Category Archives: Whistleblower Litigation
About the New Overtime Rules for White Collar Hospitality Employees
The U.S. Department of Labor recently proposed some revisions to the overtime exemptions in the Fair Labor Standards Act. These revisions could have a significant impact on employees in all fields, but particularly for people working white collar positions in the hospitality industry (such as hotels and restaurants). Under current laws, employees who earn at […]
How Can You Investigate Employee Misconduct While Someone is on FMLA Leave?
Employers can have a hard time knowing how to handle an internal investigation or disciplining an employee while that employee is taking time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, employees are not allowed to use FMLA leave as a shield from discipline for legitimate incidences of wrongdoing. In one recent case, […]
SEC Hands Down $3 Million Award to Whistleblower in Fraud Case
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced that it paid a whistleblower an award of more than $3 million for providing information that enabled the agency to crack a complex fraud case. This award was the third-highest amount handed out so far since the SEC established the whistleblower program several years ago. The […]
Santa Cruz County Says No to TBTF Banks
The story of how the biggest banks on Wall Street, like JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and others, pled guilty to a number of international financial crimes is well known. What is not quite as well known is that these banks received no penalties other than some stiff fines. Despite taking part in collusion to fill […]
Whistleblower Aims to Uncover Bank Fraud
Whistleblower Nicholas Wilson has alleged that HSBC, Great Britain’s largest bank, has committed fraud totaling in £1 billion throughout the last three decades. He also claims that despite his allegations being backed by officials and members of the government, the British media has failed to report on his story. Wilson’s whistleblower claims allege that through […]
Whistleblower Lawsuit Rests on Allegedly Withheld Documents
On June 19, the whistleblower in a False Claims Act suit argued that the court should take action to secure documents that demonstrate Abbott Laboratories encouraged off-label marketing and doctor kickbacks. The whistleblower and former Abbott employee, Amy Bergman, denied the company’s claims that documents have already been shared, and believes that evidence supporting her […]
Congress Considers More Whistleblower Protections for Oil Industry
Several lawmakers in Congress are proposing a bill to expand whistleblower protections for those in the oil industry working on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). These workers are playing key roles in oil and gas exploration, production, drilling and spill cleanup. The bill, called the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2015, […]
Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Trinity Results in $663 Million Verdict
A Texas federal judge issued a $663 million verdict against Trinity Industries Inc. following a jury’s decision that the company was guilty of committing fraud against the U.S. government by knowingly selling it unsafe guardrails. The judge tripled a previous $175 million verdict and assessed more than $138 million in penalties. Whistleblower Joshua Harman received […]
Whistleblower Sues NJ Firm for Alleged Unethical Billing Practices
A lawsuit was filed June 12 against Einhorn Harris Ascher Barbarito & Frost PC for allegedly firing a former legal secretary for issuing a complaint about misconduct she believed was taking place at the New Jersey law firm. In the complaint, whistleblower Cynthia Reeves accused Einhorn Harris of incorrect billing practices and priorities which placed […]
$7.5 Million Settlement Reached in Whistleblower Lawsuit Alleging False Medical Records
Orbit Medical Inc. and Rehab Medical Inc. have agreed to pay a $7.5 million settlement at the close of a five-year whistleblower lawsuit. Two former employees of the companies filed the claim, and they alleged that Orbit’s top executives instructed its sales staff to create false medical records to unlawfully bill Medicare for electric wheelchairs. […]
