Insurance
10 Centene legal leaders
These ten current Centene legal leaders hold vice president, staff vice president and associate general counsel roles in the Centene Corporation legal department, covering technology, litigation, Medicare, the South region and pharmacy. A reader can learn how legal leaders work at Centene from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
01—10Chris Merrick
LinkedInExperience: Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since March 2026, based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Former Assistant General Counsel at Centene (2022–2026), listed at Director level, former Senior Advisor - PBM (2022) and Advisor (2019–2022) at CVS Health, and former Regulatory Counsel, Healthcare and Education Division at Stateside Associates (2019–2020).
Christopher Craig
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since March 2025, based in Los Angeles and listed in the Legal department at the President/Vice President level. Former Staff Vice President (2021–2025) and Senior Corporate Counsel (2018–2021) at Centene, and former Counsel - Financial Services and ERISA at O'Melveny & Myers LLP (2008–2018).
Crawford Long
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since November 2025, with a profile headline citing technology, privacy, security and AI. Former Associate General Counsel (2024–2025), Senior Commercial Counsel, Enterprise Procurement (2020–2024) and Senior Corporate Counsel (Technology and Innovation) (2020) at Centene, and former Senior Corporate Counsel at Wellcare Medicare (2015–2020).
John Drake
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since April 2025, with a profile headline citing litigation strategy, risk management and dispute resolution. Former Associate General Counsel (Litigation) at Centene (2021–2025), former Litigation Counsel at Energizer Holdings (2019–2021), and Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis since 2021.
Jordy Federko
LinkedInExperience: Vice President and Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since April 2025, based in St. Louis. Former Associate General Counsel at Centene (2021–2025), former Corporate Secretary at FutureFuel Corp. (2015–2021), former Counsel at Apex Oil Company, Inc. (2015–2021) and former Associate General Counsel at Prime Natural Resources, Inc. (2013–2015).
Justin Stubstad, PharmD, JD
LinkedInExperience: VP, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
VP, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since April 2026, based in St. Louis. Former Vice President Compliance and Operations Excellence (2024–2026), Vice President, Compliance and Compliance Officer for Envolve Pharmacy Solutions (2019–2024), and Senior Director (2019) and Director (2016–2019), Compliance - Envolve Pharmacy Solutions at Centene.
Lisa Hathaway
LinkedInExperience: Staff Vice President, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Staff Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since March 2024, with the profile describing legal support for Centene's Medicare products nationally. Former Vice President, Chief Medicare Counsel at Aetna, a CVS Health Company (2015–2023), and former Assistant General Counsel at Florida Blue (2004–2015).
Michael Kass
LinkedInExperience: Staff Vice President, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Staff Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since February 2025, based in St. Louis. Former Partner and Co-Chair of the Non-Compete and Trade Secrets Practice Group (2009–2025) and Associate Attorney (2001–2008) at Armstrong Teasdale, with the profile describing private practice work on employment, general corporate and litigation matters.
Taylor Cooper
LinkedInExperience: Staff Vice President, Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Staff Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since March 2024, based in Houston. Former Associate General Counsel - South Region Lead (2023–2024) and Associate General Counsel - Texas Counsel (2022–2023) at Centene, and former Vice President & General Counsel (2020–2022) and Director of Legal Affairs (2017–2020) at Community Health Choice.
Taylor Stone
LinkedInExperience: Associate General Counsel · Centene Corporation
Associate General Counsel at Centene Corporation since March 2026, with the profile citing work with specialty pharmacy and PBM subsidiaries and skills in licensing and regulatory filings. Former Assistant General Counsel at Centene (2022–2026), and former Compliance Manager - Envolve Pharmacy Solutions (2021–2022) and Senior Compliance Analyst - Envolve Pharmacy Solutions (2020–2021) at Centene.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person to the legal area behind your question, since technology and procurement, litigation, Medicare products, regional health plan support and pharmacy regulation each involve different work. Vice presidents can speak to how a legal group is run, while associate general counsel are closer to day-to-day matters.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How does an in-house legal team at a managed care company support Medicare and Medicaid products?
- 02How should a health insurer organize legal support for its state and regional health plans?
- 03How does a corporate legal team review technology and AI contracts at a large health care company?
Reaching Centene legal leaders
How can I contact one of these Centene legal leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Centene Corporation, based on profile data retrieved on October 13, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Centene legal leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
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Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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