“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” ~ Albert Einstein
Being a whistleblower takes courage. Whether it is standing up for fellow employees who have been discriminated against or raising concerns about fraud or illegal activity, taking that step is never easy. We understand. Our lawyers go beyond simply representing their clients, we provide counsel and support.
Potter Bolaños LLC has been at the forefront of whistleblower representation for decades. We have successfully taken on major publicly traded corporations and small private entities.
The firm represents whistleblowers in all areas of the law, including:
False Claims Act Qui Tam
The False Claims Act is a federal law that punishes any entity or individual that defrauds, or intends to defraud, the United States. Several states, and even some cities, have similar laws. These laws allow individuals (often called “Relators”) to come forward on behalf of the government with fraud allegations. If the government recovers as a result of the Relator’s allegations, the Relator is entitled to a percentage of the recovery. It is important for Relators to know that the case is originally filed under seal, meaning nothing about the case is made known to the public or to the alleged fraudster. The case is made public only after the government has investigated the allegations and decided whether to proceed with the case.
Common False Claims Act cases include Medicare or Medicaid fraud, pharmaceutical fraud, grant fraud, and defense contractor fraud. However, any type of fraud against the United States could be a basis for coming forward.
SEC, IRS, CTFC Whistleblowers
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) all have programs through which whistleblowers can come forward with information regarding illegal financial or tax activity. Like the False Claims Act, these programs offer whistleblowers a percentage of collected fines over a certain amount as an incentive for coming forward.
Unlawful Employment Practices
Several additional federal laws protect whistleblowers from retaliation for raising concerns about the activities of their employer, including concerns about fraud on the government, illegal securities and banking activity, and violations of health safety laws. Several states including Illinois, have laws protecting employees from any form of retaliation by their employer if they refuse to participate in illegal activity or report that illegal activity to a government agency. These laws allow individuals who have been reprimanded, demoted, passed over for promotion, fired, or otherwise retaliated against, to file a lawsuit against the employer for relief.
