03/19/2008 09:13:53 AM EST
Grant & Eisenhofer Adds False Claims Whistleblowers Practice
WASHINGTON – Securities and corporate governance law firm Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. is adding False Claims Act qui tam whistleblowers and complex worker class action litigation to its existing practice areas.
At the same time, the firm announced the opening of a Washington DC office with the addition of two DC-based attorneys, Reuben A. Guttman and Ann Lugbill, who bring extensive experience representing whistleblowers and workers in False Claims matters. Mr. Guttman and Ms. Lugbill, who have practiced together for a number of years, have recovered more than $500 million for clients under the federal False Claims Act.
Mr. Guttman joins Grant & Eisenhofer as senior counsel, Ms. Lugbill as of counsel. Mr. Guttman previously practiced with Milberg Weiss until 2006 and before was also a partner with the firm Wolf Haldenstein. He and Ms. Lugbill have collaborated on whistleblower and other cases for a decade and now have the opportunity to work at the same firm representing clients.
Whistleblower and False Claims Act litigation marks a natural expansion of Grant & Eisenhofer's longtime focus of representing investors in securities and corporate governance litigation. Through litigation under various federal and state "False Claims Acts," whistleblowers can step into the shoes of government enforcers and initiate civil litigation targeted to recover dollars from government contractors or those doing business with the government.
Cases under these statutes have successfully been brought against a broad range of defendants, including large pharmaceutical companies whose off label marketing has wrongfully caused the expenditure of federal and state Medicare and Medicaid dollars; defense contactors that have over-billed the government for products; and other entities that have made false representations causing the government to spend money where it would not have done so.
Mr. Guttman and Ms. Lugbill also bring expertise in litigation under federal employment laws, including wage-and-hour class actions on behalf of workers who have been denied overtime compensation or who have not been properly compensated for every hour worked under state and federal fair labor standards laws.