Tara A. Fumerton is a trial lawyer with a broad range of experience in complex commercial litigation, arbitrations, government investigations, and internal investigations. She has litigated cases in state and federal courts across the country involving federal and state False Claims Acts, consumer protection statutes, fraud, commercial bribery, RICO, contract disputes, patent litigation, adversary proceedings in bankruptcy, class actions, and federal MDL proceedings. In addition, Tara has extensive experience working with experts and counseling clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions.
For more than a decade, Tara has represented pharmaceutical companies in lawsuits and investigations relating to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance reimbursement. She also has represented clients in the tobacco, financial, transportation, and distribution industries.
Tara was an integral member of a team that successfully represented R.J. Reynolds in a billion dollar dispute with more than 52 states and territories over payments due under the landmark tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).
As part of that representation, she second-chaired arbitrations against individual states and led examinations of experts and fact witnesses. She also defended the arbitration award in favor of R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies in state trial and appellate courts.
She subsequently also successfully drafted and argued motions to compel states across the country to participate in another arbitration involving the MSA. Tara is a board member of the Women’s Bar Foundation of Illinois and is a member of the Illinois Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, and The Chicago Bar Association.
EDUCATION:
- The University of Iowa (J.D. with honors 2002; B.S. 2000)
BAR ADMISSIONS:
- Illinois, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits, and
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and Eastern District of Wisconsin
EXPERIENCE:
- Follett acquires Baker & Taylor
- Cardinal Health acquires The Harvard Drug Group for $1.115 billion
- Epsilon/Westford Funds and affiliates defend against bankruptcy related claims
- Stevens Transport obtained dismissal of suit alleging state-law tort claims
- Abbott acquires Facet Biotech for $722 million
- Abbott and other pharmaceutical manufacturers successfully defend against Texas state court action alleging Medicare fraud
- TAP Pharmaceutical successfully defends 19 Lupron® pricing actions in state and federal courts
- Insurance broker defends DOJ prosecution
Cost
Rate : $$$