Kenneth R. Larywon

Kenneth R. Larywon is a Senior Trial Partner at Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP, where he focuses his practice on the defense of professional liability cases and health care law matters.

For over 47 years, Mr. Larywon has defended physicians and hospitals in claims arising out of the delivery of medical care. He has also represented healthcare professionals in disciplinary proceedings before the Office of Professional Medical Conduct and the Department of Education.

Mr. Larywon has extensive experience in counseling and defending hospitals, and in physician and nursing staff credentialing matters. In this regard, Mr. Larywon has counseled hospital clients on many cases involving the successful removal of healthcare professionals from their medical staffs. This includes advising clients on the steps to be taken, representing and advising them at hearings and defending their decisions before the Public Health Counsel.

Since 2021, Mr. Larywon has served as General Counsel to SOMOS Healthcare Providers, Inc. d/b/a SOMOS Community Care (“SOMOS”) a New York not for profit Corporation. SOMOS’ mission is to expand health equity and ensure the sustainability of an independent network of providers in New York. SOMOS promotes and supports the delivery of exceptional, highly accessible, patient-centered, culturally competent, preventive, and value-based care for the most underserved communities in New York.

On over 150 occasions, Mr. Larywon has lectured on risk management issues to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals at many hospitals in the metropolitan area. Mr. Larywon has also lectured to various associations including a presentation to the American Association of Health Plans entitled “Using Proper Credentialing to Avoid Negligence Based Lawsuits.”

Mr. Larywon co-authored a series of articles about managed care issues for the New York Law Journal. The topics included the competing interests that would be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Pegram v. Herdrich, an analysis of the decision of the Supreme Court in the Pegram case, and a discussion of managed care organization liability under the Texas Healthcare Liability Act as a precursor of a possible statutory methodology in the Bush administration. He also lectured on this subject to the Health Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.

Mr. Larywon has been the Chair and a Course Instructor related to courses in Defending Ophthalmologists in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits at the Annual Meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology from 2012-2015. He has also chaired and lectured in a course entitled Medical Malpractice Across the Globe at the 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and has chaired similar programs at the World Congress of Ophthalmology in 2016 in Guadalajara, Mexico, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain, and 2020 in Capetown, South Africa.

Mr. Larywon previously served as the Chair of the Health Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, where he has also served as its Secretary and Vice-Chair. He also served as the Chair of the Professional Discipline Committee of the State Bar Association for over 10 years.

Mr. Larywon co-chaired a state-wide New York State Bar Association program entitled, “Representing Physicians and Other Healthcare Practitioners in the Professional Disciplinary Process.” In addition to co-chairing the program, Mr. Larywon lectured on Office of Professional Discipline issues. Mr. Larywon has also co-chaired three similar state-wide Professional Discipline programs for the New York State Bar Association.

Mr. Larywon has been selected by his peers to the exclusive New York Super Lawyers list since 2006. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Health Care Law -Defendants, since 2016, and he is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, their highest rating.*

Prior to joining MCB, Mr. Larywon was an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County. During his tenure at the District Attorney’s office, Mr. Larywon earned assignment to the Major Offense Bureau, a model pilot project for the prosecution of violent recidivist offenders. Mr. Larywon has utilized his criminal expertise in advising healthcare clients on matters involving investigations being conducted by both Federal and State prosecutors. He has also been instrumental in convincing courts to recognize the confidential nature of quality assurance documents and to quash Grand Jury subpoenas demanding production of quality assurance materials.