Hodgson Russ: Whistleblower Law

Hodgson Russ is one of the only major law firms that represents whistleblowers in high-profile False Claims Act cases while also defending selected business entities in False Claims Act cases. This unusual perspective means we are exceptionally well positioned to advise you about a potential whistleblower claim.

Our approach is also unusual. We are not a "whistleblower mill" that pays little attention to the personal needs of its clients or the factual nuances of complex cases.

Rather, the False Claims Act Practice Group at Hodgson Russ comprises a select team of highly experienced lawyers who, only after careful consideration, agree to represent the claims of concerned whistleblowers. Our whistleblower attorneys do not take every case, nor do we believe the number of cases we have at any given time is a measure of our success. Instead, we select only the best cases, and every whistleblower attorney on our team immerses him or herself in the factual and legal details necessary to succeed.

As our client, you become a member of our team, working side by side with our lawyers and staff. You become part of the Hodgson Russ family from start to finish; we stay with our clients every step of the way through the False Claims Act process.

Then and Now

The False Claims Act has deep roots in American law. The original act was passed around the time of the Civil War when it was discovered that the Union army was being defrauded by unscrupulous suppliers. In the midst of war and with precious little manpower to investigate fraud, Congress passed the original False Claims Act, which, as today, gave ordinary citizens the power to identify government fraud and commence a lawsuit on behalf of the United States to recover the ill-gotten gains. In return, the False Claims Act provides whistleblowers with a monetary incentive of between 15 to 25 percent of the recovery.

The False Claims Act today remains essentially unchanged. The current law permits those having original information concerning fraud against the government to commence an action in the United States District Court on behalf of the United States to recover the proceeds of the fraudulent conduct. Over the years, those who report fraud under the False Claims Act have become known as "relators" or "whistleblowers." And in recent years, whistleblowers have become a substantial asset in the fight against government fraud.

Whistleblowers' Increasing Importance

As the size of the government has grown and the complexity of its business affairs expanded, whistleblowers have exposed fraud in an endless number of subject areas, including health care, transportation, defense contracting, pharmaceutical sales, Medicare, Medicaid, construction, and a host of others. The United States Department of Justice recognizes the important role played by whistleblowers in the fight against government fraud and has stepped up its enforcement efforts throughout the United States. Well-informed whistleblowers, their counsel, and the United States Department of Justice working together have, in recent years, recovered billions of dollars in taxpayer money obtained by fraud. And the numbers keep growing – there are over 1,000 currently pending False Claims Act cases under consideration by the United States Department of Justice.

How We Can Help You

Hodgson Russ is exceptionally well prepared to help you with your claim. Our experience with both sides of the False Claims Act process, paired with our firm's extensive substantive knowledge in areas of the law common to False Claims Act cases, enables us to represent relators in a comprehensive, aggressive, and professional way.

We encourage you to explore our Web site, where you can get the answers to many frequently asked questions, obtain a description of the False Claims Act, and review an explanation of how the process works. If you choose, you can even confidentially submit a description of your case online for our evaluation.

Or contact us directly. Our telephone number is 716.856.4000. Dan Oliverio, who leads our False Claims Act Practice Group, can be reached via e-mail or at his home number: 716.873.4090. Call him any time.

We look forward to hearing from you, and we thank you for considering Hodgson Russ.