Category: BLOG
Halunen Law’s Susan Coler Provides Important Insight as Panelist on Recent National Employment Lawyer Association Presentation
Susan Coler, Halunen Law Partner and Chair of the False Claims Act Practice Group, recently spoke on a panel – “False Claims Act 101: What’s a Whistleblower to do? – as part of the Eighth Circuit Conference of the National Employment Lawyers Association. In recent years, False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuits have dramatically increased in …
Halunen Law Takes On the For-profit School Industry – Again.
Halunen Law False Claims Act attorneys Susan Coler, Nathaniel Smith, and Gerald Robinson brought a lawsuit on behalf of their client Brian Gravely alleging that National American University (NAU) has engaged in fraudulent conduct against the government. The lawsuit alleges that NAU’s misrepresentations allowed it receive millions in federal dollars that it would not have …
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Halunen Law Plays Key Role as Co-counsel in Victory for Consumer Rights and Arbitration
Halunen Law plays key role as co-counsel in victory for consumer rights and arbitration Many companies include forced arbitration clauses and class action waivers in their contracts or terms of service. They do this to block consumers from banding together and holding them accountable in court when disputes arise, instead forcing them to proceed on …
Is Your Country of Origin a Bad Word at Work?
On January 11, it was reported that President Donald Trump, during a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House, where he rejected a bipartisan deal on a program affecting immigration to the United States, referred to Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries” and reportedly went on to state that the …
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Sexual Harassment: Unequal Power. Unequal Pain.
I vividly remember about a year ago when the sex tape of Donald Trump was released and the world began discussing whether or not the conduct was sufficiently egregious to sink his run for the presidency.The news media covered the story for weeks, with journalists and pundits opining on the propriety of the underlying conduct- …
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Halunen Law Partner Susan Coler Serves as Local Counsel in $850,000 Medicare Fraud Recovery
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (December 1, 2017) — A dermatologist’s whistleblower lawsuit recovered $850,000 for his fellow taxpayers, as the U.S. government settled fraud claims against a Minnesota skin-care practice and its owner, whom it had accused of false billing and unnecessary surgical procedures. The Employment Law Group® law firm represented the whistleblower, Dr. Jeff Samuelson, …
Why Whistleblowers Are So Helpful in Fraud Cases
You know when something’s not right at work. Numbers don’t add up. Documentation doesn’t reflect what you know to be true. Safety procedures aren’t being followed. Fraud and illegal activity is a reality at many workplaces, and it’s often you – the employee – who identifies and has the courage to bring that fraud to …
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Landmark decision brings new clarity and protection for whistleblowers
This month, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a unanimous, landmark decision expanding protections for employees who report legal violations to their employers. The Friedlander v. Edwards Lifesciences, LLC, et al., decision involves a straightforward interpretation of a statute and at first glance may seem unremarkable. The truth of the matter is, it’s a big deal. …
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Severance Agreement? Seek Advice Before Signing (Part 2)
Back in March I wrote a blog about a common call I get from executives. They’ve just received a a severance agreement and want to make sure it’s “safe” to sign. I discussed my surprise that people who made their careers negotiating for their employer, didn’t have an appetite to negotiate for themselves.
SIGHTPATH MEDICAL AND ITS FORMER PRESIDENT PAY $12,000,000 TO THE UNITED STATES TO RESOLVE FALSE CLAIMS ACT ALLEGATIONS
A $12 million settlement was reached in a False Claims Act case alleging kickbacks to physicians for using Sightpath Medical Products in eye surgeries. The relator, Kipp Fesenmaier, was vice president of the company and reported that kickbacks were being offered to physicians to bribe them to use Sightpath Medical products. These kickbacks came in …