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Taryn McDonald

Taryn focuses her practice on government investigations and healthcare litigation, representing individuals and companies facing actual or threatened government enforcement actions. She has represented clients under criminal or civil investigation by various government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Inspector General, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and FINRA. Taryn has extensive experience defending clients in qui tam and False Claims Act investigations and lawsuits and regularly provides counsel on regulatory issues, including compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. Taryn also helps her clients investigate and navigate sensitive internal compliance issues and advises them regarding their disclosure obligations.

Taryn is actively involved in the firm and in the community. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association - Health Law Section and the DFW Chapter of Women in White Collar Defense. She is also a member of the Cattle Baron’s Ball Committee which raises funds for the American Cancer Society. Prior to attending law school, Taryn worked for both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

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  • Represented a clinical laboratory in False Claims Act qui tam in the Northern District of Texas alleging violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute related to pharmacogenetic testing. See United States ex rels. Choate and Pyburn v. DNA Stat et al. (N.D. Tex.).
  • Represented national hospice provider in False Claims Act qui tam in the Northern District of Texas alleging violations of the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute. See United States ex rel. Capshaw v. White (N.D. Tex.).
  • Represented national healthcare provider in False Claims Act qui tam alleging violations of the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute related to employed physician compensation arrangements and improper coding of evaluation and management procedures.
  • Represented pathology laboratories in False Claims Act qui tam alleging improper billing and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
  • Represented an oil and gas services company in connection with a criminal investigation of alleged FCPA violations.
  • Conducted comprehensive evaluation of anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance program for publicly traded company.
  • Represented registered broker dealer in investigation related to alleged violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5.
  • Represented former public company executive in a parallel criminal/civil investigation by the DOJ and the SEC related to loans received under the government’s paycheck protection program.
  • Counseled publicly traded companies regarding disclosure obligations surrounding government investigations and litigation.
  • Advised public company regarding self-disclosure of potential FCPA violation.
  • Recognized by Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, in Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations (Texas), 2024
  • Recognized by Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, 2021-2023
  • Included in Texas Super Lawyers Women’s Edition, Thomson Reuters, as a Rising Star, 2023
  • Included in the "Ones to Watch" category of Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., Health Care Law, 2021-2024; Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2023-2025
  • Recognized in D Magazine's "Best Lawyers in Dallas," D Magazine Partners, 2018

Education

J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, 2013, summa cum laude; Order of the Coif; SMU Law Review Association

B.A., Government, The University of Texas at Austin, 2007, with honors

B.S., Communication Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, 2007, with honors

Admissions

Texas

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Alerts
Florida Federal Court Holds the False Claims Act’s Qui Tam Provision Unconstitutional
October 03, 2024

Since its enactment in 1863, the False Claims Act (FCA) has contained a qui tam provision that permits private claimants (also known as “relators” and sometimes referred to as “private attorneys general”) to sue on behalf of the federal government and, if successful, obtain a share of the recovery. Now, this long-standing provision’s viability has been directly challenged by a recent decision issu [...]