John-David Thomas

Practice Areas

As a former federal prosecutor, J.D. Thomas knows how to respond to sensitive and non-routine criminal, civil, and regulatory matters, including government investigations and prosecutions, qui tam and False Claims Act defense and other enforcement actions. As a member of Waller's Government Investigations, Healthcare and Litigation groups, J.D. represents and advises companies and individuals in a broad array of criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. He regularly advises healthcare clients in matters involving the Department of Justice, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), state Medicaid Fraud Control Units and other civil and criminal law enforcement entities.

Prior to joining Waller, J.D. served as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. As an AUSA, J.D. investigated and prosecuted numerous actions brought under the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, among others. He served as the lead attorney for the United States in a number of notable cases, including the largest civil False Claims Act recovery in the Middle District of Tennessee, the largest short-stay inpatient admissions settlement ever obtained under the False Claims Act, and one of the largest grant fraud settlements.

As a former federal prosecutor, J.D. has a unique understanding of what to expect when the government initiates an investigation, and how to respond in the most expeditious manner possible while helping clients minimize exposure, find closure, and get back to business.

While J.D. has significant experience in the healthcare industry, his background as a prosecutor makes him uniquely suited to advise clients in high-stakes matters that involve the potential of significant public exposure, reputational harm, or financial loss. To that end, J.D. regularly represents and counsels clients in a myriad of other industries, and has assisted accounting firms, law firms, and broker-dealers in professional liability and civil RICO actions, defended criminal and civil antitrust actions, assisted clients with unwinding and recovering assets lost to Ponzi schemes, and managed numerous other confidential and sensitive legal matters.

Additionally, J.D. represents healthcare providers – both applicants and opponents – in contested Certificate of Need (CON) matters.

Professional Memberships

Chair, Executive Committee, Tennessee Bar Association Health Law Section