ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
False Claims Whistleblower Cases
Awards
The False Claims Act allows private persons (known as “relators” similar to “whistleblowers”) to file a lawsuit[1] against individuals, businesses and other entities that have directly or indirectly defrauded the federal government. 2017 was a banner year for relator/whistleblower cases under the False Claims Act. The Department of Justice obtained more than $3.7 billion in settlements and judgments and relators/whistleblowers received close to $400 million in awards for the year. The California and Alameda County False Claims Act and whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. represent relators/whistleblowers in false claims of all varieties including healthcare and pharmaceutical cases. We also handle whistleblower cases before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding tax avoidance schemes and before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in securities and investment fraud cases. If you have credible information for a false claims whistleblower case or any other whistleblower case in California, call us today at (415)441-8669 and we can help.
Procedure
If you are aware of a false claim against the government, don’t make any calls to the government or you may lose out on a potential reward. Consult with competent counsel instead. To be eligible for a whistleblower reward under the False Claims Act you must file your complaint under seal in a United States District Court, and provide a copy of the complaint, as well as a written statement of all material evidence supporting your allegations to the Attorney General and to the United States Attorney for the district where you filed suit. Representation by competent counsel is essential. The False Claims Act attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. know the appropriate procedures for your type of allegation, can draft your complaint and accompanying statement, and organize and present your credible, original information and documentation in the most effective way.
Because the complaint is filed under seal, neither the defendant nor the public are aware that a complaint has been filed. The complaint remains under seal for 60 days while the government investigates the allegations. The seal is frequently extended for months or even years.
Whistleblower cases are lengthy and complicated, but the rewards can be very substantial. False Claims Act cases and other whistleblower cases such as for tax avoidance or securities fraud may result in awards as high as 15-30% of the amount the government recovers as a result of your information. The law may also protect you if your employer retaliates against you for your whistleblowing and attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. can represent you in any action for illegal retaliation by your employer against you. It is essential that you contact counsel promptly if you have information regarding false claims as the False Claims Act contains a statute of limitations and calculation of the applicable limitations period is complex and should be done with the advice of experienced whistleblower/qui tam counsel.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has information regarding false claims in Alameda County or any California county, offshore tax avoidance schemes against the IRS, or securities fraud in violation of SEC and CFTC regulations, contact Ingrid Evans and the other Evans Law Firm, Inc. relator/whistleblower and false claims attorneys at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with complex financial contracts and large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
[1] Referred to as whistleblower or “qui tam” actions.
