Steve Hamilton

Partner

Overview

Steve Hamilton is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Health Care Group in the Chicago office. He has substantial experience as a health care litigator and regulatory lawyer.

Steve possesses an extensive depth of knowledge advising health insurers and other healthcare entities through intricate regulatory and compliance issues that shape the industry landscape. He has particularly deep knowledge and expertise representing and advising government-sponsored managed care organizations, including Medicare Advantage Organizations, Part D plans, and Medicaid managed care organizations in all aspects of their operations. He assists these plans in navigating regulatory and compliance issues as well as handling internal investigations, government investigations, False Claims Act (FCA) and qui tam cases, and other enforcement actions.

As a litigator, Steve represents health insurers and other healthcare entities in complex payment disputes, qui tams, and individual, multiparty, and class action managed care cases in courts and arbitrations across the country. These matters span a wide spectrum, including cases involving ERISA, RICO, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), claims denials, prompt pay, bad faith, breach of contract, and a variety of common law claims. As a seasoned trial lawyer, he has overseen all facets of cases, including serving as both first and second chair in numerous trials and arbitration hearings, in addition to crafting persuasive appellate briefs and presenting compelling arguments.

Career & Education

    • DePaul University College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2006
      Member, DePaul Law Review
    • University of Wisconsin – Madison, B.A., with honors, Political Science, 2002
    • DePaul University College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2006
      Member, DePaul Law Review
    • University of Wisconsin – Madison, B.A., with honors, Political Science, 2002
    • Illinois
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
    • Illinois
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Steve's Insights

Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25

Leading Health Care Practices Combine to Provide Comprehensive Counsel to Clients at a Time of Tremendous Change Across the Industry

Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee....

Representative Matters

  • Represented Medicare Advantage organization in first-of-its kind challenge to 2024 Star Ratings based upon CMS’s failure to comply with federal regulations regarding the calculation of Star Ratings. The court found in favor of the plan and required CMS to recalculate Star Ratings for the plan, which resulted in CMS recalculating Star Ratings for the entire Medicare Advantage industry. 
  • Represented a Medicare Advantage organization in a challenge to the 2025 Star Ratings due to CMS’s improper treatment of a single telephone call in calculating Star Ratings, which created a substantial financial impact to the plan in lost quality bonus payments. This matter was resolved and the plan voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 managed care organization in lawsuit brought by a long-term care pharmacy over reimbursements relating to co-payments under Medicare Part D. The parties reach a confidential settlement after the trial court entered an order preventing the long-term care pharmacy from using key damages evidence without first producing thousands of boxes of supporting documentation.
  • Represented Medicare advantage organization in qui tam lawsuit alleging false claims liability by Part D plans in connection with direct and indirect remuneration. The government ultimately dismissed the proceedings under its statutory dismissal authority.
  • Represented multiple health insurers in various arbitration hearings before single and three-member panels of arbitrators in cases asserting various causes of action, including breach of contract and violation of state Prompt Pay laws.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 U.S.-based generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in international arbitration against Greek pharmaceutical manufacturer. Obtained confidential award in client’s favor.

Steve's Insights

Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25

Leading Health Care Practices Combine to Provide Comprehensive Counsel to Clients at a Time of Tremendous Change Across the Industry

Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee....

Recognition

  • Chambers USA: "Up and Coming" for Illinois Healthcare, 2024
  • Chambers USA: Illinois Healthcare, 2025
  • Thomson Reuters: Stand-Out Lawyers list, 2025

Steve's Insights

Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25

Leading Health Care Practices Combine to Provide Comprehensive Counsel to Clients at a Time of Tremendous Change Across the Industry

Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee....

Steve's Insights

Firm News | 5 min read | 08.06.25

Leading Health Care Practices Combine to Provide Comprehensive Counsel to Clients at a Time of Tremendous Change Across the Industry

Chicago – August 06, 2025: Crowell & Moring today announced that a group of 16 highly regarded health care litigation partners is joining the firm, together with their team, and led by accomplished trial attorney Martin J. Bishop. The strategic combination creates one of the largest health care practices in the country and expands the firm’s ability to provide clients across the industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. The team joins from Reed Smith, where Bishop served on the firm’s executive committee....