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“He’s former DOJ so he’s extremely well connected in that world. He brings a deep network of relationships which is vital in navigating the intricacies in white-collar matters. He’s really wonderfully pragmatic and a bright person who brings calm to our leaders in some of the most stressful situations.”

Chambers USA 2026

Overview

When an organization faces a consequential legal or reputational challenge, Jonathan is a trusted counselor to the leaders responsible for deciding what to do next.

A former federal prosecutor and trial lawyer, Jonathan brings the judgment of someone who has built cases from the inside, the composure of a lawyer who has tried them to verdict, and the perspective of someone who has worked both inside government and in private practice. He helps organizations and their leaders navigate federal investigations, whistleblower allegations, sensitive internal matters, significant disputes, transactions, and other circumstances requiring careful legal and strategic judgment. Whether the challenge involves government enforcement, litigation, regulatory risk, or a rapidly developing crisis, Jonathan helps leadership understand the problem, frame the choices, assemble the right team, and make sound decisions while the facts are still developing.

Jonathan’s experience spans government, litigation, and public policy. Before becoming a lawyer, he worked for three years on Capitol Hill—serving in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives—and in the Georgia governor’s office. He subsequently served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, where he investigated and prosecuted complex criminal and civil matters involving healthcare fraud, financial crime, and other federal offenses. He was a key member of multiple international healthcare fraud investigations and prosecutions, tried cases involving doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, executives, and other professionals, and led significant civil investigations and litigation under the False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act. He received some of the highest honors awarded by the Department of Justice, FBI, HHS-OIG, and DEA to federal prosecutors.

That experience now informs Jonathan’s private practice. Having seen the federal justice system from the government’s side, he represents organizations, executives, and individuals navigating investigations and litigation involving the government. He helps clients anticipate how prosecutors and regulators will evaluate facts, assess credibility, and make enforcement decisions, while also understanding the legal and practical consequences for the organization and its leaders. His work frequently requires him to coordinate lawyers and other professionals—including forensic accountants, technical experts, communications professionals, deal counsel, and other specialists—to address problems that do not fit neatly within a single legal discipline.

Jonathan’s deepest experience is in healthcare, where he represents health systems, physician groups, healthcare companies, and executives in False Claims Act investigations and other government enforcement matters. His practice is ranked among the leading healthcare fraud practices in the country by Chambers USA, which describes him as a “superstar” who is “professional in every way, wonderfully pragmatic,” and whose “biggest strength is seeing the bigger picture and understanding client objectives and setting a strategy.” Chambers notes that Jonathan has “a really incredible way of communicating” and that “clients love him.” Clients value his ability to explain complex issues clearly, identify the decisions that matter most, and help boards and executives act decisively when the facts and legal risks are still developing.

Jonathan’s work extends well beyond healthcare. He has served as lead counsel to a Fortune 500 company in a DOJ criminal investigation with potential corporate exposure, represented major financial institutions in federal matters—including an FBI investigation where multiple executives were targets—and advised international corporations in industries including logistics, manufacturing, and tobacco. He has also counseled university systems and their leaders in sensitive federal matters. His clients span financial services, higher education, logistics and transportation, manufacturing, government contracting, real estate, and other industries. Whether the matter involves a publicly traded corporation, a regulated financial institution, a university system, a government contractor, or another organization facing federal scrutiny, the underlying challenge is often the same: understanding what the law requires, identifying the competing interests at stake, and exercising sound judgment when there is no risk-free answer.

Jonathan is a frequent voice on federal enforcement policy and white-collar risk, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, and DOJ enforcement priorities. He hosts Husch Blackwell’s False Claims Act Insights podcast, which Law360 named among the best podcasts for healthcare and life sciences lawyers. He teaches white-collar crime as an adjunct professor at Mercer University School of Law and has served in leadership roles in professional and community organizations.

Whether representing a healthcare system in a federal investigation, advising a board through a sensitive crisis, litigating against the government, or helping an organization determine how to respond when the stakes are high, Jonathan’s role is consistent: to bring clarity to complex problems, exercise sound judgment amid uncertainty, and help leaders make decisions they can stand behind.

“He’s former DOJ so he’s extremely well connected in that world. He brings a deep network of relationships which is vital in navigating the intricacies in white-collar matters. He’s really wonderfully pragmatic and a bright person who brings calm to our leaders in some of the most stressful situations.”

Chambers USA 2026

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • Benchmark Litigation
    • Local Litigation Star, 2025 and 2026
  • Chambers USA
    • Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations, 2025-2026
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Healthcare: Service providers, Recommended lawyer, 2024 and 2025
  • American Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Southeastern Legal Awards (SLA) 2024 & 2025, Judging Panel
  • Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) Award for Excellence, 2022
  • DOJ EOUSA Director’s Award, 2021
  • OIG Cooperative Achievement Award, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, 2021
  • Commendation for Demonstrated Excellence, Prosecutive Skills and Outstanding Services, FBI Director Christopher Wray, 2021

Education

  • J.D., Emory University School of Law
    • With Honors
    • Emory Law Journal, Articles Editor
  • M.P.A., Georgia Southern University
  • B.A., Furman University
    • Business Administration

Admissions

  • Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

Jonathan is associated with the Washington, DC office for telephone and mail purposes only. He is not admitted to practice in District of Columbia.

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Bar Association, Antitrust Section
  • American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section
  • American Bar Association, Healthcare Section
  • American Health Law Association
    • Vice Chair, Fraud & Abuse Practice Group
  • American College of Healthcare Executives, Georgia Chapter
  • Georgia Academy of Healthcare Attorneys​​​​
  • Georgia Bar Association, Health Law Section
  • Georgia Bar Association, Criminal Law Section


*Jonathan works remotely from Georgia, where he is licensed. Contact Jonathan via email or phone for in-person/virtual meetings. Use the Washington, DC office address for mail/deliveries only.

By working remotely through The Link, everything happens much more quickly – and Husch Blackwell’s model of aligning by industry has made it easy for me to plug in.

Experience

Federal Investigations & Government Enforcement

  • Represented national healthcare provider in federal False Claims Act investigation. Produced zero documents; instead presented to DOJ on material facts and legal theories. Resulted in DOJ declination and voluntary dismissal of qui tam by whistleblower. Resolved 2025.
  • Lead advisor for national healthcare provider facing FBI/DOJ criminal investigation. Ran proactive internal investigation, quarterbacked teams of separate counsel for client's executives, arranged strategic FBI engagement. Transformed government's view from aggressive to favorable. No charges resulted.
  • Took over after prior firm's handling of a case involving Western healthcare provider, resulting in multi-million-dollar DOJ demand. Ran internal investigation, negotiated settlement for 7% of prior demand with no FCA multiplier, press release, or CIA. Resolved 2025.
  • Represented Southeastern pharmacy in federal Controlled Substances Act investigation following DOJ and DEA demand for nearly $10 million in civil penalties. Negotiated settlement of all claims for less than $20,000 with no press release. Resolved 2026.
  • In case involving a physician in the South, DEA demanded immediate license surrender at interview. Arranged rapid presentation with additional context. DEA closed investigation with no action, saving physician's career. Resolved 2025.
  • Represented Midwestern physician in indicted healthcare fraud case where similar defendants received over five years. Negotiated plea, achieved three-month sentence vs. Guidelines range and prosecutor request. Reduced restitution by millions using novel apportionment theory. Sentenced 2025.
  • Defended healthcare executive in the South in healthcare fraud and kickback investigation. Achieved complete declination.
  • Defended Midwestern pharmacy in federal fraud investigation. Achieved complete declination.
  • Defended Midwestern financial institution in FBI investigation. Achieved complete declination.
  • Defended housing development company in federal investigation of alleged fraud in federally funded program. Achieved declination.

Internal Investigations

  • Board-retained investigation of C-suite embezzlement allegations involving a northeastern health system. Responded within days, interviewed dozen witnesses, provided findings to board. Board took proper action. Concluded 2025.
  • Large-scale investigation of pharmacy compliance at university-affiliated health system in the Southeast. Coordinated mock DEA inspections, overhauled processes.
  • Investigation of alleged physician misconduct in Midwestern health system, with patient safety implications. Coordinated with in-house counsel, HR, medical staff. Advised on interim restrictions and reporting obligations.
  • Investigation of alleged conflicts of interest policy violation by executive in a health system in the Northeast.
  • Internal investigation of potential patient privacy issue involving an academic medical center in the Northeast that required rapid assessment and response.

Private Disputes & Non-Government Matters

  • Represented physician in the Southwest accused of fraud by private insurer. Convinced insurer to take no further action and not file suit. Client paid no money and made no changes to medical billing practices. Resolved 2025.
  • Represented health system in the Midwest accused of improper patient billing practices.

Compliance & Proactive Counseling

  • Advised publicly traded international life sciences company on comprehensive overhaul of compliance processes relating to relationships with healthcare providers.
  • Advised Midwestern health system on HRSA program compliance and federal requirements.
  • Advised Midwestern health system on Medicare billing practices, risk assessment, documentation.
  • Advised physician group in the Midwest on complex AKS issues involving physician arrangements, joint ventures, vendor relationships.
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Outside the Office

Ask Jonathan what matters most to him, and he’ll tell you: his faith and his family. Those commitments shape how he approaches pretty much everything else in life.

He’s spent the last ten years teaching the young adult Sunday School class at his church, where he now chairs the church council. Much of what he enjoys most about those roles is pretty simple: helping people, building community, and being part of something bigger than himself.

That same instinct shows up at his kids’ school, where he serves as Vice President of the Board. On Friday nights in the fall, he has the considerably less dignified—but perhaps more entertaining—job of serving as the public-address announcer for the football team. He’ll tell you the board work is more important. He may even believe it.

The family’s other great love is the open road. They’ve visited a growing list of national parks, usually with Jonathan behind the wheel and a fairly strong opinion about where they should stop next. He enjoys the planning almost as much as the trips themselves, and has developed strong views about which parks are worth the drive. Ask him sometime. Bring snacks.

He’s also rarely without a book recommendation, usually three or four deep in a stack. Recent reads include Patrick Radden Keefe’s Empire of Pain, Bill Browder’s Red Notice, and Ben Macintyre’s The Spy and the Traitor—ranging from the opioid crisis to Russian corruption to Cold War espionage. He reads widely and is always looking for the next great story, particularly one that teaches him something about people, institutions, courage, or the world around him.

And should you find yourself at the Porter family table, don’t skip Jonathan’s cheese quesadillas. They have a local reputation, and he stands by every bite of it.