False Claims & Class Actions

Packard, Packard & Johnson is one of the country’s leading qui tam (False Claims Act) whistleblower law firms. Since the 1986 amendment of the False Claims Act, it has represented relators and whistleblowers to settle and recover for the federal government over $2.1 billion in qui tam cases.We have worked closely with the Department of Justice and various US Attorneys offices for intervention cases, and have the unusual experience of successfully prosecuting several non-intervention cases. These qui tam cases range from fraud by various defense contractors, false claims by the national accounting firms, nursing home abuses, false claims in pharmaceutical sales, Medicare/Medicaid fraud, fraudulent pricing systems integration and technology companies to the government, government procurement fraud, and numerous other areas of corrupt practice, along with wrongful termination of the whistleblower when applicable.

Our Qui Tam Attorneys have spoken on various panels and forums as experts on the False Claims Act, representing the plaintiff whistleblower. Once we have formally represented a whistleblower, we often spend into the millions of dollars of time and costs prosecuting the defendants. Few firms in the United States have the depth and length of experience representing whistleblowers.

What is the Qui Tam False Claims Act Law?

Qui Tam is a provision of the federal False Claims Act that allows private citizen whistleblowers (called “relators”) to file a lawsuit on behalf of the U.S. Government against companies or individuals who have committed fraud against the U.S. Governments. If the lawsuit is successful, the relator may share in the revenue recovered–ranging from 15-25%, if the Government joins the case, or 25-30% if the relator is successful on his or her own. This unique law was enacted by the Congress in order to more effectively identify and prosecute government procurement and program fraud and recover revenue lost as a result of the fraud. The qui tam law allows relators to act as “private attorneys general” in prosecuting fraud against the Government.

Several states (including California, Florida, and Illinois) now have False Claims acts similar to the Federal FCA. Other states are considering passing False Claims Acts as well.

Under the False Claims acts, a whistle blower who has information about fraudulent practices being committed against the federal or a state government may file a lawsuit on behalf of the government, against companies or individuals who have committed the wrong doing.

Packard, Packard & Johnson has been actively engaged in the prosecution of class actions on behalf of defrauded investors and consumers nationwide. It has successful experience with large complex class actions involving the telecommunications, securities, and computer/software industries.