Debra Geroux, Butzel Long Photo

Debra A. Geroux is renowned among clients and colleagues for the depth of her experience in health care compliance and cybersecurity and privacy matters, and statutory reporting obligations. Ms. Geroux assists health care practitioners in the defense of state and federal debarment, fraud, waste and abuse investigations and litigation, licensing and credentialing, government and commercial payor audits and a host of other health care law issues.

Overview

For three decades, individual practitioners and group practices, hospitals, community mental health authorities, home health agencies, pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, ambulatory surgery centers, physical therapy centers, and Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic Devices, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers have sought the counsel and representation of Ms. Geroux.

Ms. Geroux has prevailed on behalf of health care clients time and again. She successfully concluded a multi-million arbitration for a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) involving competing claims for damages arising out of alleged mismanagement of the HMO and claims by the manager of a health group. In another matter, she obtained affirmation by the Court of Appeals of the trial court’s dismissal of a challenge to the sale of the property of a state hospital to her client. She has additionally represented purchasers in acquiring a hospital and the sellers of a hospital. She has extensive experience in supply chain and source contracting for a large Michigan-based health system.

Debra Geroux routinely shares her knowledge and experience in the health care industry with others. She frequently serves as a speaker on health care compliance and data privacy for local, state and national audiences, and has presented multiple times at the Health Care Compliance Association’s national Compliance Institute. She is an adjunct faculty member at Michigan State University College of Law teaching the topic of Health Care Law. She formerly held an adjunct faculty position at Baker College where she instructed on Health Care and Insurance Law in the college’s Paralegal Program.

In addition to her health care practice, Ms. Geroux has extensive experience in general commercial civil litigation and appeals, and other regulatory matters, including issues pertaining to federal and state Disadvantaged Business Entity (DBE) certifications and cybersecurity investigations and reporting obligations.

A few of Ms. Geroux’s notable achievements in this realm include the successful defense of a restaurateur against claims of trademark infringement; the successful resolution of a data breach investigation with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights; serving on the litigation team for a Tier One automotive supplier that successfully pursued claims of trade secret and patent infringement against a competitor supplier; a series of victories in the state trial and appellate courts on behalf a real estate developer regarding its purchase of state-owned property; reversal of a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) DBE decertification decision; and the reversal of a decertification decision by the Veterans Administration regarding a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business enterprise. Notably, in 2005, Ms. Geroux was appointed a Special Attorney General to represent the Michigan Public Service Commission in its appellate matters.

Ms. Geroux is professionally and personally active in her community. Since 2014, she has served on the Board of Directors for Oakland Integrated Health Network d/b/a Honor Community Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving Oakland County, Michigan. In addition to her role on the Board of Directors for Honor Community Health, she serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the U.S. District Court Historical Society for the Eastern District of Michigan. She has also assisted with numerous pro bono projects for Community Legal Services (n/k/a Michigan Community Resources), which resulted in the publication of various white papers and primers on topics related to community land trusts and affordability preservation, and a manual regarding malpractice and liability issues facing nonprofit health care facilities such as free clinics, FQHCs, FQHC look-alikes, and low cost clinics.

Debra Geroux is admitted to practice in all Michigan state courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She has held a Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) designation since 2012 and a Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) designation from the Compliance and Certification Board since 2018.

Ms. Geroux is a Shareholder practicing in the firm's Ann Arbor office. She is a Co-Chair of the firm’s Health Care Industry Team. She is also a member of the firm's Cybersecurity and Privacy Specialty Team, Government & Internal Investigations Team, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team.

Credentials

Education

Michigan State University College of Law, J.D., cum laude

Michigan State University, B.S.

Admissions

Memberships

  • State Bar of Michigan - Health Law Section
  • American Bar Association - Health Law Section
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Oakland County Bar Association
  • Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)

Awards & Recognitions

Awards & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America® - Lawyer of the Year, Health Care Law, 2023, 2024

The Best Lawyers in America® - Health Care Law, 2018-2022, 2025; Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025; Litigation – Health Care, 2024, 2025; Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law, 2025

DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit - Health Care Law, 2012, 2014, 2017-2025

Michigan Super Lawyers, Health Care, 2017-2024

Community & Professional

  • Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network d/b/a Honor Community Health - Member, Board of Directors, April 2014-present
  • U.S. District Court Historical Society for the Eastern District of Michigan - Secretary, 2012 – 2017; Vice President, 2018 – present
  • Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC), 2018
  • Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), 2012
  • Michigan State University College of Law, Adjunct Faculty, Health Care Law
  • Baker College of Auburn Hills, Paralegal Program, Former Adjunct Faculty, Health Care and Insurance Law

Experience

  • Successfully concluded a multi-million arbitration for an HMO involving competing claims for damages arising out of alleged mismanagement of the HMO and claims by the manager of a health group
  • Represented purchasers in acquiring hospital
  • Represented sellers of hospital
  • Obtained Court of Appeals' affirmation of the trial court's dismissal of the challenge to the sale of state hospital property to our client
  • Represented two contractors in connection with multiple local and federal fraud False Claims Act (FCA) investigations of construction projects at a major airport
  • Series of victories achieved in trial and appellate litigation involving the proposed sale of Michigan's Northville Psychiatric Hospital
  • Prepared an administrative appeal and concurrently prepared the suit for immediate injunctive relief; our efforts were successful in preventing an award of the $14 million contract to the second bidder
  • Obtained dismissal of FCA lawsuit against health care provider and affirmance of dismissal in appeal (Chesbrough, et al. v. VPA, P.C. (6th Cir. August 23, 2011))
  • Successfully represented two contractors defending allegations of fraud in the reporting of Disadvantaged Business Entity participation on a large airport construction project

News & Events

News

Speaking Engagements

Alerts & Publications

Client Alerts

Publications

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