M. Richard Mullins

Rick Mullins is a trial lawyer whose practice is concentrated on business-related litigation, including cases involving healthcare issues, Medicare fraud and abuse, business torts, antitrust, insurance coverage, employment matters, and other commercial controversies.  He has handled cases before numerous state and federal courts, arbitration panels, administrative proceedings and grand jury investigations.

His clients include hospitals, multi-physician groups and other healthcare providers, government contractors, retailers, manufacturers and insurance companies.

Rick has particular experience defending clients against allegations of fraud and abuse, including False Claims Act lawsuits brought by the government and qui tam relators. As part of this practice, he has represented clients in various internal and external investigations, including grand jury investigations involving allegations of defrauding the government, and has been a frequent speaker before specialized industry groups on the topic of governmental investigations, “whistleblower” lawsuits, Medicare fraud, and other claims involving fraud and abuse.

Rick's achievements as a litigator have earned him inclusion in Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America (bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, health care law, securities litigation) and Oklahoma Super Lawyers (business litigation).

Rick currently serves on McAfee & Taft’s board of directors.

• Successfully defended the former chief executive officer of a publicly traded laboratory company charged with participating in alleged criminal conspiracies to commit Medicare fraud and securities fraud.  In the former count, the government brought what is believed to be the first federal prosecution of laboratory executives for alleged violations of the anti-kickback law.  The client was acquitted on both counts after a three-week trial.
• Representation of insurance companies providing health insurance in coverage disputes involving allegations of bad faith.
• Successful representation of national wholesaler in a multi-plaintiff employment dispute.
• Successful representation of physician surgical groups in obtaining dismissals of qui tam cases based on alleged Medicare fraud.
• Representation of multi-physician practices in False Claims Act lawsuits, including cases in which the government intervened and in cases pursued by relators.
• Representation of government contractor in a False Claims Act lawsuit brought by a relator and corresponding grand jury investigation.
• Pre-litigation negotiation and resolution of allegations of fraud and abuse made by the government against physician practices.
• Representation of clients in grand jury investigations into allegations of defrauding the government.
• Representation of client in equity skimming allegations brought by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Spearheaded numerous internal investigations on behalf of entities alleged by the government, employees or others to have engaged in defrauding the government or government-regulated institutions.  Such entities have included physician groups, hospitals, a construction company and a government contractor.