False Claims Act in 2014: Implementation Issues

Robert J. Nelson is a partner at Lieff Cabraser and chairs Lieff Cabraser’s False Claims Act practice group. Mr. Nelson has been the lead lawyer on numerous whistleblower cases, including a $46 million settlement involving Sutter Health in 2013, as well as a $78.5 million settlement involving the University of Phoenix. Mr. Nelson was recognized in 2010 as California Lawyer magazine's Attorney of the Year for his work on the University of Phoenix case. Mr. Nelson previously achieved the same recognition in 2008 in connection with a verdict he obtained against Chrysler for $54 million, including $50 million in punitive damages. Mr. Nelson has been court-appointed class counsel in more than two dozen class actions in state and federal courts around the country, and is a frequent lecturer on class action and whistleblower issues. He is a 1987 graduate of NYU School of Law, where he was admitted to the Order of the Coif and was an Articles Editor on the NYU Law Review. Following law school, Mr. Nelson served as a judicial clerk to Judge Stephen Reinhardt on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Michelle L. Rogers is a partner in the Washington, DC office of BuckleySandler LLP. Ms. Rogers represents institutions in a wide range of litigation matters, including government enforcement actions, class action litigation, regulatory examinations, and corporate internal investigations. She currently is representing several financial institutions in ongoing False Claims Act (FCA) and Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) matters. She has also represented clients in matters involving the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (PFCRA), Truth in Lending Act, Fair Housing Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Civil Rights Act, and unfair and deceptive trade practices statutes involving the Department of Justice (DOJ), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), federal and state bank regulators, and state attorneys general.

Jennifer M. Wollenberg, a senior associate at Fried Frank and a member of the Firm's False Claims Act and Qui Tam practice group, represents corporations in a variety of complex civil litigation matters, with an emphasis on cases arising under the civil FCA and, in particular, cases involving the financial, aerospace, and defense industries. Ms. Wollenberg has been a contributing co-author of FraudMail Alert®, which regularly reports on significant developments in the FCA arena, and has published articles on various aspects of the FCA. Ms. Wollenberg received her JD from Cornell Law School and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New York, the United States Court of Appeals (Second, Ninth, and District of Columbia Circuits), the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Mark Dostal is a Director at PwC. He has over 32 years of extensive and diversified experience in government contract accounting and auditing, including 8 years with PwC, 8 years with another Big 4 national government contracting practice, and 16 years with the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). He specializes in the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Agency FAR Supplements, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).  Mark began his career conducting DCAA audits, directing field office operations, and managing Agency responsibilities at large and medium sized defense contractors from locations in the Midwest, Southwest, and Agency Headquarters. After leaving Federal service, Mark leveraged his unique experiences and relationships to develop consultative approaches with clients that support compliant, yet practical considerations for meeting government contracting and cost accounting practices. He has also assisted many commercial market-based clients with transitioning to and navigating the FAR/DFARS and CAS requirements when entering the federal marketplace.  As a member of defense and space industry associations, he actively promotes open dialogue of perspectives and issues affecting industry and senior government acquisition officials. Mark is a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois and Iowa, and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Defense Industrial Association, and National Contract Management Association.

Joe Cheriathundam, a national forensic data analytics leader with the StoneTurn Group, has over 20 years of experience supporting companies and organizations in matters of conflict, change and regulatory compliance, including 15 years with national “Big 4” companies. He has led projects pertaining to the False Claims Act, anti-fraud consulting, anti-money laundering, mergers and acquisitions, investment/trading improprieties, and international business compliance in industries as diverse as finance, retail, life sciences/healthcare, automotive and real estate. Joe recently earned an Advanced Business Analytics Certification from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and has frequently written and spoken on the topic of Forensic Data Analytics.