Stewart A. Cunningham

Stewart A. Cunningham joined Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski as a partner in July 2024.

As an active trial attorney with over 20 significant medical negligence cases tried to verdict and over 30 years’ experience representing physicians, healthcare professionals, hospitals and their medical staffs, pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers, Mr. Cunningham has achieved successful outcomes and verdicts in State and Federal Court. Mr. Cunningham’s wide-ranging experience in pharmaceutical and medical device defense includes litigation involving breast implants, pharmaceutical agents and prosthetic devices.

From 2006 through 2017, Mr. Cunningham served as Vice President of Legal Services and General Counsel at Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. In that capacity he provided legal advice to senior management and the board of directors on a wide range of issues, including corporate compliance and fraud and abuse related matters, internal and government investigations, physician compensation arrangements, employment issues, and medical staff related matters.

During his tenure at Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Mr. Cunningham also served as President, and was on the board of directors, of the hospital’s captive insurer. He was responsible for setting the reserves for all hospital claims and demonstrating to outside auditors the reasonableness of the reserve setting process. Working closely with the hospital’s Risk Management Department, he oversaw management of all hospital claims, litigation and risk management practices.

Mr. Cunningham also currently represents the medical staff of a major New Jersey hospital, providing advice to the President of the Medical Staff, the Medical Executive Committee, and senior hospital administration on a variety of matters, including Medical Staff Bylaws related issues, Corrective Action activities, including serving as counsel for the Medical Executive Committee in Fair Hearings, and reporting to the National Practitioner Data Bank and state authorities.