Partner | Chair, Healthcare Practice

Medical Malpractice Defense Attorney and Trial Lawyer

Julie A. Mickiewicz is a partner at Fullerton Beck LLP and chair of the firm’s Healthcare Practice. A seasoned trial attorney, she focuses her practice on defending skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, healthcare professionals, and their insurers in complex long-term care and medical malpractice litigation. She also serves as national coverage and monitoring counsel for insurers of long-term care facilities, advising carriers on claim evaluation, litigation strategy, reserve recommendations, and other high-exposure matters.

Results-Driven Advocacy

Julie’s practice spans every stage of litigation, including case assessment, discovery, witness preparation, motion practice, mediation, trial, and appeal. In 2024, she obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a skilled nursing facility in Queens, New York, a significant result in a complex case tried in a venue widely regarded as challenging for defendants.

She approaches every matter with the mindset that thorough trial preparation creates opportunities for successful resolution. In addition to trying cases to defense verdicts, Julie has secured favorable outcomes through strategic negotiation at critical stages of litigation, including during jury selection and after trial. Her experience includes resolving matters within policy limits despite demands far exceeding available coverage and helping clients achieve outcomes that align with both litigation risk and business objectives.

That combination of trial readiness and practical judgment allows Julie to evaluate when a case should be tried and when a negotiated resolution best serves her clients’ interests.

Nursing Experience That Shapes Her Litigation Strategy

Before entering the legal profession, Julie graduated from the Army Practical Nursing School and worked as both a licensed practical nurse and certified nursing assistant. Her background includes medical-surgical nursing, geriatric care, home health, palliative care, and hospice services.

Her experience as a frontline caregiver gives her a distinct perspective when defending long-term care and medical malpractice claims. Julie understands the standards of care governing long-term care settings, the judgment required of providers, and the challenges that arise when patient outcomes are later scrutinized in litigation. That foundation allows her to assess matters through both a healthcare and legal lens and develop defense strategies grounded in the realities of patient care.

Our clients and insurers value Julie’s ability to analyze complex medical issues and translate them into clear, practical guidance. Her unique blend of healthcare and legal experience enables her to quickly identify the medical, operational, and documentation issues that often drive exposure, influence outcomes, and inform strategy.

Industry Thought Leadership

In addition to her litigation practice, Julie is recognized as a thought leader within the healthcare community, lecturing on risk management and providing in-service training to healthcare professionals. Drawing on both her nursing and legal backgrounds, she helps providers better understand emerging risks, strengthen practices, and navigate the legal and regulatory issues that affect patient care.