Firm News

Wiggin and Dana LLP announced today that Jolie Apicella, former Assistant United States Attorney and Healthcare Fraud Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, joins the firm’s New York office as a partner in its Litigation, Health Care and White Collar Departments.

Apicella’s practice focuses on health care enforcement and compliance matters, as well as white collar defense. She brings to bear her significant experience gained in both private practice and during nine years as a federal prosecutor to deliver client-focused strategies and solutions for compliance, fraud prevention, oversight, and when necessary, the defense of government investigations and prosecutions.

“Federal and state enforcement authorities have intensified initiatives to combat fraud, waste and abuse in health care programs,” said Maureen Weaver, co-chair of Wiggin’s Health Care Compliance group. “What makes us unique is the close collaboration between Wiggin’s robust Health Care practice and our White Collar Defense and Investigations practice comprised of seasoned former federal prosecutors. Jolie supports and extends our capabilities in this arena and will further enhance our Health Care practice in New York.”

Apicella has been a federal prosecutor for nine years, having joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the EDNY in 2013, and has been Chief of Healthcare Fraud since 2018. In this role, she supervised more than 20 AUSAs on groundbreaking qui tam investigations, handling matters involving fraud against government health care programs and prosecuting cases under the False Claims Act and fraud and abuse statutes against pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, hospital systems, laboratories, physician practice groups and individual providers. Apicella supervised and prosecuted complex, large-scale, white collar federal investigations, collaborating with federal agents and agency counsel from the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense and other federal agencies. Given her extensive knowledge and experience, she is frequently called upon as a speaker and lecturer on current health care compliance issues.

Prior to becoming Chief of Healthcare Fraud, Apicella investigated and prosecuted matters involving violations of various federal laws and argued cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Apicella litigated complex commercial disputes, including intellectual property, class action and civil RICO matters, at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP.

Managing Partner Tim Diemand noted, “Jolie adds exceptional talent and experience to our Health Care and White Collar teams, an area of real strength at the firm, and we are very excited to welcome her to the partnership.”

“I feel so fortunate to join Wiggin and Dana,” Apicella said. “The firm’s national reputation in the health care and white collar compliance areas will allow me to immediately bring my skills to bear. I am impressed by the firm’s specialized client-focused approach on behalf of a wide range of health care systems, academic institutions and individuals. Wiggin’s culture stresses excellence, decency, integrity, support and inclusiveness, all of which match my own values.”