Select a city or county to find Pennsylvania Whistleblower & Qui Tam lawyers near you.
Whistleblowers are people who see illegal, fraudulent, or unethical activities within their workplace, and report these violations to a government agency. Without whistleblowers, many serious violations of the law by individuals and employers would never become known. The specifics of federal and state whistleblower protection laws vary quite a bit, but the singular goal is to encourage workers to report important safety or ethical violations without fear of retaliation.
Whistleblower protections come from several diverse sources. The federal government has laws protecting you from retaliation for filing a claim or reporting a violation. Many states have whistleblower protections, as well. Common forms of whistleblower protections include:
There are several types of wrongdoings that can be reported by whistleblowers, depending on the nature of their organization or industry. Whistleblower protection laws generally encourage the reporting of misconduct that poses a threat to the public. Some types of activities that whistleblowers report can include:
Specific steps and procedures for reporting wrongdoings vary from state to state. Consulting with a whistleblower attorney can help you understand the process and requirements for your area. Some general guidelines for reporting wrongdoings as a whistleblower include:
The United States has numerous safeguards in place to make sure that those who file whistleblower claims can do so without being targeted for doing the right thing. If you wish to report your employer's fraud or misconduct but you're worried that they will retaliate against you if you report their actions, a whistleblower law firm in Pennsylvania can help.
Whistleblower attorneys can give you information about all of the protections that you have in a whistleblower case, including protection granted by Pennsylvania law and federal laws against demotion, harassment or other types of retaliation from your employer.
Employees become whistleblowers by reporting various forms of illegal activity carried out by employers and other entities. These activities can include:
Law firms that handle whistleblower cases in Pennsylvania can help you understand what options you have if you have knowledge of these or any other activities where an employer is violating the law. They make sure that the process goes as smoothly as possible and that you are protected during the whistleblowing process.
"Qui tam" is a legal term that typically arises in cases involving the federal False Claims Act. It relates to whistleblower claims where a person files a lawsuit alleging that a private entity is defrauding the federal government. In qui tam cases, the government can recover any funds that were illegally obtained, and the whistleblower may receive a portion of the amount recovered. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Dodd-Frank Act also contain qui tam provisions related to the securities and foreign corrupt practices.
Use FindLaw to hire a local whistleblower lawyer to protect you from retaliation and potentially even collect a percentage of the recovery.
There are a variety of reasons you might need to find a lawyer in Pennsylvania, from facing criminal charges to filing a lawsuit or even just buying a house.
If you are facing criminal charges, it is extremely important to be represented by skilled legal counsel. Not only can retaining an experienced criminal defense attorney increase your chances of a favorable outcome if your case does go to trial (improving your odds of attaining an acquittal), but also if you opt to negotiate a plea deal or to plead guilty, a lawyer can ensure you are treated fairly within the boundaries of the law.
On the other hand, if you are looking to file a legal claim of any sort, it is equally advisable to find a Pennsylvania lawyer familiar with your type of legal matter. Attorneys have spent years (if not decades) of their lives in pursuit of the knowledge and skills necessary to best represent their clients in court proceedings. Legal jargon, obscure precedent, existing and newly passed statutes and other elements of the legal process demand that a professional lawyer is always capable of seeking the best possible outcome.
While representing yourself in court can sound like a good idea on the surface, particularly given the relative cost of retaining legal counsel, it is almost universally considered to be a poor idea. No amount of quick research can act as a substitute for the skills and experience that lawyers attain through working several years in the court system.
Finding the right Whistleblower/Qui Tam attorney starts with knowing what to evaluate. When reviewing Pennsylvania attorney profiles, consider the following:
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