Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani welcomes eleven new attorneys who will start the Medicare Compliance practice group in the firm's Pittsburgh office. The group includes five partners Michelle Allan, Travis Smith, Ciara Koba, Bridget Smith, and Kimberly Young and six associates Durwin Fuller, Jr., Logan Pry, Rachel Maldonado, Amanda Palbus, Melanie Schafer, and Nathan Ward. All join Gordon & Rees from Burns White.
"We are very pleased to have this dynamic group of highly-skilled attorneys join Gordon & Rees," said Manoj Jegasothy, managing partner of the firm's Pittsburgh office. "Each brings vast experience in Medicare Compliance and will broaden our national healthcare practice group."
Michelle Allan is co-chair of Gordon & Rees's Medicare Compliance practice group. She specializes in Medicare issues that arise in the resolution of workers’ compensation, longshore, Jones Act, and general liability claims. She has been instrumental in successfully settling tens of thousands of cases nationwide involving Medicare Secondary Payer issues. Her work includes preparing Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements and having the same approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Allan makes recommendations on how best to consider and protect Medicare’s interests while also balancing her clients’ interests in claims not requiring Medicare approval. In addition, she negotiates Medicare conditional payments and has saved her clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in lien reimbursements. Allan is a recognized national presenter on Medicare Secondary Payer issues, and frequently lectures on the topic of Medicare compliance to insurance carriers, self-insured businesses, third-party administrators, law firms, and other professional organizations. Allan is admitted in Pennsylvania. She earned her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Allan is a member of the MARC Coalition, National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals, American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association and the Council on Litigation Management.
Travis Smith is co-chair of Gordon & Rees's Medicare Compliance practice group. He focuses on addressing Medicare issues in workers’ compensation and liability settlements. This includes preparing Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements and having the same approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that Medicare’s interests have been adequately considered as required by the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute. In addition, he helps parties come to a settlement that protects both their own interests, as well as Medicare’s. Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Smith started the Medicare Compliance practice group at Burns White and Michelle Allan was the first attorney Smith hired for the practice in 2003. Smith is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Smith received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association, and the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.
Ciara Koba is an attorney and a licensed registered nurse with significant general and surgical nursing experience. She maintains a unique understanding of the healthcare industry to the resolution of Medicare issues that arise in workers' compensation, general liability and Federal Employers Liability Act claims. Koba is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. She received her law degree cum laude, from Duquesne University School of Law. She is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association's Health Law Section, and the National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals.
Bridget Smith concentrates her practice in Medicare compliance issues that arise in workers' compensation and general liability settlements. She is a frequent lecturer and author and has presented at many national conferences and written numerous articles on Medicare Compliance. She has worked to save clients thousands of dollars by ensuring that Medicare allocations are fair and appropriate. Smith has also taken a proactive approach to Medicare compliance by providing clients with risk management strategies and policy guidelines to protect them from potential liabilities in the Medicare and Medicaid process. Smith is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She received her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association, and National Association of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals.
Kimberly Young focuses her practice on Medicare compliance in the settlement of workers' compensation claims and general liability claims. She received her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law. Young is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and the United States District Court of Western District of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Washington County Bar Association, and Allegheny County Bar Association.
Gordon & Rees is a national litigation and business transactions firm with more than 800 lawyers in 50 offices across the United States. Our lawyers provide full service representation to public and private companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to start-ups. Founded in 1974, Gordon & Rees is recognized among the fastest growing and largest law firms in the country. Additionally, in 2018 Law360 ranked the firm among the top 40 largest U.S. firms and The American Lawyer ranked the firm among the top 35 on its Diversity Scorecard.