Military Benefits 101: Military Healthcare Reimbursement

Catherine Goldhaber is partner-in-charge of the Chicago office of Hawkins Parnell & Young and a member of HPY’s Executive Committee. She opened HPY Chicago in 2017, building on twenty years as a litigator both in private practice and as an Assistant State’s Attorney. Catherine defends claims related to product liability, exposure to toxic substances, and transportation-related injuries. She also litigates commercial issues such as contract disputes and as related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

Catherine's numerous trial successes include prevailing on behalf of an insulation supplier in a case in which plaintiff claimed his mesothelioma was caused by defendant’s insulation. Her most recent defense verdict involved a career drywall installer. In both cases the jury was out for less than four hours. Happiest when she is standing in the well of a courtroom, Catherine handles matters directly in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri, and manages multi-state litigation as national coordinating and trial counsel.

In addition to her litigation practice, Catherine counsels clients in Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) issues, particularly as they arise throughout discovery and in resolution. Catherine currently serves as Chair of DRI's MSP Task Force. The MSP Task Force provides DRI members with updates and resources to understand the laws that affect litigation involving Medicare beneficiaries. DRI MSP Task Force members also represent DRI in relation to DRI’s Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition (MARC) membership. Through DRI and MARC, Catherine has met directly with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on policy issues.

Clients retain Catherine for her extensive knowledge of methods and creative approaches to avoid and/or lessen the impact of litigation. In helping businesses resolve disputes, she provides clients with an objective "big picture" while keeping track of the minute details, resulting in cost-effective case management.

Prior to joining HPY, Catherine was a founding member of her firm’s Pro Bono and Public Service Committee and chaired the committee for many years. She served on the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Board and Young Professionals Board for over 10 years. Catherine currently serves on the board for Greater Chicago Legal Clinic. Chicago Lawyer magazine honored Catherine in its 2013 Women in Law edition, which recognized 17 women attorneys in Chicago for achievements in their practice, dedication to the profession, and commitment to community.

Michelle is an experienced attorney and legal process consultant with a broad background in legal technology and process outsourcing tools and strategy. She brings with her diverse experience gained in previous roles as a corporate attorney, in-house counsel, and business development/subject matter expert roles with current industry leaders in legal services and technology. ?

Most recently, as a Director with a global business process outsourcing company, Michelle consulted with top financial services sector clients on digital and workforce-enabled strategies for legal and compliance operations. Prior to that, she held a strategic account management role with Lexis Nexis, consulting with Fortune 500 companies with comprehensive practice solutions including litigation management, law department management, legal research, due diligence, and compliance tools.

Michelle also spent several years at a leading mass tort settlement administration and lien resolution company where she advised asbestos law firm clients on healthcare compliance issues. She spoke at national asbestos conferences as a subject matter expert on topics related to healthcare compliance in personal injury litigation and legal process efficiencies.

Michelle holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a JD from Campbell University, and a law license for the State of North Carolina.

Charles is an experienced attorney with a background in complex settlement administration, lien resolution, legal process outsourcing, business consulting and sales transformation. ?

Most recently, Charles served as a Director of Legal and Compliance outsourcing at Conduent, where he consulted with healthcare sector clients on digital and workforce-enabled strategies for legal and compliance operations.

Prior to joining Conduent, Charles spent 7 years as a subject matter expert in lien resolution and complex settlement administration at a leading Mass Tort settlement administration company. In that role, Charles served in a number of senior level positions overseeing operational, product development and business development. He was instrumental in obtaining and implementing a number of high profile projects for complex mass tort and environmental litigations.

Charles holds a BA from Appalachian State University, a JD from the Charlotte School of Law, and a law license for the State of North Carolina.

David M. Godfrey, J.D., is a senior attorney to the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging in Washington DC. He is responsible for the ABA’s role in the Administration on Community Living funded National Center on Law and Elder Rights and for producing the ABA National Aging and Law Conference. David’s expertise includes supported decision making, advance care planning, health care decision making, legal service delivery, legal ethics, and LGBT aging. Prior to joining the Commission he was responsible for elder law programming at Access to Justice Foundation in Kentucky.

Mr. Godfrey earned his B.A. with honors at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and his J.D. cum laude from the University Of Louisville School Of Law in Kentucky.