{"id":6006,"date":"2020-02-21T17:53:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-21T22:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:10028\/practiceareas\/qui-tam-whistleblower\/"},"modified":"2022-06-21T16:55:20","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T20:55:20","slug":"qui-tam-whistleblower","status":"publish","type":"practiceareas","link":"https:\/\/napolilaw.lemonadestand.org\/en\/practice-areas\/qui-tam-whistleblower\/","title":{"rendered":"Qui Tam (Whistleblower)"},"content":{"rendered":"

National Qui Tam Lawyers<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

At common law, qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur<\/i> (he who sues in this matter for the king as well as for himself) was a writ which allowed ordinary people to obtain part of the money the state collected in fines levied for environmental pollution<\/span><\/a> and other wrongful conduct. Modern qui tam (kee-tam) cases are much the same. Most of these claims involved the federal False Claims Act.<\/span><\/p>\n

Either the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office or a private New York qui tam lawyer can initiate such actions. The government wins about 90 percent of the qui tam cases it brings. But the private qui tam success rate is less than 20 percent. That\u2019s partially because the government claims the best, and most winnable, qui tam cases for itself. So, private qui tam cases are difficult to successfully resolve. The low private sector victory rate also speaks to the relatively low quality of many New York qui tam lawyers.<\/span><\/p>\n

At Napoli Shkolnik<\/span><\/a>, our experienced New York qui tam lawyers routinely handle these cases not only in the Empire State, but on a nationwide basis as well. We know the procedural nuances in these cases. That knowledge allows us to aggressively stand up for you and avoid frustrating delays. Some whistleblower attorneys have a few qualities necessary to get the job done right. At Napoli Shkolnik, we have them all.<\/span><\/p>\n

The False Claims Act: A Closer Look<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Congress passed the False Claims Act in 1863. President Abraham Lincoln pressed hard for the law, which is also known as the Lincoln Law. Lincoln saw it as an innovative way to curb fraudulent practices, specifically companies selling substandard goods to the Union army. Originally, relators (people who brought qui tam cases) received 50 percent of the funds the wrongdoer paid the government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many years later, a World War II era Congress gutted the False Claims Act. In 1943, lawmakers slashed the available whistleblower awards and created procedural hurdles. These changes made it hard for New York qui tam lawyers to bring cases, and even harder for them to win fair compensation.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1986, as part of President Ronald Reagan\u2019s privatization initiatives, Congress revamped the FCA yet again. This version of the law closely resembles the one in place today. Some highlights include:<\/span><\/p>\n