Susan L. Burke
Burke O'Neil LLC
1000 Potomac Street
Suite 150
Washington, DC 20007
202.445.1409 (telephone)
202.232.5513 (facsimile)
sburke@burkeoneil.com
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Susan L. Burke
Professional Experience
Susan L. Burke is an experienced and successful litigator, having defended and prosecuted a series of class actions involving a wide range of topics, such as ERISA fiduciary obligations, disability discrimination in public housing, failure to provide mental health services and toxic torts. In addition to class action experience, Susan has a wealth of other litigation experience in both federal and state courts. She has litigated election law, antitrust, employment, insurance coverage, false advertising and defamation claims, and health care fraud actions. She also has advised clients on complying with complex regulatory schemes, primarily those governing health care providers.
Susan has enjoyed a series of litigation victories over the past few years, and has been honored among "Women of the Year" by The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly in May of 2008. She prevailed in an election law action brought on behalf of Michael Nutter, now Mayor of Philadelphia, after arguing the matter before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
She prevailed in a False Claims Act and common law action brought by the Department of Justice against Medica-Rents, a durable medical equipment provider, after first-chairing an 8-day bench trial. After winning the trial, Ms. Burke successfully defended the defense verdicts before the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Susan also sought and obtained an ex parte injunction against the Department of Justice in order to prevent the United States from turning an American citizen over to Iraqi authorities who would have tortured him.
Susan serves as lead counsel in five actions brought on behalf of the Abu Ghraib torture victims. The actions are against CACI and L-3, whose employees served as translators or interrogators and participated in the torture. The actions are pending in federal court in D.C., California, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, and Washington.
Susan also serves as lead counsel in an action to recover for defense contractor Blackwater’s actions on September 16, 2007, in Nissoor Square in Iraq. On that date, Blackwater mercenaries killed 17 people and wounded many others. The action is pending before Judge Walton in the District Court in the District of Columbia.
Susan formed Burke O'Neil LLC (initially Burke Pyle LLC) in August 2005. Immediately prior to forming her firm, she was an equity partner with a regional law firm in Philadelphia, Montgomery McCracken, Walker and Rhoads.
Susan joined that firm after serving as vice president and regional counsel for Tenet HealthSystem Philadelphia Inc. and Tenet HealthSystem Hospitals Inc. In that role, she had responsibility for the law department's operations for a twenty-hospital jurisdiction encompassing Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. She advised on operational hospital issues, including academic affiliations, residencies, managed care relationships, medical staff, immigration, fraud and abuse, peer review, physician contractual relationships, and relationships with governmental entities.
Prior to taking the position with Tenet, Susan was a partner with Mintz Levin. She also practiced with Covington & Burling and the Department of Justice.
Education
Susan L. Burke received her J.D. degree from Catholic University in 1987, where she won the Faculty Award for having the highest academic average. She graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where she majored in international law and politics.
Admitted to Practice
Susan L. Burke is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Pennsylvania.