Dr. Jay Calvert, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and one criminal case over more than a decade, including a 2013 felony insurance fraud prosecution that was dismissed, a 2019 civil suit by former patient Natalie West alleging twelve unnecessary surgeries and a fraudulent billing scheme, a defamation action he brought against Fox Television Stations that was largely thrown out on appeal, a nearly $2 million defamation judgment against a former patient that was later declared void, and a long-running dispute with a former business partner over the sale of a healthcare analytics company. Through all of it, Calvert has never lost his medical license and continues to operate practices in California.
The Natalie West Lawsuit
The most prominent case against Calvert is a civil lawsuit filed in May 2019 by former patient Natalie West, who sued Calvert and the University of Southern California for fraud and medical battery. West alleged Calvert performed twelve unnecessary surgeries on her over four years after fabricating diagnoses to justify the procedures. Her complaint described Calvert as treating her PPO insurance as his “personal ATM machine.”1Los Angeles Times. USC-Affiliated Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Sued
The billing allegations were specific. For an initial surgery West had already paid $24,900 out of pocket to cover, Calvert allegedly billed her insurer $199,602 and collected $88,542. Her attorneys called it a “double billing scheme” that cost her roughly $12,900 in additional out-of-pocket expenses. Across the twelve later procedures, West paid about $16,000 for operating room and anesthesia costs while Calvert allegedly collected more than $330,000 from her insurer.1Los Angeles Times. USC-Affiliated Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Sued
West also alleged she was sexually assaulted while unconscious during one of the surgeries, and that USC students, residents, or fellows performed procedures on her without her consent, including an attempted procedure on her uterus that she said caused significant medical harm. A prescription written by a USC fellow was cited as evidence that trainees were involved in her care.2Fox 5 Atlanta. Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Accused of Unnecessary Surgeries
Calvert’s attorney, Arthur Barens, called the claims “baseless” and said every procedure was “medically necessary and consented to” in writing. Barens also stated Calvert had never allowed any resident or fellow to perform surgery on his patients and predicted the case would be “vigorously defended, and ultimately rejected by the court.”3Fox LA. Attorney: New Alleged Victims of Local Plastic Surgeon Coming Forward No public resolution of the West lawsuit has been identified in the available record.
USC’s Role and Response
Calvert ran the Marina Rox Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship, which was academically sponsored by USC’s Keck School of Medicine. His LinkedIn profile described him as an associate clinical professor at Keck. USC disputed that description, calling it “inaccurate” and saying Calvert was a “voluntary faculty member” who was neither paid nor a regular appointee.2Fox 5 Atlanta. Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Accused of Unnecessary Surgeries
After West sued, USC spokesperson Meg Aldrich said the fellowship was “independent of the university” and that fellows were “not associated with the university” apart from access to Keck’s online library and lectures. USC denied any involvement in Calvert’s patient billing and, within days, removed his name from its Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery clinic website. West’s attorney, Leslie Hakala, argued the quick removal suggested the university had its own concerns about the doctor.1Los Angeles Times. USC-Affiliated Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Sued
2013 Criminal Insurance Fraud Charges
In November 2013, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged Calvert with three felony counts: preparing a false insurance claim, making a false insurance claim, and perjury.4Los Angeles Times. Plastic Surgeon Faces Fraud Charge Prosecutors alleged that during a 2009 rhinoplasty, Calvert performed additional procedures the patient had not consented to and then overbilled the patient’s insurer by more than $40,000. The perjury count arose from testimony he gave in 2010 in a related civil suit brought by the same patient. Conviction could have carried up to six years and eight months in state prison.5Orange County Register. Felony Charges Dropped Against Newport Beach Doctor
On April 14, 2014, prosecutors dismissed all three counts. Deputy District Attorney Shaddi Kamiabipour said Calvert had agreed to pay an undisclosed amount in restitution to patients and to change his billing and consent practices. She was blunt about her reasoning: “We’re not dealing with a situation of me dismissing the case because he’s innocent. The reason it was done was it appeared to be a reasonably isolated incident,” she said, adding that she chose to “give him a break” rather than pursue a conviction that could cost him his medical license. The Medical Board of California dismissed its related complaint, and records showed Calvert had never been disciplined.5Orange County Register. Felony Charges Dropped Against Newport Beach Doctor
Defamation Suit Against Fox 11
Fox 11 in Los Angeles aired an investigative report on the West lawsuit that included statements from another former patient, Michael Houston, accusing Calvert of similar insurance fraud. Calvert and his professional corporation sued Fox Television Stations, reporters William Melugin, Daniel Leighton, and Kris Knutsen, and Houston for defamation.6UniCourt. Calvert v. Fox Television Stations, LLC et al.
The Fox defendants filed anti-SLAPP motions to strike the complaint. Judge Stephanie M. Bowick denied the motions at the trial level, and Fox appealed. On May 25, 2022, the California Court of Appeal reversed as to the Fox defendants, holding that the broadcast was protected under Civil Code Section 47(d) as a “fair and true report” of a judicial proceeding and that Calvert had failed to show the statements were published with actual malice. The court noted that some of the broadcast went beyond the West complaint, including references to roughly twenty additional alleged victims at a press conference, but concluded Calvert still could not meet the actual malice standard.7Zalma on Insurance. Reporting on an Accusation of Insurance Fraud Results in Defamation Suit Claims against Houston, however, survived. The appellate court affirmed the denial of Houston’s anti-SLAPP motion, allowing Calvert’s individual defamation claims against him to proceed.6UniCourt. Calvert v. Fox Television Stations, LLC et al.
The Voided Judgment Against Rima Al Binali
Calvert also sued a former patient, Rima Al Binali, over an anonymous negative review she had posted on RipoffReport.com. After Al Binali moved to Canada in 2011 and did not respond, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge entered a default judgment of $1,940,506 against her, including $80,900 in attorney fees.8Metropolitan News-Enterprise. Calvert v. Al Binali
The judgment did not survive appeal. The trial court had ordered service by publication in the Orange County Register, but Calvert’s attorneys published the summons in the Laguna News-Post, a small community weekly owned by the Register’s parent company, without telling the court. The California Court of Appeal declared the judgment void, holding that strict compliance with the court-designated publication was required and that a party “disregards” a court order “at his peril.” The court noted Calvert’s team had a second chance to correct the venue when they republished the summons to include a statement of damages, and did not.9FindLaw. Calvert v. Al Binali
The MD Insider Business Partner Dispute
Calvert co-founded MD Insider, a healthcare data analytics company that was later acquired by Accolade in 2019.10ZoomInfo. MD Insider In March 2014, Adam Michael-Perzow sued Calvert and MD Insider in Orange County Superior Court, alleging Calvert had cheated him out of his 50% stake by telling him the company was winding down and persuading him to sell his share for $3,000, while at the same time meeting with venture capitalists to keep the business going.
In January 2015, Judge James Di Cesare denied Calvert’s motion for summary judgment, writing that “the evidence is undisputed that defendant told plaintiff MD Insider was winding down to entice plaintiff’s quiet departure when, in truth, defendant intended to carry on the business with someone else.” Calvert’s own attorney estimated Perzow stood to gain $10 million to $12 million if he prevailed.11Los Angeles Times. MD Insider Lawsuit
A 2015 settlement, memorialized in a 2017 Orange County judgment, resolved the original suit, but the settlement itself became the subject of new litigation. As of January 2025, Perzow v. Accolade, Inc. and MD Insider, Inc. remained active in Los Angeles Superior Court. A January 2025 tentative ruling dismissed some fraud claims in the cross-complaint as an impermissible attack on the earlier judgment while allowing others, including fraud in the settlement and breach of fiduciary duty, to move forward.12Rulings.law. Adam Michael Perzow v. Accolade, Inc. and MD Insider, Inc.
Is Dr. Calvert Still Practicing?
Yes. Despite more than a decade of litigation, Calvert’s California and Arizona medical licenses are both listed as active through 2026.13U.S. News Health. Dr. Jay Calvert He maintains offices in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, specializing in rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, and facelifts.14DrCalvert.com. Dr. Jay Calvert