Hagens Berman—among the largest plaintiff-side law firms in the world—has decades of experience filing and prosecuting cases on behalf of whistleblowers in False Claims Act qui tam litigation, and has successfully represented dozens of Dodd-Frank whistleblowers with claims of securities fraud and commodities fraud under the SEC and CFTC programs, as well as IRS whistleblowers reporting tax fraud.
Hagens Berman’s litigation experience is unsurpassed. We have succeeded for our whistleblower clients where other lawyers have failed. We have unmatched global resources to fight for whistleblowers—unlike most other firms, Hagens Berman fights daily and wins against the world’s “too big to jail” corporations.
For more information, click to expand:
- Our Whistleblower Practice Areas
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False Claims Act (Qui Tam)
Whistleblower claims under the False Claims Act are some of our most impactful cases. Unlike most whistleblower law practices, Hagens Berman attorneys are proven experts in pharmaceutical litigation, antitrust litigation, securities law, contract law and other areas implicated by False Claims Act actions. The firm secured a $1 billion settlement under the False Claims Act, among other qui tam victories. more »SEC Whistleblowers
Hagens Berman was representing whistleblowers even before the first day that the SEC’s Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program launched in 2011. In fact, our firm’s first whistleblower case twice became front-page news in the Wall Street Journal and resulted in the largest fine ever levied against a financial exchange. Our client was deservedly awarded. more »CFTC Whistleblowers
Most law firms marketing themselves to CFTC whistleblowers lack a background in this area or general financial fraud, and have rarely – if ever – investigated or litigated fraud in futures, options or swaps. Hagens Berman has litigated in these areas for more than two decades with great success. more »IRS Whistleblowers
Hagens Berman represents whistleblower actions under the IRS Whistleblower Program, and marshals its significant nationwide resources and expertise in financial fraud matters – including attorneys who are also accountants and licensed forensic accountants – to best present whistleblower matters to the IRS. more »Anti-Money Laundering Act
The firm's team is keenly focused on this newly introduced Dodd-Frank whistleblower program, seeing it as a potential game-changer in the area of financial fraud that could be similarly transformative. Under the AMLA, whistleblowers who report fraud can seek greater protection and reward while doing so; money laundering whistleblowers are now able to receive up to 30 percent of the total monetary penalty collected for a Bank Secrecy Act violation. more » -
False Claims Act (qui tam) Cases
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Countrywide Financial (Mortgage / Appraisal Fraud)
Hagens Berman represented the first Countrywide and Bank of America whistleblower challenging widespread mortgage fraud through fraudulent appraisal and underwriting activity committed by Countrywide Financial Corp. (and later Bank of America) in U.S. ex rel. Lagow v. Countrywide Finan. Corp. (E.D.N.Y.) earning our client a multimillion-dollar award from the more than $1 billion-dollar settlement. This case rang in a new era of mortgage fraud enforcement that continues to this day. -
Bank of America Corp. (Mortgage / Servicing Fraud)
Hagens Berman also represented another Bank of America whistleblower challenging Bank of America’s failure to provide benefits to homeowners under the Home Affordable Mortgage Program in U.S. ex rel. Mackler v. Bank of Amer. Corp. (E.D.N.Y.) earning our client a large award from the same billion-dollar settlement. This case commenced a wave of litigation on behalf of homeowners wrongly denied mortgage relief by banking giants. -
Amgen (Health Care / Pharmaceutical Fraud)
Hagens Berman represented an esteemed physician and research scientist in a case challenging unlawful conduct by pharmaceutical giant Amgen Inc. in the health care fraud case U.S. ex rel. Horowitz v. Amgen Inc. (W.D. Wa.) earning our client a multimillion-dollar award. This case drew attention to several unlawful pharmaceutical industry practices, including relationships with medical providers and drug industry brokers. -
US WorldMeds (Health Care / Off-Label & Anti-Kickback Statute)
Hagens Berman represented the Senior Medical Director at US WorldMeds in this settled False Claims lawsuit, U.S. ex rel. Dr. v. US WorldMeds LLC (W.D. Wa. / D. Conn.), challenging the company’s off-label promotion and unlawful kickbacks to medical providers for use of its injectable products. This successful case, settled in 2019, highlighted the improper relationships between pharmaceutical/medical device/drug manufacturers and medical providers who agree to use their products and the critical importance of enforcing the requirements of the Anti-Kickback Statute through the False Claims Act. -
Medtronic (Health Care / Medical Device Fraud)
Hagens Berman represented both a nationally ranked sales representative and a medical device engineer in this settled lawsuit, U.S. ex rel. Nowak v. Medtronic Inc. (D. Mass.), challenging Medtronic’s off-label promotion of medical devices. This important case, which we settled, highlighted an industry practice of off-label marketing and promotion of medical devices approved by the FDA as one class of device, though promoted for higher-risk use. -
Pfizer (Health Care / Pharmaceutical Fraud)
We represented an expert physician and scientist in the False Claims Act suit, U.S. ex rel. Polansky v. Pfizer, Inc. (E.D.N.Y.) challenging the company’s alleged off-label promotion and marketing of the blockbuster statin drug Lipitor, at one time the most profitable drug in America. -
Brookhaven Memorial, Trinitas Hospital, et al. (Health Care / Hospital Billing Fraud)
Hagens Berman represented health care finance expert Anthony Kite in this complex, declined False Claims Act litigation, U.S. ex rel. Kite v. Besler Consult., et al. (D. N.J.), against several large hospitals who committed Medicare fraud through false claims for “outlier” payments. Mr. Kite’s diligent efforts resulted in a multimillion-dollar award to him. -
Center for Diagnostic Imaging (Health Care / Provider Billing Fraud)
We represented two whistleblowers, a physician and health care executive, challenging Center for Diagnostic Imaging, Inc.’s violation of anti-kickback laws through its presentment of false claims to the government in U.S. ex rel. West v. Center for Diagnostic Imaging, Inc. (W.D. Wa.). In this complex, declined case, we recovered additional funds for the government and awards for our clients. -
Sound Inpatient Physicians (Health Care / Provider Billing Fraud)
Hagens Berman represented a former regional vice president of Sound Physicians in this health care fraud case challenging widespread “upcoding” in support of health care fraud in U.S. ex rel. Thomas v. Sound Inpatient Physicians, Inc. (W.D. Wa.). This case resulted in a large settlement and award to our client.
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- Dodd-Frank Whistleblower SEC/CFTC Cases
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We represent dozens of whistleblowers in confidential cases and settled cases we will not disclose; cases identified only with client permission.
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MODDHA INTERACTIVE, INC., ET AL. (SEC Whistleblower Case)
Hagens Berman represented the whistleblower who sparked the successful investigation and prosecution of this “hi-tech scam” investment fraud case that was resolved by the SEC 2020. The violations of federal securities laws are set forth in the SEC’s complaint. -
BATS / Direct Edge Stock Exchanges (SEC Whistleblower Case)
In one of the first successful SEC whistleblower cases, our whistleblower attorneys represented Haim Bodek, a leading algorithmic trading expert, in his complaint against BATS Global Inc. / Direct Edge Holdings challenging the unlawful preferential treatment it gave certain preferred high-frequency trading companies. Hagens Berman’s case resulted, in 2015, in the largest SEC fine ever imposed on a U.S. financial exchange. Mr. Bodek’s work was twice reported on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and he was rewarded for his work. -
NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE (NYSE) (SEC Whistleblower Case)
Our firm also represented a whistleblower behind the 2018 SEC action against the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) which resulted in a record-tying fine against the large financial exchange (tying the fine in the BATS action also triggered by our client).
SEC Order
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Grant Thornton (SEC Whistleblower Case)
Hagens Berman successfully represented a whistleblower who brought allegations to the SEC that a leading accounting and audit firm, Grant Thornton LLP, ignored red flags signaling fraud risk while conducting deficient audits of a publicly-traded company our client blew the whistle on. That company and its leadership were subject to an ongoing SEC enforcement action for improper accounting and other practices.
SEC Order -
Navinder Sarao / Nav Sarao Futures Ltd. (CFTC Whistleblower Case)
In the most prominent CFTC whistleblower action since the program began, Hagens Berman represented the anonymous whistleblower who identified, through expert, proprietary analysis, a previously undetected cause of the 2011 market “Flash Crash,” resulting in the first ever Department of Justice prosecution and guilty plea following extradition of a foreign market manipulator. Our client will soon be awarded.
DOJ release
CFTC release -
Cargill Inc. (CFTC Whistleblower Case)
Hagens Berman represents the whistleblower responsible for the CFTC’s action against the largest privately held corporation in the United States, which agreed to pay an eight-figure civil penalty from the CFTC for providing inaccurate information on swaps and failures to supervise. Our client will be awarded.
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- Whistleblower Resource Library
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5 Reasons Why Whistleblower Tips Are So Important
5 Things Whistleblowers Must Know
5 Tips for Choosing a Whistleblower Attorney
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