Garfunkel Wild, P.C. Promotes Six

GREAT NECK, N.Y. - Jan. 10, 2014 - PRLog -- The law firm of Garfunkel Wild, P.C. (GW) is pleased to announce that attorneys Barry B. Cepelewicz, M.D.; Sean P. Leyden; and Debra A. Silverman have been named Partner/Directors of the firm; attorneys Robert A. Del Giorno and Gregory R. Smith have been named Partner; and attorney Salvatore Puccio has been named a Senior Attorney, all effective January 1, 2014.

Mr. Cepelewicz, who joined the firm in 2012, holds dual degrees in law and medicine, providing a unique perspective to physicians, hospitals and other health care related entities.  He received his BA (magna cum laude) degree from New York University, his MD degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and his JD degree from New York University School of Law.  For over two decades, he has represented clients in transactional, regulatory and litigation matters and has served as General Counsel to medical societies, hospitals’ medical staffs, health care businesses and start-up companies.  In addition to being considered an authority in telemedicine, he lectures extensively and is an editorial consultant for Medical Economics.  Mr. Cepelewicz is a member of the firm's Business; Compliance and White Collar Defense; Health Care; Health Care Information and Technology; and Litigation and Arbitration practice groups.

Mr. Leyden, who joined the firm in 2003, is Co-Chair of the Finance and Real Estate practice group and heads the firm’s Real Estate practice.  His practice focuses on real estate and corporate transactions, representing tax-exempt organizations, hospitals, physicians, physician groups and other health care providers, as well as owners, developers and for-profit corporations.  Mr. Leyden has extensive experience in commercial leasing, subleasing, real estate financing (including fee and leasehold financing, permanent and construction financing and mezzanine financing) and the purchase and sale of commercial real property nationwide (including office, residential and commercial buildings, as well as vacant land for development).  He received his BS degree from Fairfield University and his JD degree from Brooklyn Law School.

Ms. Silverman, who joined the firm in 1988, is a member of the Business; Health Care; HIPAA Compliance; and Insurance Regulatory practice groups.  She represents hospital systems, teaching and community hospitals, faculty practice plans and physician group practices, with an emphasis on managed care contracting, health care delivery networks, clinical integration, physician arrangements, antitrust, and regulatory matters.

Along with administering the firm’s managed care group, she handles direct negotiations with major managed care organizations (including Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and EmblemHealth as well as Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans) for fee-for-service, accountable care and full-risk arrangements.  She graduated cum laude both from Princeton University and received her JD degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law.

Mr. Del Giorno, who joined the firm in 2008, is a member of the Compliance and White Collar Defense; Health Care; and Litigation and Arbitration practice groups.  His practice primarily focuses on health-care fraud and abuse matters and he has particular experience representing both individuals and organizations in state and federal criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as related civil matters. Mr. Del Giorno has defended local hospitals in complex, multi-million dollar False Claims Act cases in the federal courts of New York and has handled a wide variety of other matters.  He received his BA degree from Fairfield University and his JD degree (cum laude) from St. John’s University School of Law.

Mr. Smith, who joined the firm in 2002, is a member of the Compliance and White Collar Defense and Health Care practice groups and advises clients on a broad range of regulatory and compliance matters.  His practice primarily focuses on health care fraud and abuse issues, including representing providers in Medicare and Medicaid audits, advising providers about reimbursement matters, and assisting providers with the development and implementation of compliance programs.  Mr. Smith has represented a wide variety of providers, including hospitals, health systems, physicians, nursing homes, pharmacies, clinics and laboratories.  Mr. Smith received his BA degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and his JD degree (with distinction) from Hofstra University School of Law.

Mr. Puccio, who joined the firm in 2008, is a member of the Appellate Litigation; Employment Law; and Litigation and Arbitration practice groups.  His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation matters, representing clients in breach of contract matters, managed care disputes, partnership disputes and breakups, antitrust matters, construction litigation, landlord/tenant disputes and employment disputes.  He also has particular experience in counseling clients concerning the employer-employee relationship (including defense of age, race, gender, national origin, disability discrimination, sexual harassment, etc.).  He received his BA degree (cum laude) from Quinnipiac University and his JD from Hofstra University School of Law.

Founded in 1980, Garfunkel Wild, P.C. (GW) maintains one of the most active health care practices in the Northeast, while also providing services to many non-health-related clients.  Always at the forefront of Federal and State developments, GW meets a full range of needs including strategic planning, complex transactions, exempt and taxable financing, white collar defense, litigation, fraud and abuse, estate planning, elder law, tax issues, real estate, licensing, capital formation, EPA/environmental issues, health information technology, privacy & security and bankruptcy.  GW maintains offices in Great Neck, NY; Hackensack, NJ; and Stamford, CT.