthcare fraud and abuse issues, often being asked to address both state and national organizations. Bueno was a member the Southern District of Georgia, Health Care Fraud Task Force and was also his office's point of contact for HIPAA privacy issues.
"My focus will be to counsel healthcare providers to avoid becoming the focus of government scrutiny, which can be terribly disruptive to business objectives," Bueno said. "However, if a provider has been served with a subpoena or is the subject of a governmental investigation or whistleblower lawsuit, I have the experience and background to assist the provider through that complex process in hopes of achieving a favorable resolution."
Bueno says he joined MMM because of its strong reputation and its commitment to providing excellent legal services. "It is a firm that will allow me to excel and effectively utilize my experience in healthcare fraud and abuse matters and compliance counseling to better serve clients," he added.