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Joy Longnecker
OVERVIEW

Joy Boyd Longnecker

Partner

Nashville

1600 West End Avenue
Suite 800
Nashville, TN 37203-3494

P 615-621-6012

F 615-621-6099

Joy Boyd Longnecker focuses her practice on white collar defense and internal investigations, particularly in the healthcare industry. A seasoned white collar and commercial litigator, Joy has successfully tried more than 40 cases. As a former prosecutor, she offers a dynamic and pragmatic perspective when advising and defending clients in matters involving potential criminal or civil liability.

OVERVIEW

Joy Boyd Longnecker focuses her practice on white collar defense and internal investigations, particularly in the healthcare industry. A seasoned white collar and commercial litigator, Joy has successfully tried more than 40 cases. As a former prosecutor, she offers a dynamic and pragmatic perspective when advising and defending clients in matters involving potential criminal or civil liability.

Joy frequently helps individuals and companies, many of which are healthcare providers, navigate white collar criminal and civil cases involving allegations of healthcare, financial, wire, and other forms of fraud. She is well-versed in, and routinely investigates and defends matters arising under, the False Claims Act. Joy also assists clients with responding to government requests and subpoenas, including subject and target letters, grand jury subpoenas, and civil investigative demands.

Joy’s proactive and thorough internal investigations often allow her to negotiate and secure favorable early resolutions of civil and criminal matters. Joy leverages her significant trial experience in virtually all aspects of her clients’ cases, including the development and execution of a client’s defense strategy, during internal investigations, and in negotiations with federal and state agencies.

Notably, Joy’s healthcare and other business clients often come to her for advice and counseling on a wide range of operational, risk management, and compliance issues, especially those specific to the healthcare industry.

For more than a decade, Joy has litigated cases in Nashville and across the state of Tennessee. She defends franchisors and other hospitality businesses, including publicly traded organizations and private equity-owned companies, in complex contract and other commercial disputes. Religious and other nonprofit organizations rely on Joy’s discretion and sound guidance when facing challenging and highly sensitive matters, many of which involve allegations of abuse.

Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Joy was a partner and member of the Government Enforcement and Investigations Practice Group at a firm in Nashville.

Professional and Community Involvement

Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation

Co-chair, Women's White Collar Defense Association Tennessee/Alabama Chapter

Executive committee vice-chair, Tennessee Bar Association Criminal Justice Section

Member, American Bar Association

Member, Tennessee Bar Association

Big sister, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee

Member, Nashville Young Leaders Council Class 60

Honors

The Best Lawyers in America, 2025

Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2019-2021

Nashville Business Journal's 40 Under 40, 2021

Jacksonville State University Young Alumna of the Year, 2011

EXPERIENCE
Experience

White Collar Civil and Criminal Matters

  • Defending former state employee indicted on multiple counts of conspiracy, honest services fraud, wire fraud, federal program theft, bribery and kickbacks concerning federal programs, and money laundering in public corruption case
  • Representing primary care provider in connection with Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation and self-disclosure protocol
  • Representing family medicine practice in connection with healthcare fraud investigation
  • Representing hospitality business in lawsuit against U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) over improper denial of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness applications
  • Representing physician in connection with state Attorney General’s healthcare fraud investigation
  • Represented behavioral healthcare provider’s owner-executive in connection with Medicaid fraud investigation, resulting in declination to prosecute
  • Represented physician charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) in a nearly three-week-long trial, securing mistrial on former charge
  • Represented business owner in criminal case charging wire fraud and mail fraud in the Middle District of Tennessee and helped secure favorable sentence for client
  • Defended outpatient substance abuse recovery center served with a Civil Investigative Demand in connection with federal investigation into third party lab services provided to center, resulting in no criminal or civil actions filed against client
  • Obtained early and favorable resolution of claims asserted against physician-owner in qui tam/False Claims Act lawsuit involving a network of pain management clinics across the Southeast
  • Assisted with response to Civil Investigative Demand and defended a pain clinic management company in an unsealed qui tam action involving alleged False Claims Act violations, negotiated a favorable settlement, and facilitated avoidance of a criminal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's office.
  • Represented a long-term healthcare company in connection with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation into alleged Medicare/Medicaid fraud by a long-term care facility and pharmacy
  • Led internal investigation into allegations of physician misconduct on behalf of ophthalmology practice management company and coordinated with law enforcement and other state agencies conducting parallel investigations into misconduct
  • Led an internal investigation for nonprofit client into alleged sexual misconduct of client’s former employee
  • Represented two former employees of a compounding pharmacy in an unsealed qui tam action involving alleged violations of the AKS and False Claims Act
  • Conducted an internal investigation for a government contractor in response to an investigation by a state agency, the state attorney general and state police into the contractor's billing records
  • Defended a behavioral health hospital in parallel investigations by a state attorney general's Medicaid fraud control unit and other administrative agencies into the hospital's billing and clinical practices, with no criminal or civil action being filed against client

Commercial Litigation Matters

  • Representing international timeshare developer in civil lawsuits and arbitrations filed by consumers alleging fraud, misrepresentation and violation of state statutes
  • Represented commercial real estate investor in commercial lease dispute and negotiated favorable settlement
  • Obtained summary judgment in a state court action and dismissal of all claims asserted by a timeshare owner against a national timeshare company
  • Secured a bench verdict in favor of a regional bank in civil suit involving against allegations of fraud, Telephone Consumer Protection Act violations and emotional distress
  • Obtained summary judgment in an arbitration on all claims asserted by a timeshare owner against a national timeshare company and secured judgment against the timeshare owner on the company's breach of contract counterclaim

*Certain of these matters occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.

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