“I had spent a year not knowing who to tell. The first call took an hour, and nobody pushed me to decide anything.”
R. T.Former billing analyst
Confidential intake
Before you tell anyone, tell counsel.
I represent people on the inside who have seen fraud against the government, investors or taxpayers, or who were punished for saying so. Your note goes to me, not to an intake team.
- Private by designPersonal email and phone only
- Paid from a recoveryNo fee unless there is one
- One lawyerI read your note myself
Contingency fee: you owe no fee unless there is a recovery, but you may still owe case costs, such as filing and expert fees. I explain them in writing before you sign. Results depend on the facts and the law.
What you may have seen
Three kinds of report
Different laws, different agencies, one first conversation.
False Claims ActFraud against the government
Overbilling, false claims and cheated contracts, where public money is the victim. A case under the False Claims Act begins under seal, and the company is not told.
Fraud against the government
SEC and IRSFraud on investors and the Treasury
Securities and tax violations go to agencies that run their own award programs. A lawyer can prepare the report and deal with the agency for you.
Securities and tax fraud
RetaliationPunished for speaking up
Fired, demoted, frozen out or threatened after you raised it. Retaliation can be its own claim, with a clock that starts at once.
Retaliation
Former clients, unnamed
Described without their names
“He told me what not to do before he told me what I could do. That order mattered more than I expected.”
M. L.Former contracts manager
“I was afraid a lawyer would make it loud. It was the quietest thing I have ever done.”
A. K.Former compliance officer
Shared with permission and without identifying details. Each client’s case is different, and these notes do not predict any result.
Asked before anyone writes
Is it safe to write from my work computer?
No. Use a personal phone or computer, a personal email address and a network that is not your employer’s. Work devices and accounts can be watched, and what is on them may belong to your employer.
Will my employer learn that I wrote?
Not from me. What you send is read only by me, and I do not contact your employer unless you decide to go forward and the law calls for it. A qui tam complaint is filed under seal, so the company is not served at once.
What if I already took documents?
Please do not send them, and do not copy more. Tell me first what you have and how you came to have it. Some material is fair to share and some can hurt your case, so the answer depends on what it is.
Do I pay anything to talk?
The first conversation is free. If I take the matter on, it is usually on a contingency fee, so I am paid only from a recovery. Case costs, such as filing and expert fees, are separate, and I explain who advances them before you sign.
Can I be paid for coming forward?
Some programs pay an award to people whose original information leads to a recovery. Whether you would qualify depends on the program, the facts and the law, and I cannot promise an award or an amount.
One private note is enough to start.
Write from a personal device, or call me from a personal phone. I will answer the same way.
Please do not use a work phone, email or network.