Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Is an Operating Agreement Required for an LLC in Florida?
Florida doesn’t require that you have an Operating Agreement for your Limited Liability Company (LLC), but it is recommended that you have one. When setting up your company, it’s beneficial to seek legal advice from a Florida LLC Business litigation attorney. Business attorneys can not only assist with setting up your LLC, but they… Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions about Whistleblower Claims
The federal government, along with some states, have enacted important tools that help expose corruption and fraud related to contracted services or product purchases by governmental agencies. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes liability on companies and individuals who defraud the government. It also allows someone with the knowledge of… Read More »
Recovery Checklist for Investment Fraud Victims
Each year in the United States, a number of investors become unsuspecting victims of fraudulent investment schemes and various securities law violations. There are some instances where investors may be eligible to receive funds recovered from the fraudsters. There are a number of SEC protections that help investors, but not everyone will be able… Read More »
Firm Settles $1.5 Million Qui Tam Case
Rabin Kammerer Johnson announces the settlement of the qui tam whistleblower case, United States ex rel. Relator v. Healthquest, Inc. et al., No. 16-81147-Civ-Rosenberg, filed in the Southern District of Florida. Our firm filed the case in 2016 on behalf of a whistleblower who worked for a home health agency or HHA. HHA’s provide… Read More »
Whistleblowers Win Battle with IRS and Open Door for Future Cases
Two whistleblowers went up against the IRS recently for what felt was their share of an award for the information they provided that led to a massive $54.131 million judgment against a major Swiss bank. The argument from the IRS and the Department of Justice was that whistleblower laws don’t apply to criminal tax… Read More »
Qui Tam Defective Bulletproof Vests Case Settles for $66 Million
A settlement was recently announced in a long-running qui tam case brought by whistleblower Aaron Westrick, Ph.D., who alleged Toyobo Co. Ltd. of Japan and its American subsidiary, Toyobo USA Inc., (collectively, Toyobo), sold Zylon fiber that was defective. This fiber was used for bulletproof vests purchased by the United States government for federal,… Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions about SEC Whistleblower Actions
If you have information that you think may be of interest to the SEC, it’s important to understand the basics surrounding the whistleblower program, what the eligibility requirements are, and what potential limitations are in place. Whistleblower actions with the SEC are covered under Section 922 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer… Read More »
SEC Issues First Whistleblower Award of $2.2 Million Under Safe Harbor Rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, announced in April that it issued an award of $2.2 million to a whistleblower for the first time under what’s known as the ‘safe harbor’ rule. The whistleblower’s tip to one federal agency resulted in an SEC enforcement action. The whistleblower reported information to a federal agency… Read More »
Common Types of Whistleblower Fraud
Whistleblower cases, known as Qui Tam cases, are ones that are brought against companies who are committing fraud against the United States government for financial gain. These types of cases can come from many sources, but some of the most common whistleblower cases are: Health Care Fraud It probably comes as no surprise that… Read More »
New IRS Task Force — Could This Mean More Whistleblower Awards?
The Wall Street Journal shared news that the IRS is forming a new task force within its criminal investigations unit. The team of 10 agents will be solely focused on international tax enforcement. They are assembling experts who will follow the funds of financial criminals and tax cheats, no matter where they are in… Read More »