Elisa focuses her legal practice in the areas of premises liability, products liability, commercial litigation, and employment law for corporate clients, including one of the nation’s largest retailers. Elisa handles cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in both state and federal court. Elisa manages her own caseload and handles all aspects of her cases including pleadings, discovery, motion practice, arbitrations, and trials.

Prior to joining McDonnell & Associates, Elisa worked for a mid-sized, multi-disciplined commercial litigation firm, concentrating her practice in Health Care law and the False Claims Act. She is experienced with legal issues relating to Medicare and Medicaid as well as Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark, EMTALA, and HIPAA. Elisa worked on all aspects of litigation including discovery and e-discovery, government disclosures, depositions, and motion practice. In addition to health care, she worked on matters related to employment and labor.

Prior to going into private practice, Elisa completed a Public Service Fellowship with the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, a non-profit organization providing free legal services to Pennsylvania residents having difficulty accessing publicly funded health care coverage and services.

Elisa earned her Juris Doctor from Drexel University, Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where she completed a Concentration in Health Law with Honors. She received recognition for Best Class Performance and for Pro Bono Service for volunteering to draft healthcare powers of attorney and living wills with the Hahnemann Medical-Legal Partnership. Elisa earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Medicine, Health & Society.

Elisa is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.

Ms. Boody recently tried a jury trial in Gloucester County, New Jersey on behalf of a major transportation company. The Plaintiff alleged that he was injured after falling while unloading the client’s trailer. He testified that the truck driver pulled away from the loading dock while he was still partially standing in the trailer. The Plaintiff had previously received a favorable arbitration award, which was appealed to a trial de novo. The trial involved questions of agency and control over the actions of the truck driver; but through the presentation of multiple witnesses and evidence, Ms. Boody successfully argued that the owner of the trailer bore no responsibility for the accident. Specifically, Ms. Boody presented evidence that the client’s drivers were not using the loading dock at the time of the alleged accident. After a short deliberation, the jury found no agency relationship between the client and the truck driver. Based upon the jury’s factual finding, the court entered judgment in the defendant's favor. This was one of the first fully virtual jury trials in this vicinage where all participants met on Zoom without any courtroom appearances of attorneys, parties, witnesses, or jurors.

Elisa defended, litigated, and resolved claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She represented an employer and obtained a favorable settlement when a then-current employee alleged that he was intentionally passed over for two promotions on account of his age and disability status. Elisa argued that the promotions were given to the most qualified individuals who performed the best during the interview process rather than to those with the most time of the job.

Elisa was a part of the team that represented the whistleblower and successfully settled United States ex rel. Bergman v. Abbott Laboratories, 2:09-cv-04264 (E.D. Pa.). Abbott Laboratories paid $25 million to settle the lawsuit that alleged that Abbott promoted a drug for off-label uses and paid kickbacks to prescribing physicians.

Elisa assisted in the matter of the United States ex rel. Nevyas v. Allergan Inc., 2:09-cv-00432 (E.D. Pa.). In that case, Allergan agreed to pay $13 million to settle claims that it was paying kickbacks to eye care providers.

Elisa was a part of the team representing two whistleblowers and assisting the government on United States, et al. ex rel. Lutz, et al. v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al. The case resulted in a $114 million judgment against three individuals for violating the False Claims Act.

Publications

“Puerto Rico Establishes its own False Claims Act,” False Claims Act – Whistleblowers Blog, August 2018

“Where Does Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Stand on the False Claims Act?” False Claims Act – Whistleblowers Blog, July 2018

“PA Court Declares Contractors Lack Standing to Challenge P3 Contracts,” Breaking Ground Magazine, November/December 2017 Issue

“3D Printing is Changing Construction,” Construction Legal Edge, Summer 2017