Dominique Rioux is an associate in Ropes & Gray’s Litigation and Enforcement practice group, focusing on government enforcement actions, internal investigations, and complex civil litigation. Dominique has experience in all stages of litigation, including pre-suit strategy, dispositive motion practice, discovery, trial, and appeal. She has particular experience representing clients in matters involving the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statue. In 2024, Dominique completed a client secondment at Bain Capital, managing complex litigation and government enforcement matters.
Dominique maintains an active pro bono practice, with a focus on constitutional issues and impact litigation. She has represented two individuals on death row challenging the constitutionality of their respective states’ execution protocols up through the United States Supreme Court.
Dominique clerked for the Honorable Paul L. Friedman of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2019-2020. Dominique then served as a Vetting Attorney for the Office of General Counsel to the Biden-Harris Transition team before returning to the firm in 2021. During law school, she interned for the Honorable Patricia A. Millett of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Before law school, Dominique worked in the Governor’s Office of Massachusetts for both Governors Patrick and Baker on the team implementing Massachusetts’ new health insurance system under the Affordable Care Act. In this role, she worked closely with federal and state agencies including HHS, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and MassHealth.
Experience
False Claims Act (FCA) & Anti-Kickback Statue (AKS) Investigations & Litigation
- Defended a health care provider and its private equity sponsor in a FCA investigation by DOJ and related qui tam case alleging fraudulent upcoding of Medicare claims, leading to favorable settlement.
- Defended an electronic health records company in a FCA and AKS investigation by DOJ alleging pharmaceutical sponsorship of clinical decision alerts improperly tainted physician decision making.
- Defended a multinational biotechnology company in a civil FCA qui tam litigation alleging marketing programs improperly induced physician prescriptions.
- Advised an electronic health records company in a FCA and AKS investigation by DOJ and related qui tam case alleging that commercial relationships with a pathology laboratory and health care providers rendered the EHR technology ineligible for federal incentive payments under the Affordable Care Act.
- Advised a health care provider and its private equity sponsor in a FCA investigation by DOJ into the relationships between Medicare Advantage health insurance brokers and health care providers.
Government Enforcement & Internal Investigations
- Advised a global sports organization in a widespread internal investigation in connection with litigation across numerous jurisdictions alleging sexual misconduct involving minor athletes.
- Represented an individual called by DOJ to testify at a criminal trial alleging that officers of an enterprise software company defrauded purchasers and sellers of its securities.
- Advised a national sports organization in its response to a subpoena seeking documents related to an independent investigation.
- Advised a global investment management firm in its response to a second request by the FTC in connection with the proposed sale of a pharmaceutical company.
- Defended an electronic health records company before an HHS Administrative Law Judge in an OIG action alleging that the company had not complied with the obligations under its Corporate Integrity Agreement.
Complex Civil Litigation
- Defended Google in the government’s antitrust litigation alleging search monopolization through discovery, summary judgment, and trial.
- Represented a special litigation committee in its investigation into shareholders’ derivative claims against a beverage distributor.
- Represented an international executive search firm in chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, leading to a favorable settlement on the eve of trial.
Appellate and Pro Bono Litigation
- Argued Sluss v. DOJ before the D.C. Circuit on behalf of appellant, challenging the denial of appellant’s application for transfer to a Canadian prison.*
- Filed an amicus brief on behalf of bipartisan former Department of Justice officials and former federal prosecutors in support of respondents in Shinn v. Ramirez before the United States Supreme Court.
- Represented Quintin Phillippe Jones, an inmate on death row, in his clemency application to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and in his First Amendment challenge to Texas’ execution protocol before the Northern District of Texas, and the Fifth Circuit.
- Represented Christopher Lee Price, an inmate on death row, in his Eighth Amendment challenge to Alabama’s lethal injection protocol before the Southern District of Alabama, the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
- Represented a criminal defendant on appeal of his conviction and sentence in United States v. Gamarra before the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
- Represented petitioner appealing denial of his petition for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture in Hussain v. Rosen before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Government Advocacy
- Advised an industry trade group submitting a comment letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission related to contemplated climate change-related disclosure rules.
*through the Georgetown Appellate Litigation Clinic