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Can Government Employees be Whistleblowers under the False Claims Act?

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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Jesse Hoyer Partner Members of government agencies often ask us whether their employment by the Government impacts whether they can serve as a whistleblower in a qui tam case under the False Claims Act (“FCA”)? Unfortunately, the short answer is “maybe.” Government employees can certainly serve as whistleblowers. No court has ever held that the FCA bans qui tam suits by […]

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Court of Appeals Finds in Favor of HLG VA Client

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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David Fulleborn Senior Employment Counsel Court Reverses Client’s Removal from the VA based upon the VA and MSPB’s Improper Application of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act On March 31, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a significant victory for VA employees, and Hoyer Law […]

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FedEx Ground settles EEOC lawsuit for $3.3 million

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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Neil Ognibene Associate FedEx Ground agrees to pay $3.3M to settle a recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The suit, alleging that FedEx Ground failed to provide reasonable accommodations to hard-of-hearing package handlers, was filed pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act […]

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Conservative Supreme Court Protects LGBTQ Rights In The Workplace

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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Dave Scher Partner In a massive win for employees all over the country, the Supreme Court has ruled that LGBTQ rights, or rights based on sexual orientation, are protected under Title VII, the statute that provides civil rights protections for employees in the workplace. You can read the entire opinion by clicking here. Courts have […]

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Wrongful Discharge or Wrongful Termination v. Employment At-Will

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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David Fulleborn Senior Employment Counsel “Wrongful discharge” and “wrongful termination” are terms often used to describe any unfair termination from employment.  These are probably the two terms that we hear most often from potential clients when they are terminated. The terminated employees say they need a “wrongful discharge attorney” or a “wrongful termination lawyer.” Many […]

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Medically Unnecessary Tests Result in Approximately $43 Million Recovered by DOJ in Qui Tam Settlement

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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Kyle Mosey The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently settled a False Claims Act case amassing a $43 million recovery of misused taxpayer money. The False Claims Act allows individuals to file a lawsuit on the government’s behalf when they possess knowledge of fraudulent claims by independent actors or corporations that result in a financial loss […]

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New Virginia Law Grants Greater Protection for Whistleblowers

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recently signed new laws that provide employees with greater rights in many aspects of their employment. Of these new laws, House Bill 798 is an extensive whistleblower law that grants employees a great deal of protection from their employer’s retaliation. This law, which becomes effective July 1, 2020, is the first […]

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Department of Justice Raises Civil Penalties for False Claims Act Actions

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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On June 19, 2020, the Department of Justice raised the civil penalties applicable to False Claims Act actions. The civil penalty range prior to the increase was a minimum of $11,181 and a maximum of $22,363 per claim. This range has now increased to a minimum of $11,665 and a maximum of $23,331 per claim. […]

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Eleventh Circuit Partially Reinstates $348 Million False Claims Act Verdict

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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A panel of judges in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed a district court decision to vacate a $348 million jury verdict in a False Claims Act case. The panel instructed the district court to reinstate the jury’s verdict in favor of the relator, the United States, and the State […]

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Fourth Circuit Clarifies that Qualified Immunity is No Defense to False Claims Act Allegations

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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On June 22, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that a lower court was wrong when it claimed to need more time to decide whether qualified immunity protected two West Virginia officials accused of misusing $42 million in funding. The Fourth Circuit reasoned that the lower court’s desire for […]

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Hoyer Law Group Customs Fraud Case Leads To $8 million Settlement

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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David L. Haron Hoyer Law Group, PLLC, is pleased to announce an $8 million settlement of a lawsuit brought on behalf of its whistleblower client Jeffrey S. Hawk against CWD Holdings, LLC (CWD), and other defendants. David L. Haron had the privilege to be lead counsel for Mr. Hawk. CWD, a California-based company, is one […]

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Software Company Sued for Pregnancy Discrimination

May 19, 2021 | Posted By: Hoyer Law Group, PLLC

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Neil Ognibene The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently filed suit against New Jersey-based software company NICE Systems, Inc. (NICE) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The EEOC accused NICE of violating the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when, after […]

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