Whistleblower matters require attorneys with specialized knowledge and broad legal experience challenging the many forms of corporate and individual fraud. Hagens Berman, with more than 90 attorneys in nine cities worldwide and more than two decades of success against many of the world’s largest corporations, is best-positioned to handle all manner of whistleblower matters.
We recognize that whistleblowers take life-changing risks when they choose to report fraud. We work to maximize the effectiveness of our client’s information and protect the interests of each whistleblower.
Federal whistleblower programs receive thousands of tips from whistleblowers; to present an effective case a whistleblower needs a well-developed and well-researched complaint. Attorneys at Hagens Berman realize these challenges and work tenaciously for our whistleblower clients to great success.
Steve W. Berman, Managing Partner
SEATTLE
Steve Berman co-founded Hagens Berman in 1993 and is the firm’s managing partner. He leads the firm’s whistleblower practice, and has represented a number of relators under the False Claims Act. Widely considered one of the most successful attorneys in the country, Mr. Berman also represents consumers, investors, and employees in large, complex litigation in state and federal courts.
In the 1990s, Mr. Berman worked with a whistleblower, former Brown & Williamson executive Jeffrey Wigand, who helped expose Big Tobacco’s knowledge of the dangers of cigarettes. The disclosure of Mr. Wigand’s information ultimately helped lead to a $260 billion settlement on behalf of plaintiffs in 13 states.
Today Hagens Berman represents whistleblowers under a number of statutes, including the federal and state False Claims Acts and programs administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Berman’s trial experience has earned him significant recognition and led The National Law Journal to name him one of the 100 most powerful lawyers in the nation, and to repeatedly name Hagens Berman one of the top 10 plaintiffs’ firms in the country. more »
Shayne C. Stevenson, Partner
SEATTLE
Shayne Stevenson, a graduate of the Yale Law School, leads the firm’s whistleblower practice, including False Claims Act (qui tam), SEC, CFTC, IRS and Anti-Money Laundering Act whistleblower matters, and is a frequent lecturer and commentator in these areas. He has litigated and argued cases in federal district courts and at the courts of appeal across the country.
Currently Mr. Stevenson represents the two most prominent whistleblowers under both the SEC and CFTC whistleblower programs.
Mr. Stevenson represented the first Bank of America mortgage fraud whistleblowers against Bank of America in cases that culminated in the historic $1 billion settlement between the Department of Justice and Bank of America addressing mortgage fraud.
Mr. Stevenson has handled False Claims Act and other whistleblower cases against some of America’s largest public and privately held financial companies, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, mortgage companies and other companies engaged in fraud. His whistleblower practice includes, among others, off-label promotion of drugs and medical devices; fraudulent use of the 510(k) medical device process; Medicare reimbursement and coding abuse; financial exchange fraud; securities and bond market fraud; mortgage fraud; tax fraud; education fraud; defense industry and other government contractor fraud; unlawful kickbacks and Stark Act violations; and home healthcare fraud. more »
Leonard W. Aragon, Partner
PHOENIX
Leonard Aragon, a graduate of Stanford Law School and a military veteran, handles whistleblower matters under the False Claims Act and the Dodd-Frank whistleblower programs of the SEC and CFTC. He is currently working on several matters involving health care fraud and elder abuse issues. more »
Karl Barth, Of Counsel
SEATTLE
Karl Barth, a CPA and licensed forensic accountant, works on several SEC/CFTC/IRS whistleblower matters. With a deep background in all areas of covered securities and commodities regulation, and a former practicing accountant with broad experience handling tax matters, and decades of experience in securities litigation, Mr. Barth provides invaluable assistance to many whistleblowers. more »
Elaine T. Byszewski, Partner
LOS ANGELES
Elaine Byszewski is a partner at Hagens Berman where she has worked since 2004. She has litigated a number of complex class actions on behalf of consumers, employees, and whistleblowers resulting in multi-million dollar settlements, including cases against Toyota, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Costco, Apple and KB Homes. more »
Robert F. Lopez, Partner
SEATTLE
Rob Lopez works on qui tam matters at the firm, representing whistleblowers in cases involving violations of federal and state laws that prohibit the making of false claims for government payments. He has also practices in complex commercial litigation, as well as patent and copyright cases. more »
