Jason M. Ohta is special counsel and a member of the White-Collar Criminal Defense, Corporate Investigations and Regulatory Compliance division of Duane Morris's Trial Practice Group. Mr. Ohta focuses primarily on all aspects of white-collar criminal defense and related parallel proceedings, regulatory matters and complex business litigation. Mr. Ohta has extensive experience representing entities and individuals in matters involving healthcare fraud, money laundering, off-label marketing, criminal environmental violations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He also has handled complex civil litigation matters involving healthcare issues and the Civil False Claims Act.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Ohta served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California prosecuting a wide variety of federal crimes including Medicare fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, alien smuggling and other immigration violations. Prior to that, Mr. Ohta served as law clerk to the Hon. Thomas J. Whelan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Mr. Ohta is a 2000 graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was executive editor of the San Diego International Law Journal, and a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Areas of Practice

• White-Collar Criminal Law
• Healthcare
• Commercial Litigation
• Environmental

Professional Activities

• San Diego County Bar Association
  -Co-chair, Law and Medicine Section

Admissions

• California

Education

• University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 2000
  - Executive Editor, San Diego International Law Journal
• University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1997

Other Experience

• Duane Morris LLP
  - Special Counsel, 2013-present
• Latham & Watkins LLP
  - Senior Associate, 2006-2013
• U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego
  - Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division, Narcotics Enforcement Section, 2005-2006
  - Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division, General Crimes Section, 2003-2005
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  - Law Clerk to the Hon. Thomas J. Whelan, 2000-2003

Publications

• Co-author, "Violations of Conditions of Payment and Participation as Predicates for False Claims," ABA Health Law Litigation, Vol. 9, No. 2 (2011)
• Co-author, "Test Methods Matter: Representative Sampling and Clean Air Act Test Methods Can Survive EPA's Credible Evidence Rule," 25 (University of Oregon's) Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation 37 (2010)

Representative Matters

• Represented a large, public company against federal criminal allegations of money laundering.
• Represented a healthcare provider against violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act. The matter settled in a manner the client found favorable.
• Represented a former senior executive in a public company against allegations of off-label marketing. No charges were filed.
• Represented a public healthcare company before the California Court of Appeal regarding allegations of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. After oral argument, the Court affirmed decision of trial court dismissing these causes of action.
• Represented a large, private healthcare system in a national Department of Justice investigation regarding allegations of Medicare fraud. No charges were filed.
• Represented a large, private healthcare system in a national Department of Justice investigation regarding allegations of Medicare fraud. No charges were filed.
• Represented a property developer and his company against criminal allegations of improper storage and removal of asbestos. The prosecutor dismissed all felony charges before arraignment.
• Represented a technology supply company in a complex arbitration involving several nationally prominent law firms regarding control and ownership of a large, privately held financial services firm. After three days of trial, the matter settled in a manner the client found favorable.
• Represented a public company in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. No charges were filed.
• Represented a public utility company against federal criminal violations of the Clean Air Act and false statements. After extensive litigation and a six-week trial, the Government dismissed all charges.