Our Largest Settlements in 2023
Washington, DC, January 4, 2024 – Phillips & Cohen represented whistleblower clients whose cases are responsible for returning to the U.S. Treasury hundreds of millions of dollars in 2023. The firm helped secure 13 settlements including eight healthcare fraud cases, two cases before the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission, a FEMA-disaster relief fraud case, a case related to billing on Iraq War supplies, and a customs fraud settlement. The aggregate settlement amounts of the 13 cases exceeded $370 million, with the majority of the funds going back to the U.S. Treasury.
Diverse Expertise in Whistleblower Representation
“Last year’s settlements show the wide range of Phillips & Cohen’s expertise,” said Erika Kelton, a whistleblower attorney and partner with Phillips & Cohen LLP. “We are very honored to represent whistleblower clients in so many significant and impactful fraud enforcement matters in 2023. We look forward to serving our whistleblower clients in the securities fraud and government fraud spaces, among other practice areas in 2024.”
Among the firm’s settlements in 2023:
- A qui tam lawsuit against KBR Services that settled for $108.75 million, the largest cash settlement ever obtained in connection with Iraq War fraud.
- A case with the SEC that resulted in a $9 million reward for the whistleblower.
- CenCal Health and seven hospitals and clinics agreed to pay a total of $95.5 million to the federal government and the state of California to settle a whistleblower lawsuit that alleged Medicaid and Medi-Cal fraud.
- Genomic Health Inc., a clinical diagnostic test supplier, paid $32.5 million to settle two whistleblowers’ lawsuits, one filed by Phillips & Cohen LLP that alleged overbilling the federal government for genomic-based lab tests for cancer patients.
- A qui tam lawsuit against electronic health records provider NextGen Healthcare, Inc. that settled for $31 million for alleged violations of the federal False Claims Act for improperly obtaining certification of versions of its EHR software among other alleged violations.
- Lincare Holdings Inc., a durable medical equipment company that supplies oxygen to patients with respiratory issues, agreed to pay $29 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit. The case is believed to be the first successful case against a healthcare supplier for overcharging the Medicare Advantage program.
- Martin’s Point Health Care Inc., a provider of healthcare in Maine and New Hampshire, agreed to pay $22.48 million to resolve allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act. The lawsuit is believed to be the largest settlement in Maine under the False Claims Act.
- An $11.8 million settlement with the architectural and engineering firm AECOM for fraud related to Hurricane Katrina.
Phillips & Cohen’s Impactful Legacy in Whistleblower Advocacy
Phillips & Cohen is the most successful law firm representing whistleblowers, with recoveries from our cases totaling over $13 billion. Phillips & Cohen’s roster includes former federal prosecutors, the first head of the SEC Office of the Whistleblower, the former director of the CFTC’s Whistleblower Office, a former deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the author of a leading treatise on the False Claims Act and attorneys with decades of experience representing whistleblowers. Contact us.