Conor O. Duffy co-chairs our firm's Health Law group. He advises hospitals, clinically integrated networks, physician groups, post-acute care facilities, community providers, and other health care entities on health care regulatory, transactional, and corporate matters. He also counsels clients on what measures are needed to safeguard data and patient information.
Regulatory
Conor provides legal counsel to health care clients on various regulatory matters at the federal and state levels, such as Medicare and Medicaid program compliance, federal fraud and abuse laws, Certificates of Need and transaction approvals, and the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA). Conor frequently assists clients in obtaining Certificates or Determinations of Need, and in assessing the applicability of such processes to potential transactions, as well as in obtaining approvals for changes of ownership or governance at the federal and state level (including before CMS and the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the Department of Public Health, Department of Social Services, and the Department of Consumer Protection). He also assists with the full spectrum of healthcare matters, including those related to licensure, scope of practice, and staffing. Conor represents clients in state and federal administrative appeals and provides counsel related to internal investigations. He is a frequent speaker and writer on recent developments in healthcare regulation and enforcement, including fraud and abuse and False Claims Act jurisprudence.
Transactional
Conor provides strategic counsel to advise health care organizations on structuring transactions to meet their business objectives in accordance with federal and state law. He assists with transactions involving contracting, affiliations, joint ventures, leasing agreements, clinical service agreements, and the establishment of accountable care and physician-hospital organizations.
Information Privacy + Security
As a member of our firm’s Data Privacy + Cybersecurity team, Conor assists health care providers with compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). He helps clients protect against impermissible disclosures of data and provides guidance on data breach response efforts. He also advises clients on security programs, policies, education, and the implementation of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards. Conor is a regular contributor to our firm’s Data Privacy + Security Insider publication. He is also a vice-chair of the American Bar Association Health Law Section’s Web & Tech Committee, a role in which he supports the online activities of the Health Law Section’s interest groups and manages technological matters on behalf of the Health Law Section.
Pro Bono + Community Involvement
Conor regularly undertakes pro bono matters. He has represented an Ethiopian political activist in his application for asylum. He also has provided pro bono counsel on reputation management related to unfavorable online search engine results, counseled a public high school on the establishment of a tax-exempt booster club, assisted in the establishment of a school-based health center at a charter school, and reviewed contracts for a prominent veterans’ support organization. While in law school, Conor interned at the University of Connecticut School of Law's Asylum & Human Rights Clinic, where he participated in the representation of a Middle Eastern journalist during her successful application for asylum in the United States.
He contributes to the firm's blog, Health Law Diagnosis.
