Joan L. Kutcher

Joan Kutcher has more than 20 years of experience representing clients before Congress and regulatory agencies on a broad variety of legislative issues.  Drawing on nearly a decade of experience as Washington Counsel to the State of New York, Ms. Kutcher advises trade associations, state governments, and corporate clients on legislative procedure and strategy in the areas of health care, intellectual property, government contracts, and insurance.  She played a key role in the development of the Long-Term Care Insurance program for federal employees.   Ms. Kutcher is a senior member of Covington’s Government Affairs Practice Group, and has served on the firm’s Retirement Committee for five years.

Representative Matters

• Lead legislative counsel for Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in its successful effort to secure Medicare prescription drug coverage of its cholesterol drug, Niaspan®.
• Strategic advisor to John Hancock Financial Services on a wide range of matters.  Recently, assisted client in its efforts to secure legislation creating a public private partnership encouraging the purchase of long-term care insurance. 
• Legislative and strategic advisor to Unisys Corporation on homeland security and other government contracting matters.
• Strategic advisor to Defense Department contractor.  Led preparations for congressional hearing where client was lead witness.
• Advisor to coalition of state governments on Medicaid reimbursement issues.

Previous Experience

• Governor of New York, Senior Legislative Counsel (1981-1989) 
• U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Hearings and Appeals, Deputy Assistant Director (1978-1981)

Pro Bono

• Advise Girls, Inc., which provides educational programs to girls in high-risk, underserved areas on appropriations strategy to expand its nationally recognized programs.
• Assisted in securing congressional support for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society ensuring use of appropriated funds for alternatives to detention, particularly for women and children asylum seekers.

Memberships and Affiliations

• The Raymond Locke Foundation, Inc., Vice President of Board of Directors, organized to provide after-school athletic program in high risk, underserved neighborhood. 
• District of Columbia Bar Association, Health Care Committee 
• Federal Communications Bar Association, former Co-chair of legislation committee

Publications and Speeches

• "Congressional Oversight and Investigations in the 110th Congress," Covington E-Alert (11/16/2006), Co-Author
• "Implementation of Deficit Reduction Act Long-term Care Partnership," John Hancock Practice Advancement Conference (Connecticut) (2006)
• "Written Testimony of Elizabeth Murphy Burns, President, Morgan Murphy Stations Association for Maximum Service Television, Inc.," Before the Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation on the Transition to High Definition Television (7/8/1998), Author