Joanne has worked on behalf of governmental entities her entire career. She launched Cicala Wackerly Conrod PLLC (formerly The Cicala Law Firm PLLC) in October 2017 with the goal of serving state and local governments, and other public actors, who have been defrauded or otherwise harmed in the health care space.

Joanne currently is one of the State Co-Lead Counsel in the In re Insulin Pricing Litigation (MDL 3080) pending in the District Court of New Jersey. This litigation presents claims arising out of an Insulin Pricing Scheme alleged to be responsible for the unconscionable and deceptive practices that have resulted in the excessive cost for insulins, GLP-1s and other diabetic treatments. Joanne represents the State Attorneys General of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah in this MDL. Most recently, the Court denied all of Defendant Manufacturer and PBMs’ motions to dismiss in the Illinois and Montana Attorney General cases.  (link).    

Joanne also currently represents over 60 Virginia municipalities and local governments in Missouri, Texas, New York and Vermont pursuing claims for injunctive relief and damages arising out of the opioid epidemic. In those cases, which are proceeding in both federal and state court, Joanne was the first attorney in the country to include pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) among the corporate entities allegedly complicit in creating this national public health crisis. Joanne’s theories of liability as to the PBMs have now been embraced by plaintiffs nationwide and have received favorable treatment by the Federal Court presiding over the Opioid MDL #2804 pending in the Northern District of Ohio.

Joanne also represents the State of Vermont in litigation against Express Scripts and CVS Caremark related to overcharging the State and its consumers for prescription drugs.

Prior to forming CWC, Joanne served as Special Counsel to the State of Iowa, counsel to the State of Michigan and lead counsel for the City of New York and 43 New York counties. Joanne represented these public clients on protracted matters involving violations of their respective State False Claims Acts by prescription drug manufacturers. These cases ultimately returned hundreds of millions of dollars to the states’ Medicaid Programs. Notable decisions include the award of partial summary judgment to the New York plaintiffs; the determination that the Attorney General of the State of Iowa could bring a claim under the Iowa UDAP Statute; and, the determination that the State of Michigan had successfully pled a cause for money damages under its new Medicaid False Claims Act. (add links).

Joanne also has extensive experience representing state and national classes, individuals, private companies and unions in both litigation and arbitration contexts. Joanne also advises clients on litigation avoidance strategies and alternative dispute resolution.

Other Professional Experience

Prior to and during law school, Joanne worked for the City of New York on the implementation of the 1988 Family Support Act (specifically its Welfare-to-Work Requirements). She ultimately served as a Site Manager at two welfare reform centers supervising a civil service staff of 50+ personnel serving thousands of clients weekly in connection with the City program. Joanne maintained that job while attending Fordham Law School at night.

During and after her undergraduate years at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Joanne worked for Boston University’s bi-partisan Center for Democracy, based in Washington, DC. In addition to organizing international democratic development projects in Central America and Europe, Joanne helped prepare grant applications to USAID resulting in 1986 in over $1.5 million in funding for legislative initiatives in Guatemala.

Admissions

• State Bars of Texas, New York and New Jersey
• United States District Courts for Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of New York
• United States District Court for New Jersey
• United States District Courts for the Western, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Eighth Circuits

Education

• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, B.S.F.S., 1987
• Fordham University Law School J.D., 1994