Samuel R. Rutherford

• Counsel to a publicly traded company involved in federal False Claims Act litigation and a related state-court class action.
• Counsel to hospitals in parallel civil and criminal investigations involving the Anti-Kickback Statute and related False Claims Act litigation.
• Counsel to an international airline in a federal multidistrict class action alleging violations of the Sherman Act.
• Counsel to revenue cycle services company in arbitrations of contract disputes.
• Counsel to the inventors, manufacturer, and distributor of a landmark medical imaging device in federal litigation involving licensing and assignment claims.
• Counsel to a health care company in a putative class action in federal court alleging fraud and contract claims.
• Counsel to a multinational company in a joint venture dispute in Delaware Chancery Court.
• Counsel to private equity investors in an arbitration of post-closing indemnification claims.
• Counsel to a hospital in a putative state-court class action alleging civil RICO claims.
• Counsel to a health care company in multiple disputes related to indemnification and other post-transaction disputes.
• Counsel to health care services companies in litigation and arbitrations of contract claims.
• Counsel to a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) company in a contract dispute in federal court.

Sam Rutherford is a partner with Alston & Bird’s Litigation & Trial Practice Group. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on the health care, financial services, and transportation industries. Sam has represented companies throughout the country in a broad range of litigation, including claims involving the False Claims Act, Sherman Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, federal and state health care regulations, class actions, unfair trade practices statutes, and the Bayh–Dole Act. He is a member of the health care, financial services, and appellate litigation teams. Sam frequently represents clients in large and complex contract disputes and arbitrations, particularly in the hospital, health care services, and revenue cycle management industries.

Sam also has extensive experience in appellate litigation, including matters in the U.S. Supreme Court, state supreme courts, and multiple federal circuits. He is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Georgia, Eleventh Circuit, Seventh Circuit, Sixth Circuit, and Georgia Court of Appeals. He’s also served as a chapter editor for the Georgia Appellate Practice Handbook.

Sam was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Georgia Super Lawyers in 2014 and 2015. He received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif, and received his A.B., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia.

Bar Admissions

• Georgia

Education

• The University of Chicago (J.D., 2005)
• University of Georgia (A.B., 2002)

Memberships