White Collar Defense and Investigations

False Claims Act & Kickbacks

Federal and state authorities are deploying unprecedented resources to root out corruption and related fraud against the government. Qui tam, under the False Claims Act, allows persons and entities with evidence of fraud against federal programs or contracts to sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the United States Government. WMHW defends against false claims, and matters brought by whistleblowers to challenge the misuse of government resources.

Experience

  • Represented one of the most significant whistleblowers in sports history after the client fled Russia and disclosed Russia’s operation of a state-sponsored doping program, which had been hidden for years from various international sporting organizations. The client’s cooperation directly resulted in the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban the Russian National Olympic Team from competing under its national flag in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
  • Represented a senior executive of a global security and aerospace company in a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation regarding the company’s alleged violations of the False Claims Act in its information technology work at a nuclear reservation.
  • Represented a former board member of a medical research foundation in connection with a criminal investigation by the DOJ into certain financial transactions involving the foundation, another nonprofit, and a prominent individual. The investigation resulted in no civil or criminal charges for our client.