Our Attorneys

Stephen M. Cowherd
Telephone: 203/259-7900
Facsimile: 203/259-1070
E-mail: scowherd@jeffers-law.com

Stephen Cowherd focuses his practice in the areas of health and hospital law, administrative law and civil litigation. The following are representative of Steve's accomplishments and experience:

Health and Hospital Law:Counsel to boards of directors and senior management of non-profit and for-profit health care entities on Stark Law and fraud and abuse compliance, HIPAA, licensing and accreditation, medical staff and patient care issues, reimbursement, internal investigations and contracting/transactional matters. Experience includes: representing academic medical center in clinical integration with health system; advising on regulatory aspects of reorganization of hospital and affiliated entities; counsel to hospital/physician joint venture in restructuring of operating agreement; revising faculty practice plan, incentive compensation program and hospital medical staff bylaws to pass compliance reviews.

Administrative Law and Regulatory Proceedings:Counsel to health care providers in various Federal and State regulatory proceedings, such as Certificate of Need hearings, licensing investigations and Medicare/Medicaid compliance matters. Experience includes: winning CON approval for hospital open heart surgery program in contested case before the Connecticut Office of Health Care Access; negotiation of favorable Consent Order for clinical laboratory in billing and compliance investigation conducted by Medicaid Fraud Unit; resolving Attorney General investigation into provider’s use of charitable assets through joint cy pres action; obtaining positive outcome for behavioral health provider under OIG Self-Disclosure Protocol.

Civil Litigation:Trial attorney versed in all phases of complex commercial litigation, including seven years as litigator for international law firm Shearman & Sterling representing Fortune 500 clients. Experience includes: jury and bench trials in New York and Connecticut federal and state courts for aviation, construction, health care, insurance, media and pharmaceutical companies; appellate arguments before the New York State Court of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and New York Supreme Court Appellate Division; AAA, AHLA, and NASD arbitrations and one-year assignment representing New York City as Special Assistant Corporation Counsel.

Education

St. John’s University, J.D., 1991; High Honors; Law Review Invitee; Moot Court Senior Board Member
State University of New York at Stony Brook, B.A., 1982; Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa

Professional and Community Activities

Adjunct Professor, Fordham University School of Law, 1997-98; 2000-2002
Frequent speaker before bar and professional organizations on health law and regulatory matters
American Health Lawyers Association
Connecticut Health Lawyers Association, Board of Directors
Connecticut Bar Association Health Law Section, Executive Committee
Town of Westport PAL and Little League – Coach

Bar and Court Admissions

State of Connecticut
State of New York
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit