WASHINGTON, DC – Washingtonian magazine has named three Phillips & Cohen partners – John R. Phillips, Erika A. Kelton and Peter W Chatfield — to its 2011 “Best Lawyers” list for the Washington, DC, area.
The three were named “Stars of the Bar” in the whistleblower law category published in the December issue of the Washingtonian. The “Best Lawyers” list highlights what the magazine calls “Washington’s best legal minds” in various law categories.
Attorneys Phillips, Kelton and Chatfield have decades of experience representing whistleblowers.
John R. Phillips, a founding partner of Phillips & Cohen, was a key player in the efforts to modernize and strengthen the Civil War-era False Claims Act, resulting in Congress passing the 1986 amendments. The False Claims Act has become the government’s most effective and powerful enforcement weapon to stop Medicare fraud, defense contractor fraud and other types of fraud against the government.
Erika A. Kelton had numerous successful whistleblower cases including a record-setting case against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Pfizer paid $1.8 billion to settle civil and criminal charges involving the illegal and dangerous “off-label” marketing of the prescription painkiller Bextra as part of a global $2.3 billion settlement with the government. It was both the largest healthcare fraud settlement and a record criminal fine.
Peter Chatfield’s successful whistleblower cases include one that was part of a $425 million settlement Cephalon Inc. paid to settle charges involving its off-label marketing of various drugs. Chatfield also played a key role in a successful, groundbreaking court battle to increase a client’s whistleblower reward.
For more information about Phillips & Cohen’s record, see P&C’s Successful Whistleblower Cases.