Whistleblower Lawyers for False Claims Act and Qui Tam Cases
We represent the people who report fraud against federal programs. Our attorneys have recovered for relators in healthcare, pharmacy, addiction treatment, and federal grant matters, including a case the government declined to join.
Only the first whistleblower to file on a given fraud can recover. Why the first-to-file rule makes timing matter
A whistleblower who reports fraud against a federal program can file a qui tam case under the False Claims Act, receive 15 to 30 percent of what the government recovers, and is protected by law against retaliation. The case is filed under seal, so the employer is not told while the government investigates.
We carry cases the government declines
The Department of Justice joins a minority of qui tam cases. When it declines, most firms withdraw, because a declined case is longer, harder, and funded entirely by counsel.
Our attorneys obtained a 9 million dollar settlement in a declined case against a private equity firm, its principals, and its pharmacy portfolio companies. Liability reached the owners personally, not only the operating businesses. Declination is a resourcing decision. It is not a judgment on whether the fraud happened.
Matters we handle
Addiction Treatment Fraud
Addiction treatment and detox facilities that bill federal programs for care they did not properly provide face False Claims Act liability. Our attorneys recovered 2 million dollars in exactly this kind of case.
About addiction treatment fraud casesPharmacy Fraud
Specialty and mail-order pharmacies that dispense drugs for non-covered uses or pay for prescriptions face False Claims Act liability. Our attorneys recovered 9 million dollars in a non-intervened pharmacy case.
About pharmacy fraud casesGrant Fraud
Universities and institutions that misuse federal grant funds or misrepresent compliance face False Claims Act liability. Our attorneys represent the whistleblower in a case against Harvard University over NIH grants.
About grant fraud casesHealthcare Fraud
Healthcare fraud is the largest category of False Claims Act recoveries. Providers that bill for services not rendered, upcode, or pay kickbacks face treble damages, and insiders recover 15 to 30 percent.
About healthcare fraud casesWhistleblower Retaliation
Employees fired, demoted, or harassed for reporting fraud can recover reinstatement, two times back pay, and attorney fees under section 3730(h) of the False Claims Act.
About whistleblower retaliation casesNon-Intervened Qui Tam Cases
The Department of Justice declines most qui tam cases. Our attorneys obtained a 9 million dollar settlement in a declined fentanyl case and litigate non-intervened False Claims Act cases nationwide.
About non-intervened qui tam cases casesOpioid Fraud
Manufacturers, pharmacies, and prescribers that push opioids outside approved indications or for profit face False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act liability.
About opioid fraud casesPrivate Equity Healthcare Fraud
Private equity firms and their principals can be personally liable under the False Claims Act when they direct healthcare fraud at portfolio companies. Our attorneys established exactly that.
About private equity healthcare fraud casesNIH Grant Fraud
Universities and research institutions that misuse NIH funding or falsely certify grant compliance face False Claims Act liability. Our attorneys represent the relator in a case against Harvard.
About nih grant fraud casesResearch Misconduct
Fabricated or falsified research that supports federal grant applications can create False Claims Act liability for the institution as well as the investigator.
About research misconduct casesMedicare Advantage Fraud
Medicare Advantage plans and providers that submit unsupported diagnosis codes to inflate risk scores face False Claims Act liability. This is the largest active area of healthcare fraud enforcement.
About medicare advantage fraud casesUpcoding
Upcoding is billing federal healthcare programs for a higher level of service than was provided or documented. It is one of the most common False Claims Act theories.
About upcoding casesHome Health Fraud
Home health agencies that bill for patients who are not homebound, upcode visits, or pay for referrals face False Claims Act liability. Our attorneys have recovered in exactly these cases.
About home health fraud casesTelehealth Fraud
Telehealth companies that generate orders for equipment, testing, or medication without genuine patient encounters face False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute liability.
About telehealth fraud casesCustoms Fraud
Importers that misclassify goods, understate value, or misstate country of origin to avoid duties face reverse false claim liability under the False Claims Act.
About customs fraud casesClinical Trial Fraud
Sites and sponsors that enroll ineligible subjects, fabricate data, or bill federal programs for research costs face False Claims Act liability.
About clinical trial fraud casesCMMC Fraud
Contractors that claim CMMC certification levels they have not achieved, or that pass assessments through misrepresentation, face False Claims Act liability.
About cmmc fraud casesGovernment Contract Fraud
Contractors that overbill, substitute noncompliant products, misrepresent small business status, or falsely certify compliance face treble damages under the False Claims Act.
About government contract fraud casesSet-Aside Fraud
Companies that misrepresent SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, or small business eligibility to win set-aside contracts face False Claims Act liability for every claim submitted.
About set-aside fraud casesPPP Loan Fraud
PPP loan fraud is actionable under the False Claims Act. Whistleblowers who report falsified applications, misused funds, or improper forgiveness can recover 15 to 30 percent.
About ppp loan fraud casesPharmaceutical Fraud
Drug manufacturers that promote off-label, misreport pricing, or pay prescribers face False Claims Act liability. Our attorneys recovered 9 million dollars in a pharmaceutical matter.
About pharmaceutical fraud casesDefense Contracting Fraud
Defense contractors that mischarge labor, substitute noncompliant parts, or falsify testing face False Claims Act liability with treble damages.
About defense contracting fraud casesEducation Fraud
Schools that misrepresent eligibility for federal student aid, pay recruiters by enrollment, or falsify job placement rates face False Claims Act liability.
About education fraud casesMortgage Fraud
Lenders that falsely certify underwriting compliance on FHA, VA, or USDA loans face False Claims Act liability when those loans default and the government pays the claim.
About mortgage fraud casesConstruction Fraud
Contractors on federally funded construction that overbill, use substandard materials, or falsify Davis-Bacon certified payrolls face False Claims Act liability.
About construction fraud casesEnvironmental Fraud
Companies that falsify environmental monitoring data or bill the government for cleanup work not performed face False Claims Act liability alongside environmental penalties.
About environmental fraud casesHospital Fraud
Hospitals that admit patients who should be in observation, upcode severity, or maintain improper physician arrangements face False Claims Act liability.
About hospital fraud casesNursing Home Fraud
Skilled nursing facilities that inflate therapy minutes, falsify staffing data, or bill for care so deficient it had no value face False Claims Act liability.
About nursing home fraud casesHospice Fraud
Hospices that enroll patients who are not terminally ill, or bill higher levels of care that were not required, face False Claims Act liability.
About hospice fraud casesLaboratory Fraud
Clinical laboratories that bill medically unnecessary tests, unbundle panels, or pay for specimen referrals face False Claims Act liability.
About laboratory fraud casesQuestions people ask before they come forward
How Much Do Whistleblowers Get Paid?
Under the False Claims Act a whistleblower receives 15 to 30 percent of the government recovery. The share is 15 to 25 percent when the government joins th...
Read the answerCan I Report My Employer Anonymously?
Partly. A False Claims Act case is filed under seal, so your employer is not told while the government investigates, typically one to three years. Your nam...
Read the answerHow to File a Qui Tam Lawsuit
A qui tam case is filed under seal in federal district court, served on the Department of Justice with a written disclosure of all material evidence, and n...
Read the answerWhat Happens After You File a Qui Tam Case
After filing, your case remains under seal while the Department of Justice investigates, usually one to three years. The government then intervenes, declin...
Read the answerWhat If the Government Does Not Intervene?
If the Department of Justice declines to intervene, you may still proceed with the case yourself, and your share of any recovery rises from 15 to 25 percen...
Read the answerHow to Report Medicare Fraud
You can report Medicare fraud to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS, or file a qui tam case ...
Read the answerHow to Report Medicaid Fraud
Medicaid fraud can be reported to your state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit or through a qui tam case under the federal False Claims Act, which covers the fed...
Read the answerWhistleblower Statute of Limitations
A False Claims Act case must generally be filed within six years of the violation, or three years after the government knew or should have known the materi...
Read the answerThe Cybersecurity Whistleblower Guide
If you are a security professional who knows your employer certified compliance it does not have, the practical questions are what evidence you may lawfull...
Read the answerUnderstanding the law
- What Is a Whistleblower: Definition, Rights and Rewards
- Qui Tam: What It Means and How the Lawsuit Works
- False Claims Act: What It Prohibits and What It Pays
- Anti-Kickback Statute: What Counts as an Illegal Kickback
- Whistleblower Protection Act: Coverage, Remedies and Limits
- Whistleblower Protection Laws: The Federal Programs Explained
- SEC Whistleblower Program: Reporting Securities Fraud Anonymously
- IRS Whistleblower Program: Awards for Reporting Tax Underpayment
- Stark Law: Physician Self-Referral and Strict Liability
- Dodd-Frank: The Whistleblower Provisions Explained
- CFTC Whistleblower Program: Reporting Commodities Fraud
- FIRREA: Whistleblower Declarations in Bank Fraud Cases
- Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act: Reporting Defects
Recent matters
Resolved allegations that RCA mishandled controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and billed the government for inadequate treatment services in violation of the False Claims Act. The whistleblower, a former Outcomes Supervisor at RCA's King of Prussia headquarters, also settled an FCA anti-retaliation claim under 31 U.S.C. 3730(h).
Obtained a $9 million settlement in a NON-INTERVENED False Claims Act qui tam case against private equity firm Belhealth Investment Partners, its principals, and its pharmacy portfolio companies Linden Care and Quick Care, over prescriptions of Subsys, a rapid-onset fentanyl spray, dispensed for off-label and non-medically necessary uses billed to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE.
Represents Dr. David Searles Zielinski, former executive director of Harvard Catalyst, in a False Claims Act suit alleging Harvard University and Dr. Lee Nadler submitted fraudulent grant applications and failed to comply with federal grant regulations in administering NIH-funded research.
Our attorneys
Frequently asked questions
What does a whistleblower lawyer do?
A whistleblower lawyer evaluates whether your information supports a case, prepares the complaint and the written disclosure of evidence, files under seal, works with the Department of Justice through its investigation, and litigates if the government declines to intervene.
How much does it cost to hire a whistleblower attorney?
Nothing up front. These cases are handled on contingency, so there is no fee unless there is a recovery. The False Claims Act also allows a successful relator to recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the defendant.
Do you take cases outside Pennsylvania?
Yes. False Claims Act cases are filed in federal court and we represent relators nationwide. Our office is in Philadelphia and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is our home venue.
What if the government will not join my case?
You can still proceed, and your share of any recovery rises to 25 to 30 percent. Many firms will not carry a declined case. Our attorneys obtained a 9 million dollar settlement in one.
Talk to a whistleblower attorney before you report
A conversation costs nothing and is confidential. We will tell you honestly whether what you have describes a case, and what the first-to-file rule means for your timing.