Waller Adds Team for High-Profile Litigation

NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwired - Mar 30, 2015) - Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, a leading provider of legal services to the healthcare, financial services, retail and hospitality industries, announced today that W. David Bridgers, Chanelle R. Acheson, John E. Haubenreich and Wells Trompeter Hoffman have joined the firm's Nashville office. The four litigators have a reputation for their accomplishments representing individuals and corporate clients in complex and contentious civil disputes, white collar criminal investigations, environmental litigation and enforcement actions, healthcare False Claims Act matters, whistleblower cases, internal investigations, copyright and trademark infringement suits, breach of contract actions, procurement disputes and bid protests. Bridgers, Acheson, Haubenreich and Hoffman join a team of experienced white collar/qui tam attorneys at Waller, including several from the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Offices. The group frequently represents healthcare organizations, boards of directors and executives in federal, state and local criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement matters.

"David and his team have an impressive track record of success representing clients in commercial disputes and difficult situations, particularly in regulatory-intensive areas like healthcare and environmental enforcement matters," said Waller chairman Matt Burnstein. "We are extremely pleased that they are bringing their experience and energy to Waller."

W. David Bridgers has more than 20 years of litigation experience and a reputation for his ability to analyze problems and develop unique legal strategies and solutions. His practice covers environmental litigation, healthcare regulatory enforcement and a wide range of complex commercial disputes. Clients value his ability to assemble litigation teams that address their concerns cost-effectively and confidently. Bridgers defends clients in environmental enforcement actions brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies. He currently represents a group of oil and gas companies, energy producers, and mining companies in a multi-year, multi-phase remedial investigation being conducted by the EPA related to a Superfund site in the Northeast. In addition to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), his experience includes enforcement matters brought under the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Bridgers also represents hospitals, health systems, physicians, outpatient providers, home health agencies, durable medical equipment manufacturers in fraud and abuse investigations and litigation. He has extensive experience responding to civil investigative demands and conducting internal investigations, particularly with respect to physician relations matters involving Stark and anti-kickback regulations and reimbursement disputes related to billing and coding issues. Bridgers earned his J.D. and M.S.L. in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. He holds a Master's of Public Health from the University of Alabama and earned his B.A. from The University of the South. Bridgers previously practiced at Neal & Harwell, PLC.

Chanelle R. Acheson represents clients ranging from publicly traded corporations to individuals in environmental litigation and healthcare fraud and abuse and patient privacy matters. Her experience includes leading large-scale corporate internal investigations as well as entertainment law, copyright law and First Amendment law. Acheson served as a Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps from 2005 to 2011. During her Marine Corps service she presided as prosecutor in more than 170 cases and conducted first-level administrative review of all criminal convictions within the Eastern Recruiting Region. Acheson also served as Special Assistant United States Attorney and prosecuted all misdemeanor crimes committed aboard the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island in federal magistrate court. She also served as Ethics Advisor to the Commanding General and as a member of the Environmental Impact Working Group. Acheson earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.S. in Political Science from the University of Colorado. Acheson previously practiced at Neal & Harwell, PLC.

John E. Haubenreich is a seasoned litigator who has won jury verdicts for clients in both state and federal court. He represents clients in civil and criminal cases related to environmental issues, contract disputes, government investigations, fraud, and white-collar criminal matters. He has represented energy companies in negotiations with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Representing publicly traded and privately held healthcare companies, he has successfully resolved False Claims Act allegations on behalf of clients with the Department of Justice. Haubenreich earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. He holds a Master's of Public Policy from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College and earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University. Before he began his legal career, Haubenreich was a member of Teach for America, and he taught English at Barringer High School in Newark, NJ. He remains deeply involved in educational issues. Haubenreich previously practiced at Neal & Harwell, PLC.

Wells Trompeter Hoffman represents clients from individuals to large corporations in a range of civil litigation including government fraud investigations, internal corporate investigations. She assists manufacturers, energy providers and other industrial clients in environmental litigation and enforcement actions and her healthcare experience includes the False Claims Act. Wells served as Judicial Law Clerk to Chief District Judge Thomas A. Varian in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee from 2012 to 2013 and as Judicial Law Clerk to Magistrate Judges H. Bruce Guyton and C. Clifford Shirley, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee from 2011 to 2012. She earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science and German from the Honors College at the College of Charleston. Hoffman previously practiced at Neal & Harwell, PLC.

About Waller
With approximately 200 attorneys in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Austin, Tex., Waller assists clients in complex transactional, regulatory and litigation matters. The firm has built a national reputation for its work in healthcare, financial services, retail and hospitality, and this experience extends to manufacturing, real estate, technology and other industries. For more information, please visit www.wallerlaw.com.