Holly A. Pierson
Georgia
Pierson Law LLC
2951 Piedmont Rd NE,
Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30305
Tel: 404.353.2316
Email:
hpierson@piersonlawllc.com
Web:
www.piersonlawllc.com
Holly A. Pierson regularly represents healthcare providers, small businesses, and other individuals in a variety of civil, criminal and administrative matters. Ms. Pierson is a veteran of the healthcare and litigation departments of the prestigious law firms of King & Spalding LLP, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Powell Goldstein LLP (now Bryan Cave), and Morris, Manning & Martin LLP.
As a federal prosecutor, Ms. Pierson served as the Criminal Healthcare Fraud Coordinator, the Environmental Crimes Coordinator, and as a member of the Appellate Committee. During her tenure with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Pierson tried numerous jury trials, returning favorable verdicts for the United States in each one. Ms. Pierson also authored and otherwise participated in numerous federal appeals, with each resulting in favorable opinions from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Throughout her career in both public and private practice, Ms. Pierson has handled numerous federal and state investigations and conducted significant internal investigations. Recently, for example, Ms. Pierson achieved the extraordinary result of a pre-discovery dismissal of a joint federal and state qui tam/whistleblower case brought against a healthcare client pursuant to the False Claims Act. Ms. Pierson has also negotiated the successful resolution of a number of other state and federal civil and criminal investigations, including for a pharmaceutical company under investigation by several state and federal authorities and a large corporate client who was under a multi-year federal Grand Jury investigation.
Early in her career, Ms. Pierson served as a law clerk to the Honorable J.L. Edmondson on the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Since 1998, Ms. Pierson has also served as an Adjunct at the University of Georgia School of Law where she assists with the school’s advocacy and appellate clinic programs. She is frequently invited to speak to national audiences on a variety of issues including state and federal investigations, healthcare fraud, the pharmaceutical industry, white collar crime and mortgage fraud issues.
Honors and Affiliations
- Named a “Super Lawyer” in the Georgia Super Lawyers publication, 2010 and 2012
- Named a “Rising Star” in the Georgia Super Lawyers publication, 2005, 2007 and 2009
- Presented with Outstanding Alumni Advocate Award by University of Georgia School of Law in 2009
- Awarded two Director’s Awards by FBI Director Bob Mueller in recognition of outstanding efforts and results in two white collar cases while serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office
- Achieved pre-discovery dismissal of a joint federal and state qui tam/whistleblower case brought against a healthcare provider pursuant to the False Claims Act.
- Represented pharmaceutical company in complex internal investigation relating to government allegations of off label marketing, Anti Kickback violations and manipulation of the AWP.
- Represented numerous clients in whistleblower or qui tam cases brought under the False Claims Act.
- Coordinated criminal investigation into pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor for misbranding and cGMP violations.
- Represented numerous clients, including healthcare providers, in business, employment and contract disputes.
- Obtained unanimous opinion from Georgia Supreme Court affirming habeas relief granted below to client wrongfully convicted of felony murder.
- Represented a number of clients in the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented clients in healthcare regulatory investigations.
- Represented owner of pharmacy in federal investigation and related Board of Pharmacy proceedings relating to internet pharmacy prescriptions.
- Represented major lending institutions in grand jury investigations into mortgage fraud.
- Successfully represented large corporation in long-term federal Grand Jury investigation into allege.
Pierson Law represents healthcare industry providers and professionals in a broad range of legal matters, including white collar criminal defense, civil litigation, administrative proceedings, licensing and disciplinary matters. For almost two decades, Ms. Pierson has received extensive training and experience in this broad spectrum of healthcare matters in both private practice and public service. On the private side, Ms. Pierson has served as an integral part of the healthcare teams at King & Spalding LLP and other nationally recognized healthcare law firms. During her tenure as a federal prosecutor, Ms. Pierson served as the Criminal Healthcare Coordinator, which is the lead healthcare prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In that capacity, Ms. Pierson received a prestigious FBI Director’s Award for her outstanding work in healthcare fraud prosecutions.
Pierson Law has a specialized focus on healthcare matters, including the following:
- Federal Healthcare Investigations and Litigation (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid fraud, Anti-Kickback, fraudulent billing, Medicaid and Medicare fraud);
- False Claims Act Lawsuits (qui tam or whistleblower actions);
- State Administrative Hearings (provider hearings in front of the Department of Community Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, etc.)
- State Board Hearings (including Georgia Composite Medical Board and the Georgia Board of Pharmacy);
- Peer Review Hearings and Medical Privilege Applications