Whistleblower Guides
These guides explain what the False Claims Act prohibits, how a qui tam case is filed and investigated, what a whistleblower is paid, and how confidentiality actually works. They are written by the attorneys who litigate these cases.
Understanding the law
What Is a Whistleblower: Definition, Rights and Rewards
A whistleblower reports fraud against the government or violations of law by an employer. Federal law protects whistleblowers from retaliation and pays a share of what the government recovers.
Read the guideQui Tam: What It Means and How the Lawsuit Works
Qui tam is the provision of the False Claims Act that lets a private citizen sue on behalf of the government and share in the recovery. Here is what the term means and how the case proceeds.
Read the guideFalse Claims Act: What It Prohibits and What It Pays
The False Claims Act makes it unlawful to submit false claims for federal money. It carries treble damages, per-claim penalties, and pays whistleblowers 15 to 30 percent of the recovery.
Read the guideAnti-Kickback Statute: What Counts as an Illegal Kickback
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute makes it a crime to pay or receive anything of value to induce referrals for services paid by a federal healthcare program. Violations also create False Claims Act liability.
Read the guideWhistleblower Protection Act: Coverage, Remedies and Limits
The Whistleblower Protection Act protects federal employees who disclose wrongdoing. Private sector employees are protected by different statutes, including the False Claims Act anti-retaliation provision.
Read the guideWhistleblower Protection Laws: The Federal Programs Explained
Federal law provides several whistleblower reward and protection programs. The False Claims Act, SEC, CFTC, and IRS programs each cover different conduct and pay different shares.
Read the guideSEC Whistleblower Program: Reporting Securities Fraud Anonymously
The SEC whistleblower program pays 10 to 30 percent of sanctions over 1 million dollars and allows you to remain anonymous throughout if you file through an attorney.
Read the guideIRS Whistleblower Program: Awards for Reporting Tax Underpayment
The IRS whistleblower program pays 15 to 30 percent where amounts in dispute exceed 2 million dollars. Submissions are made on Form 211 and can be made anonymously through counsel.
Read the guideStark Law: Physician Self-Referral and Strict Liability
The Stark Law prohibits physicians from referring Medicare patients for designated health services to entities they have a financial relationship with, unless an exception applies. It is strict liability.
Read the guideDodd-Frank: The Whistleblower Provisions Explained
Dodd-Frank created the SEC and CFTC whistleblower award programs and added anti-retaliation protection for those who report securities violations.
Read the guideCFTC Whistleblower Program: Reporting Commodities Fraud
The CFTC whistleblower program pays 10 to 30 percent of sanctions above 1 million dollars for reporting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.
Read the guideFIRREA: Whistleblower Declarations in Bank Fraud Cases
FIRREA allows the Department of Justice to pursue fraud affecting federally insured financial institutions, and pays whistleblower declarations up to 1.6 million dollars.
Read the guideMotor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act: Reporting Defects
The Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act pays up to 30 percent of sanctions over 1 million dollars to employees of manufacturers, suppliers, and dealerships who report safety defects.
Read the guideBefore and after you 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 joi
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. You
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,
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, d
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 p
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
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 th
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 m
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 la
Read the answerTalk 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.