Whistleblower

Qui tam comes from the Latin phrase qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hoc parte sequitur, which means “he who sues for the king as well as for himself,” and refers to cases filed under the federal False Claims Act (or similar state statutes) by private citizens seeking to recover money for frauds perpetrated on the government.

United States taxpayers are the ones who pay billions of dollars each year due to fraud committed against the government. The False Claims Act allows private citizens, or “whistleblowers,” to sue on behalf of the government for this fraud. If a case is successful, the government may be able to recover treble damages and civil penalties for each violation, and the private citizen, called the “relator,” can receive his/her attorneys’ costs and fees, as well as a portion of the fund awarded by the court.

The False Claims Act, and similar state whistleblower statutes, also provide protection for private citizen whistleblowers, often entitling a whistleblower to double back pay, interest, reinstatement with seniority, special damages sustained as a result of discriminatory treatment, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

WW is committed to seeing companies held responsible for their actions that involve fraud against the government. If you believe that you may have a claim as a whistleblower, you may complete our online form or request to speak with one of our attorneys in our Chicago office by calling (312) 346-2222.