Record success for whistleblowers in defense contractor fraud cases.
Phillips & Cohen has represented defense contractor fraud whistleblowers in successful “qui tam” cases for more than 25 years. We have the expertise, experience and resources to pursue cases against large defense companies that are cheating the Pentagon and federal agencies and potentially compromising the security of our country and the safety of US troops.
Whistleblowers can play a key role in combating defense contractor fraud by filing a “qui tam” lawsuit under the False Claims Act. Whistleblowers can file qui tam lawsuits even in instances when classified military programs may be involved.
Some of the defense contractors that Phillips & Cohen has filed whistleblower lawsuits against and won settlements include Northrop Grumman, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), Alliant Techsystems, Louis Berger Group and American Systems.
The whistleblower case against Northrop Grumman set a record. Northrop paid $325 million to the government to settle the whistleblower lawsuit, which alleged the company had suppressed information about faulty components in military satellites. It was the largest qui tam settlement ever paid by a defense contractor and the second largest settlement of any kind involving defense contracting fraud. The whistleblower received a reward of $48 million.
Some examples of defense contractor fraud that can be the basis for a whistleblower case include:
- Product Substitution
- Violations of the Truth Negotiations Act (TINA)
- Cross Charging
- Failure to Comply with Contract Specifications
- Contractor Fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Improper Cost Allocation
If you know of fraud by a defense contractor – whether it is in the US, Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere – and would like to discuss your options, please contact us.