Photo of Michael R. Bertoncini

Michael R. Bertoncini is a principal in the Boston, Massachusetts, office of Jackson Lewis. He is a member of the Healthcare industry group and a member of the Higher Education group.

With a background as a former Deputy General Counsel, Michael understands first-hand the competing demands and unique challenges faced by in-house counsel. Before joining Jackson Lewis, he was responsible for all labor and employment law matters for the largest fully integrated community care hospital system in New England. Michael provides timely, practical advice that helps clients achieve their strategic goals while ensuring compliance with legal obligations.

With deep experience in a broad range of industries, Michael has a keen interest in the healthcare, higher education, museum, and arts & music sectors. He is dedicated to supporting clients in these areas, leveraging his extensive experience to address the specific challenges faced by institutions and organizations in these fields.

Michael regularly partners with clients to establish positive employee relations. In labor relations matters, he negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of organized clients, represents clients in labor arbitrations and National Labor Relations Board proceedings, and counsels clients with respect to rights and obligations under collective bargaining agreements and applicable labor and employment laws. He also has extensive experience in advising organizations responding to corporate campaigns and negotiating neutrality agreements.

Michael’s privacy and data security practice focuses on advising clients on complying with HIPAA and other state and federal privacy and data security laws. He reviews and develops policies and procedures, written information security plans and integrated compliance programs to ensure his clients meet their obligations under privacy and data security laws. Michael represents clients in investigations of alleged data breaches and advises them on reporting obligations.. He also conducts workplace training programs on HIPAA compliance and related privacy and data security topics.

The Department of Justice has announced a $2.3 million settlement for alleged double billing violations of the False Claims Act. According to the DOJ press release, a children’s genetic services clinic agreed to pay $1.5 million and a radiology group that read and interpreted genetic ultrasounds for the clinic agreed to pay an additional $800,000 to settle the alleged FCA violations. The settlement resolved a qui tam case brought by the radiology group’s former revenue manager and coding compliance officer under the FCA.
Continue Reading False Claims Act Allegations Settled for $2.3 Million

A resolution adopted by the Nurse Alliance Leadership Council of SEIU Healthcare opposing mandatory flu vaccine and masking policies may add another challenge to healthcare employers seeking to implement such requirements.
Continue Reading SEIU Opposition to Mandatory Flu Shots for Healthcare Workers Adds Challenge to Vaccination Programs

An Illinois jury hit a skilled nursing facility (SNF) with a $29 million verdict after agreeing with allegations by former employees that the SNF knowingly provided worthless services to its residents and submitted over 1700 false claims to the government for their care.
Continue Reading Jury Awards $29 Million Against Nursing Home for False Claims Act Violations

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA), also known as Obamacare, all nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities must have a compliance and ethics program that contains certain statutorily-required elements by March 23, 2013. The program must be effective in preventing and detecting criminal, civil, and administrative violations under PPACA and