WASHINGTON, DC (September 25, 2013) – Leading whistleblower law firm Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. has released a new mobile application for Apple and Android devices, “Whistleblower Laws: Know Your Rights.”
The free app can be downloaded here for Android (requires v. 2.2 and up): and here for Apple.
The new app is an invaluable resource for information on federal and state whistleblower laws, along with up-to-date commentary on current whistleblower issues, and helpful advice on whistleblower rights and protections. The app offers user-friendly checklists that can help determine if a company may be violating whistleblower laws. The launch version of the app is 3.7 megabytes.
The app provides extra discretion and privacy for those who may need to review such sensitive information away from office computers or workplace devices.
“It’s not surprising that most people in a position to report illegal activity in their workplace would not be comfortable researching whistleblower laws and protections at their desk , for fear of reprisal, or being outed as a potential troublemaker,” said Reuben A. Guttman, who heads Grant & Eisenhofer’s whistleblower practice. “Our new mobile app allows users to privately research and assess the merits of a complaint before seeking legal assistance. It is a potent tool for potential whistleblowers thinking about bringing serious and substantive claims, helping inform them about the law across numerous domestic and international jurisdictions and industries.”
The app’s innovative Checklist tab features informative questions to guide individuals who work in a variety of industries that have especially been prone to fraud and abuse, including pharmaceutical and health care, securities and financial services, defense, government contracts, and international sales. Prospective whistleblowers can review the Checklist tab to help determine whether their company may be violating the federal False Claims Act, or may be engaged in soliciting bribes and other illegal activity.
The app’s tabs show the Federal False Claims Act and the provisions of 29 different states with state false claims laws plus the District of Columbia, along with the cities of New York City and Chicago.
The app also links directly to Grant & Eisenhofer’s whistleblower blog, http://www.whistleblowerlaws.
“Anyone harboring personal concerns regarding illegal conduct they’ve observed on the job can easily become frustrated or nervous about what steps to take in the event of reporting such activity to an outside agency or in bringing a lawsuit,” Mr. Guttman said. “Whistleblowers play a critical role in corporate compliance and government enforcement. The federal False Claims Act also provides for significant financial recovery – up to three times damages – and individuals who successfully pursue a whistleblower action with the SEC or other government agencies could be entitled to bounty ranging between 15-30% of the government’s recovery. We’re hoping our new app gives individuals confidence in taking the right steps should they decide to take the courageous step of becoming a whistleblower.”
Mr. Guttman, who International Business Times referred to as “one of the world’s most prominent whistleblower attorneys,” has led Grant & Eisenhofer’s Whistleblower/ False Claims Litigation Group in some of the country’s biggest whistleblower cases in the last two years.
Mr. Guttman represented lead whistleblowers in the government’s $1.6 billion settlement with Abbott Laboratories in 2012. The case stemmed in large part from a sales manager who alleged the drug company illegally marketed its powerful anti-seizure medication Depakote, while making kickbacks to physicians to prescribe it. The recovery is one of the largest payments ever for off-label marketing of a single drug.
Grant & Eisenhofer also represented one of several whistleblowers who prompted a federal investigation of GlaxoSmithKline in its marketing of popular asthma medication Advair that allegedly enabled fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other reimbursement programs. The $3 billion global settlement reached in 2012 is reported to be the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history.
This past July, Grant & Eisenhofer represented two key whistleblowers behind a $257.4 million settlement between drugmaker Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Pfizer, and the U.S. Department of Justice stemming from alleged marketing abuses of powerful immunosuppressant drug Rapamune. The firm also represented a whistleblower in the Justice Department’s $24.9 million dollar settlement with Amgen in April 2013.
In another prominent case, G&E represented whistleblower Lynn Szymoniak, who first reported claims of robo-signing to 60 Minutes and whose allegations led to a $95 million settlement as part of the government’s historic $25 billion settlement with the country’s four largest banks in 2012.
About Grant & Eisenhofer
Grant &Eisenhofer P.A. represents plaintiffs in a wide range of complex financial litigation. G&E’s clients include institutional investors, whistleblowers and other stakeholders in bankruptcy litigation, securities class actions, derivative lawsuits, consumer class actions, antitrust suits, and cases involving the False Claims Act. G&E has recovered more than $13 billion for investors in the last five years and has consistently been cited by RiskMetrics for securing the highest average investor recovery in securities class actions. Grant & Eisenhofer has been named one of the country’s top plaintiffs’ law firms by The National Law Journal for the past eight years. For more information, visit www.gelaw.com.
