Melanie Yates

What is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)? The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is a powerful anti-bribery law that prohibits US companies and individuals from paying money or any other sort...

History of the False Claims Act and “qui tam” whistleblower cases The False Claims Act, also known as the “Lincoln Law,” was enacted during the Civil War to combat the fraud perpetrated...

Whistleblowers play a key role in exposing fraud by banks and other companies in the financial industry. Phillips & Cohen has represented whistleblowers in successful qui tam lawsuits that alleged...

Last Updated: April 25, 2025 What is defense contractor fraud? Defense contractor fraud occurs when a company that provides goods or services to the U.S. Department of Defense knowingly overcharges the...

Sean McKessy in Ignites, 1/25/17. The case serves as a “cautionary tale” for other firms that “the SEC really doesn’t like when companies target their programs,” says Sean...

Sean McKessy in the National Law Journal, 1/6/17. Sean McKessy, who stepped down in July as the whistleblower office’s first chief, said Friday’s award marks the second time the SEC has deemed...

Article by Erika Kelton published in the NYU Compliance & Enforcement Blog, 01/05/17. “2016 was a banner year for the Dodd-Frank Act’s most significant anti-fraud enforcement provisions: the...

Statement of Claire Sylvia Phillips & Cohen LLP Submitted to the Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives and the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus...

DaVita has agreed to pay the government more than $400 million to settle civil charges alleging DaVita paid doctors kickbacks so that they would refer patients to DaVita’s dialysis centers. The total...

What is the Anti-Kickback Statute? Under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a company commits fraud when it offers doctors and other healthcare providers financial incentives to use the company’s products...