Qui Tam Whistleblower Attorneys Of Hennig Ruiz
Richard is a hospital employee who discovers that his employer has been billing Medicare for procedures that were never performed, resulting in millions of dollars of overpayment by the federal government.
If this case sounds familiar, call Hennig, Ruiz & Singh at to discuss your circumstances with our office.
Located in Los Angeles, Hennig, Ruiz & Singh represents employees in qui tam legal actions brought by companies throughout the country who engage in fraudulent practices involving a municipal, state or federal government contract, or commit other acts of fraud or corruption against a government entity. We typically represent clients in qui tam and other whistleblower cases on a contingency fee-only basis. This strategy means that we only get paid when we win the lawsuit and our clients do not pay attorneys’ fees unless we win monetary damages.
What Is A Qui Tam Lawsuit?
qui tam is the shortened version of the Latin phrase “qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur” — which means He who sues in the matter of the king (government) as well as for himself. Learn more at our qui tam FAQ page.
There are many different forms of qui tam law that protect employees, agents and even contractors from reprisal or retaliation.
The most important sets of laws include:
- The Federal False Claims Act protects whistleblowers when reporting government fraud.
- The Dodd-Frank Act protects whistleblowers when reporting misconduct to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act protects whistleblowers when reporting violations of bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud and securities fraud.
Legal Protections For Whistleblowers
Federal law and the state laws of California protect individual citizens who engage in qui tam whistleblower activities. If you have firsthand knowledge of fraud or corruption involving agencies or companies in either the private or public sectors, your rights are protected under the law when filing a lawsuit on behalf of the government. Furthermore, those who file qui tam lawsuits may be entitled to a financial reward under the special provisions of the False Claims Act.
But beware. Many possible whistleblower protection claims have very strict time limitations, ranging from as little as 30 days to three years. Contact our team of experienced qui tam lawyers today to discuss your available options.
Rewards For Filing A Qui Tam Lawsuit
Whistleblowers may be entitled to a substantial portion of the recovered funds under special provisions of the False Claims Act. These special provisions make it easier for ordinary taxpayers to hire reputable whistleblower attorneys for the purpose of filing a qui tam claim. The idea of rewarding the whistleblower by sharing a portion of the collected proceeds is the fundamental underlying principle of this important legislation. The U.S. government wants to make it worthwhile for citizens to report these types of fraudulent activities and is willing to provide a financial reward for citizens’ efforts to stop fraud against the government.
The Hennig, Ruiz & Singh believes in an honest, clean and effective government. Greedy contractors and corrupt government employees should be held accountable for their actions. For these reasons, we generally represent our clients on a contingency fee-only basis. This strategy means that we only get paid when we win the lawsuit.
Your Rights As A Qui Tam Whistleblower
In many cases, a qui tam claim can be filed “under seal” or in secret. Filing in this manner allows the whistleblower to remain anonymous for a period of time and avoid possible retaliation by the employer. The only people who know that you are involved are your attorneys and the government. Eventually, your identity will come to light, but this initial period of anonymity gives both you and the government time to review the qui tam lawsuits before making the accusations public. Whistleblowers can also take advantage of this extra time to perhaps build a new life away from the corrupt institution.
Hire An Experienced Qui Tam Attorney
Hennig, Ruiz & Singh has worked with many clients over the years who have witnessed many different forms of fraud, abuse, neglect and misconduct involving multiple government agencies. If you believe that you might have inside information regarding a possible qui tam claim, we encourage you to contact our offices immediately for a free consultation. Our team of highly qualified whistleblower attorneys has decades of experiences in handling the following types of claims:
- Medicaid/Medicare fraud
- Defense contractor fraud
- Securities shareholder, commodities and futures fraud
- Federal, state and local contractor fraud
- Bank fraud
- Commodities and futures fraud
- IRS fraud
- Any other type of fraud on the government
Our firm represented multiple individuals in whistleblower qui tam actions that helped recover over $750 million to the United States government
Contact Us To Schedule A Free Consultation
At Hennig, Ruiz & Singh, our team of qui tam lawyers specializes in representing individuals with personal knowledge of fraudulent or corrupt activities. Please visit our Do I Have A Case? page to answer a few questions relating to your circumstances. Call us at 213-985-1305 if the questionnaire indicates you may have a case against your employer, or contact us using the email contact form to request a free consultation.