Overview
WASHINGTON — International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that James A. Cannatti III has joined the Firm as a Washington, DC-based partner in the Health Industry Advisory practice.
Mr. Cannatti comes to the Firm after more than 10 years in the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). His arrival adds a leading digital health, health IT policy, and fraud and abuse thought leader to McDermott’s team of more than 120 health care attorneys, and is part of the Firm’s commitment to partnering with clients to find creative solutions to their complex issues.
At McDermott, Mr. Cannatti will leverage the experience gained through his work at OIG to help health care and life sciences clients navigate the complex and evolving regulatory landscape. He also brings to the Firm his experience with OIG health IT oversight and policy issues, along with a deep understanding of digital health, fraud and abuse matters, cybersecurity, and value-based payment models. Mr. Cannatti will further use his OIG background to counsel White Collar and Litigation clients on a variety of digital health-related legal and regulatory matters.
During his time at OIG – most recently as a Senior Counselor for Health Information Technology – Mr. Cannatti was a sought after authority on the legal and regulatory issues affecting the rapidly evolving digital health landscape, including information blocking and interoperability, electronic health records (EHR), and cybersecurity. He represented OIG on the Federal Health IT Coordinating Council and testified before Congress on OIG’s behalf. Mr. Cannatti also served in the Industry Guidance Branch of the Office of Counsel of the Inspector General, representing OIG on the development of fraud and abuse waivers for the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer Accountable Care Organization program, as well as issuing safe harbor regulations, advisory opinions, and other industry guidance related to the Federal anti-kickback statute.
“Because our health care clients work at the forefront of the evolving regulatory landscape, James’ OIG insights will prove invaluable,” said Stephen W. Bernstein, partner and International Head of McDermott’s Health Industry Advisory Group. “James’ experience with OIG strategy and policy for health IT oversight, along with his broad understanding of today’s pertinent digital health and fraud and abuse issues, will be a tremendous asset for our clients. We are thrilled to welcome James to the Firm.”
“McDermott has a long history of working with leading clients on some of the health care industry’s most important legal matters,” said Mr. Cannatti. “I’m excited to be joining McDermott’s truly collaborative culture, and look forward to working with the top-tier health team to continue helping clients achieve their business goals.”
Mr. Cannatti received several recognitions while at OIG, including the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Fabulous Partner Award in 2017, the Inspector General’s Award for Advancing Excellence and Innovatio n in 2014, and was a four-time recipient of the Inspector General’s Exceptional Achievement Award. He graduated with honors from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where he served as a managing editor of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution.
McDermott Will & Emery is the nation’s leading health care law firm. The Health Industry Advisory group is the only health practice to receive top national rankings from US News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms,” Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, and Law360. The practice was also recognized by Chambers as “Health Team of the Year” in 2010, 2013 and 2017. Since 2017, McDermott has taken the top spot in PitchBook’s League Tables as the most active firm for health care private equity.
About McDermott Will & Emery
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Seoul, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
