SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In part as a result of allegations brought to the Department of Justice
by Hagens Berman client Dr. Robert Chinnapongse, today the Department of
Justice announced that US WorldMeds LLC, a pharmaceutical manufacturer,
agreed to pay $17.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the
False Claims Act, according to Hagens Berman, a law firm representing
one of two whistleblowers involved in the matter.
Among the allegations brought in a federal False Claims Act lawsuit
originally filed by Dr. Chinnapongse in 2014, included payment of
kickbacks to physicians in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The False
Claims Act authorizes whistleblowers to sue companies and
individuals that defraud the government. These suits are filed under
seal in federal court and investigated by the Department of Justice.
“We are grateful to represent Dr. Chinnapongse,” said Shayne
Stevenson, partner and head of the whistleblower
practice at Hagens Berman. “In addition to being a brilliant
scientist, he’s also a deeply ethical doctor who stood up at great risk
to do the right thing.”
Questions
about becoming a False Claims Act whistleblower? FAQ »
Hagens Berman’s whistleblower attorneys have successfully represented
multiple whistleblowers under the False Claims Act whistleblower
program, including in the historic $1
billion settlement against Bank of America. The firm’s False Claims
Act successes also
include settlements against Amgen, Medtronic, and several other health
care and pharmaceutical companies. The firm has also brought successful,
innovative whistleblower claims under the CFTC and
the SEC’s
Dodd-Frank whistleblower programs that have led to record-breaking fines
against large companies.
The whistleblower’s attorney, Hagens Berman partner and head of
whistleblower practice, Shayne Stevenson, is available to speak
regarding the implications of the case and other trends in whistleblower
litigation. To schedule an interview, please contact the firm’s media
contact, Heidi Waggoner, at 206-268-9363.
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a national law firm representing
whistleblowers, with offices in nine cities. The firm’s tenacious drive
for plaintiffs’ rights has earned it numerous national accolades, awards
and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” and MVPs and Trailblazers
of class-action law. More about the law firm and its whistleblower
practice can be found at www.hbsslaw.com/whistleblower.
Follow the firm for updates and whistleblower news at @WhistleblowerHB.
Contacts
Heidi Waggoner
[email protected]
206-268-9318
