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Washington, D.C. December 6, 2016. An attempt by large government contractors and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to undermine the False Claims Act (FCA) was beaten back by whistleblower advocates. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision today in the case of State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby ruling that breaches to the confidentiality (or seal) provision of a case brought under the FCA will not result in an automatic dismissal of the case.
Continue Reading Huge Win for Whistleblowers with Unanimous Supreme Court Decision

This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby. Having suffered a 758-thousand-dollar jury verdict for defrauding the Government following Hurricane Katrina, State Farm is now attempting judicial gymnastics to avoid paying the judgment.  State Farm is asking the Supreme Court to automatically dismiss False Claims Act cases where whistleblowers violate the FCA’s seal provision (31 U.S.C.S. § 3730(b)(2)), instead of using a balancing test—which courts in the United States have historically employed when seal violations occur—to determine the appropriate course of action.

Justice Elena Kagan honed in on a very important question during today’s argument, “…. given that the government is the beneficiary of this [seal] provision, why shouldn’t we give very significant discretion to the government?” …
Continue Reading UPDATE: Today U.S. Supreme Court Heard Oral Argument in State Farm Ex Rel. Rigsby

Press Release
October 31, 2016

On Tuesday November 1, 2016, The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby. Having suffered a 758-thousand-dollar jury verdict for defrauding the Government following Hurricane Katrina, State Farm is now attempting judicial gymnastics to avoid paying the judgment.…

Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Oral Argument in State Farm Ex Rel. Rigsby