William McDonald, Esq.
William McDonald maintains a varied practice in the areas of criminal defense and healthcare. As chair of our Criminal Defense department, Bill handles a wide variety of criminal matters in state and federal court including charges of assault, burglary, robbery, DWI, vehicular manslaughter, murder, conspiracies, federal mail and wire fraud conspiracies, tax fraud, and violent street crimes. He has significant experience handling search warrant and wiretap issues as well as representing young people charged with crimes. Bill’s criminal defense work also includes representation of individuals and companies facing regulatory action, investigation, or prosecution, and he assists in leading our White Collar Defense & Investigations practice. Bill has helped clients avoid criminal charges in several high-profile Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigations.
A former Assistant District Attorney in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Bill has worked in the criminal law arena since the start of his legal career. He was previously appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York to expand state racketeering cases under federal jurisdiction. In his prosecutorial career, he tried jury cases ranging from violent felonies to complex insurance fraud. As a prosecutor, he utilized undercover agents and confidential informants, and he has represented informants and investigative targets as a defense attorney. Bill has presented evidence in both state and federal grand juries, and brings a thorough understanding of the criminal investigative process to each case.
Bill also leads our Healthcare practice, where he counsels healthcare providers, practices, and hospitals in myriad issues in the ever-changing healthcare space. His work includes the defense of doctors in hospital privileges hearings and in audits initiated by Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors (“RACs”), the New York Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (“OMIG”), and private insurance companies, including out-of-network reimbursement disputes.
Bill has extensive experience representing professionals charged with misconduct before the New York State Office of Professions and at Office of Professional Medical Conduct disciplinary hearings. His practice also includes transactional and litigation matters for his healthcare clients including contract drafting and review with a focus on Stark, anti-kickback, and corporate practice of medicine compliance. Bill regularly advises criminal attorneys who represent licensed medical providers about the implications criminal convictions may have on their clients’ ability to remain in federal or state funded healthcare programs. Bill’s criminal law experience augments his healthcare experience and uniquely qualifies him to defend healthcare fraud prosecutions in any venue.
In a recent audit before the New York State Department of Health, Bill won a full reversal of a $2.1 million overpayment finding against our client, a Medicaid provider. He has also fought exclusion proceedings brought by the HHS Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”), as well as New York’s OMIG, and has significant experience representing clients in False Claims Act matters.
