Christopher J. Kutner
Partner
Christopher J. Kutner
Partner
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Chris learned the value of discipline early in his career—a quality that continues to inform his legal practice. Whether helping a client with a dispute or designing the legal framework for a new business venture, Chris draws upon his legal experience and prior military training.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (516) 357-3355
Fax: (516) 357-3333
926 RXR Plaza
Uniondale, NY, 11556
Practice Groups
Bar Admission
New York
Connecticut
Christopher J. Kutner represents managed care organizations, physician groups, hospitals, and ancillary service providers, including laboratories, health care benefit administrators, and suppliers of medical equipment.
As a partner in the Health Services Practice Group, Chris represents national and regional health plans in the acquisition of similar plans. He also advises health care providers with managed care contracting and dispute resolution and with respect to compliant practice structures and permissible arrangements concerning, among other issues, referrals.
His managed care experience makes him well-suited for advising health care consumers with benefit and medical necessity opinions as well as assisting with external appeals with state regulators.
A partner in Rivkin Radler’s Compliance, Investigations & White Collar Practice Group, Chris represents health care providers who are being audited or investigated by, among others, the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC), the New York State Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG), the New York Attorney General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for all districts in New York and New Jersey.
Chris’ practice includes advising providers in Western and Northern New York, and he is admitted, and practices law, in Connecticut.
Beginning his career as a commercial litigator, Chris represented local, national, and global companies in complex civil litigation in state and federal courts. In 1998, he accepted an in-house counsel position with Vytra Health Plans, a managed care organization and client he represented in private practice. For eight years, Chris worked inside the managed care industry. Among his accomplishments: He implemented Vytra’s first corporate compliance program and served as compliance and privacy officer. He ultimately served as special assistant and counsel to the president and chief executive officer, focusing on health care strategic planning, product development, and regulatory compliance. He served as corporate counsel and regulatory compliance counsel for Vytra’s parent organization, HIP, while assuming the role of general counsel at Vytra, where he was instrumental in working with state and federal law enforcement on investigations of individuals and entities based on health care fraud, among other claims.
Chris enlisted in the U.S. military at age 19 and served active duty in the U.S. Air Force while attending college. He earned the Air Force Commendation Medal and was honorably discharged after four years of active service to pursue a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from SUNY Stony Brook, which he earned in 1987.
Court Admissions
U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Bar Affiliations
American Bar Association Health Law Section
Nassau County Bar Association Health and Hospital Law Committee
New York State Bar Association Health Law Section
Education
St. John’s University School of Law, J.D.
Hofstra University, Frank G. Zarb School of Business, M.B.A.
State University of New York at Stony Brook, B.E.M.E.
News & Publications
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54 Rivkin Radler Attorneys Named 2025 New York Metro Super Lawyers®/Rising Stars
October 30 | 2025 -
Health Law Executive Briefing: How to Handle Payer Record Requests and Subsequent Demands for Alleged Overpayments
September 12 | 2025 -
Over 25 Percent of Rivkin Radler Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America®
August 21 | 2025
View All Publications
Webinars
- Defending Provider Audits
April 11 | 2024
Chris currently serves on the Molloy University President’s Advisory Council.
Chris has been named to Best Lawyers in America® for Health Care Law and Litigation-Health Care from 2017 to 2026.
The Health Services Practice Group has been recognized in the Chambers USA directory in the Health Care category. Chris was named to Super Lawyers in the Metro New York Area in Health Care for 2014, 2015 and 2018–2025.
Chris recently coordinated the acquisition and integration of a Connecticut managed care plan by a larger, New York City-based health maintenance organization (HMO). He represented a multi-facility alcohol and substance abuse service provider in a stock sale transaction. He also represented a regional, boutique laboratory in an asset sale. Moreover, a regional laboratory-management company hired Chris to advise on acquisitions, state and federal regulatory compliance, and managed care contracting.
He has represented a national managed care company in connection with its acquisition of managed long-term care plans (MLTCPs) and a county government in the sale of its Medicaid managed care plan including eight outpatient treatment facilities.
