Whistleblower Attorneys to Discuss Qui Tam Cases Under False Claims Act, IRS Whistleblower Program, and Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Cases at Annual "Whistleblower Law Symposium"

I am very excited about co-chairing the Annual "Whistleblower Law Symposium" once again this week.

From Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Antonio, and Washington, D.C., many of the country's leading attorneys in whistleblower cases under the "qui tam" statute, the False Claims Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley statute, and the IRS Whistleblower Program will gather in Atlanta on March 4 to discuss some of the more challenging aspects of representing whistleblowers (or defending against whistleblower claims) under these laws.

We are honored to have one of the officials of the IRS Whistleblower Office, Dawn Applebaum, join us in person to discuss the progress of the new IRS Whistleblower Rewards Program. The IRS Whistleblower Office has just celebrated its second anniversary.

We are also privileged to have the top state enforcement officials in health care fraud cases from Texas, Florida, and Georgia, to explain how they coordinate state and federal health care fraud whistleblower cases under the federal and state False Claims Acts.

Also joining us is Rep. Edward Lindsey, the Legislative Sponsor both of the Georgia State False Medicaid Claims Act, and recent legislation to solidify Georgia’s Office of State Inspector General.

Because of the wave of new whistleblower statutes that have been inspired by the successes of the False Claims Act, our firm instituted the Whistleblower Law Symposium. Once again, top-notch speakers will address a broad variety of issues that arise under these whistleblower laws, including:

--Whistleblowers in Health Care: Recent Cases and Strategies for Healthcare Providers and Counsel When a Whistleblower Calls

--Recent Developments in Qui Tam Cases Under the False Claims Act—The Relator’s Perspective

--Current Issues in Defending Qui Tam Claims

--Coordinating State and Federal Whistleblower Cases Under the State and Federal False Claims Acts—Current Priorities and Recent Results

--Federal Priorities and Procedures in Qui Tam Cases

--Plaintiffs’ & Defendants’ Approaches to Sarbanes-Oxley Claims

--Update on the IRS Whistleblower Program

We are fortunate to have such excellent faculty members from around the country join us. Our faculty members and their topics are listed below.

Annual Whistleblower Law Symposium

Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Strategies in “Whistleblower” Cases:
Qui Tam, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Other Whistleblower Statutes

March 4, 2009
State Bar of Georgia Headquarters

Co-Chairs:
Michael A. Sullivan
Richard W. Hendrix
Finch McCranie, LLP, Atlanta

7:45-8:25 Registration

8:30 Introduction
Richard W. Hendrix, Finch McCranie, LLP, Atlanta

8:40 Whistleblowers in Health Care: Recent Cases and Strategies for Healthcare Providers and Counsel When a Whistleblower Calls
Tracy M. Field, Arnall Golden & Gregory LLP, Atlanta
Jay Mitchell, Executive Vice President & General Counsel of Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta
Rick Shackelford, King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta
J. Marc Vezina, Vezina & Gattuso, LLC, New Orleans

9:35 Recent Developments in Qui Tam Cases Under the False Claims Act—The Relator’s Perspective
Frederick Cohen, Goldberg Kohn, Chicago
Thomas M. Greene, Greene & Hoffman, Boston
Mark Simpson, Simpson Law Firm, LLC, Atlanta
Michael A. Sullivan, Finch McCranie, LLP, Atlanta

10:30 Break

10:45 Current Issues in Defending Qui Tam Claims
Hon. John E. Clark, Goode Casseb Jones Riklin Choate & Watson, P.C., San Antonio
William H. Jordan, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta
Paul B. Murphy, King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta
Holly A. Pierson, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Atlanta

11:45 Coordinating State and Federal Whistleblower Cases Under the State and Federal False Claims Acts—Current Priorities and Recent Results
Michael Behn, Behn & Wyetzner, Chicago
Mark G. Bodner, Bureau Chief, Office of the Attorney General (Florida), Tallahassee
James J. Breen, The Breen Law Firm, P.A., Alpharetta
Charles M. Richards, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Office of Attorney General (Georgia), Atlanta
Raymond C. Winter, Chief, Civil Medicaid Fraud Division (Texas), Austin

1:00 Lunch

Lunch Presentation: Rep. Edward Lindsey, Legislative Sponsor of the Georgia State False Medicaid Claims Act, and recent legislation on Georgia’s Office of State Inspector General

1:30 Federal Priorities and Procedures in Qui Tam Cases
Daniel E. Bennett, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Macon
Amy L. Berne, Chief of Civil Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Atlanta
Courtney Guyton McBurney, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta
Marlan B. Wilbanks, Wilbanks & Bridges LLP, Atlanta

2:25 Plaintiffs’ & Defendants’ Approaches to Sarbanes-Oxley Claims
John F. Beasley, Buckley & Klein LLP, Atlanta
Lisa H. Cassilly, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta
Benjamin E. Fox, Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore LLP, Atlanta
David Marshall, Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, Washington, D.C.
Jason Zuckerman, The Employment Law Group, Washington, D.C.

3:25 Break

3:30 Update on the IRS Whistleblower Program
Dawn M. Applebaum, IRS Whistleblower Office, Washington, D.C.
Michael A. Sullivan, Finch McCranie, LLP, Atlanta

4:30 pm Adjourn