PRACTICE AREAS
| FALSE CLAIMS ACT/QUI TAM LITIGATION Litigation under the Federal False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §3729 et seq.) as well as under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act (Virginia Code §8.01-216.1 et seq.) is a specialty of the firm. These cases—sometimes called “whistleblower cases”—frequently arise out of the employment relationship, when an employee who has reported fraudulent billing in a government contract is terminated for his or her complaints about the false billing. The Federal False Claims Act and the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act create strong penalties against those individuals and organizations that make false claims in order to recieve money; the Act also creates rewards and incentives to encourage individuals with knowledge of false claims to the government to come forward. Companies or individuals in violation the False Claims Act are liable for up to three times the total dollar amount of the fraud, plus an additional penalty of $5,000 to $10,000 for each false claim submitted to the government, plus payment of all attorney’s fees and litigation costs. Anyone bringing this information to the attention of the government through a qui tam case is eligible to receive between 15 and 30 percent of the total recovery, depending on the exact circumstances. The FCA also protects employees who report fraud from being terminated, suspended, or otherwise subjected to adverse treatment. Partner Zach Kitts has also created www.vaquitamlaw.com, the first blog devoted specifically to the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act and to qui tam litigation in Virginia. Whether a cause of action arises under the Federal False Claims Act or the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act, the attorneys of Cook & Kitts, PLLC have experience with these matters. To tell us more about your potential case, click here. Our Practice Areas |