Sara Alpert Lawson_bio
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Sara Alpert Lawson

Partner

Office
Baltimore
Tampa
Tel.
+1 410.949.1181
Fax.
410.659.0436
Others
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Sara Alpert Lawson is the office managing partner of Zuckerman Spaeder’s Baltimore office and chair of the firm’s Professional Development Committee. Described as an “excellent lawyer” by Chambers USA, she has established a diverse practice representing businesses and individuals in high-stakes government investigations and commercial disputes.

Sara focuses on client goals and how to achieve them efficiently and effectively, approaching issues with creativity and attention to detail. Her broad experience handling litigation and investigations in a wide range of industries, including health care, real estate, and finance, along with her representation of activist investors, makes her particularly equipped to help clients navigate issues across the board. Her clients include large corporations, a major health system, health care organizations and providers, Chief Executive Officers and other senior leaders from a diverse range of businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs.

Sara has substantial experience litigating nuanced cases and defending her clients in government investigations conducted by both federal and state agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS), the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control unit.

Sara has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for White-Collar Criminal Defense every year since 2017.

Before entering private practice, Sara was in-house general corporate counsel for a multinational chemical distributor and manufacturer. In this capacity, she worked directly with the CEO and CFO, advising the business on corporate matters and managing litigation for the company.

In addition to her practice, Sara is active in the community and is committed to pro bono efforts, particularly those involving foster youth for which she was awarded the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Service Award in 2014. Sara served on the Board of Directors for Bay Area Legal Services from 2011 to 2018 and was a member of the Bay Area Legal Services Development Council.

Sara earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she served as an Editor for the University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender, and Class. She received her B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University.

Education
  • The University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 2007
    • Articles Editor, University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class
    • Professionalism and Diversity Committee 
       
  • The Johns Hopkins University, B.A., 2003
    • Vice President of Operations, Alpha Phi
Languages
  • Brazilian-Portuguese
Bar admissions
  • Florida
  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland
Court admissions
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Professional leadership
  • Member, ABA Criminal Justice Section Council
  • Member and Reporter, ABA Task Force for Prosecutorial Independence
  • Member, Serjeants Inn Law Club
  • Member, Riveters Club
  • Member, Law360 Florida Editorial Advisory Board, 2023
  • Chair, Bay Area Legal Services Development Council, 2023
  • University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Alumni Board, 2018-2023
  • Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Leadership Academy Committee, The Florida Bar, 2018-2020
  • Board of Directors, Bay Area Legal Services, 2011-2018
  • Alumnus, Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Florida Bar Leadership Academy, Class I
  • Barrister, Goldburg-Cacciatore Criminal Law Inn of Court
  • Attorney Ad Litem, Crossroads for Florida Kids
  • Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
  • Member, Federal Bar Association
  • Member, Women’s White Collar Defense Association

 

Community involvement
  • Former Chairwoman and Founder, Foster Care Ministry Mentor Program, Sacred Heart Church
  • Former Lector, Sacred Heart Church
Representative matters
  • Obtained declaratory judgment on behalf of a shareholder of a Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) in connection with an action challenging the board’s failure to hold annual meetings in compliance with Maryland law in an effort to disenfranchise the entity’s shareholders.
  • Successfully represented an activist investor of a Maryland corporation in litigation to compel an annual meeting of shareholders.
  • Represented a large health system in connection with a civil False Claims Act (FCA) investigation.
  • Represented a Taft-Hartley pension plan in litigation filed against the plan’s former actuarial service provider for professional negligence and breach of contract.
  • Represented a large health system in civil litigation brought against a provider of actuarial services. The case alleged that the defendant understated the pension plans’ liabilities of a smaller health system acquired by our client by more than $130 million, saddling our client with that liability after the acquisition closed. After an 18-day federal jury trial, the case settled on terms satisfactory to the client.
  • Represented a business owner in connection with a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office involving allegations of pandemic-related fraud. No charges were brought against our client.
  • Obtained dismissal of a FCA lawsuit alleging that our client, a health care system, failed to properly obtain informed consent from patients undergoing surgeries, resulting in purportedly false submissions for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare.
  • Represented a physician in connection with an investigation conducted by the HHS Office of the Inspector General.
  • Represented a large, national retailer in litigation in the Middle District of Florida involving an alleged breach of contract. The matter settled on favorable terms for the client.
  • Represented a certified class of individuals who were denied coverage for residential treatment, intensive outpatient, and outpatient services by United Behavioral Health.
  • Represented co-owners of a home health provider in a civil FCA investigation.
  • Represented owners of a Medicare managed care provider in a civil FCA investigation.
  • Conducted an internal investigation for a home health provider in connection with internal allegations of possible Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute violations.
  • Represented a physician in connection with a FCA investigation in the Middle District of Florida.
  • Represented former executives of a health maintenance organization in connection with a government investigation in the Middle District of Florida.
  • Represented several employees of a homebuilder in connection with a mortgage fraud investigation arising out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Due to diligent efforts to understand the clients and their business, was able to keep all clients from being prosecuted.
  • Represented a freight forwarding company in connection with a joint investigation in the Middle District of Florida by the Department of Commerce and Department of Homeland Security resulting in a non-prosecution agreement.
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Sara Alpert Lawson_bio

Sara Alpert Lawson

Partner

Office
Baltimore
Tampa
Tel.
+1 410.949.1181
Fax.
410.659.0436
Others
Send email Send an Email
vCard vCard
LinkedIn LinkedIn