Articles Posted in Whistleblower and Retaliation

A former Vice President for Viacom has brought an action against the media giant alleging that she was wrongfully terminated after blowing the whistle on an alleged unlawful tax-avoidance scheme. Our New York Whistleblower Lawyer discusses the allegations and employment implications below.

Along with a multitude of other properties, Viacom owns the international licensing rights for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (“TMNT”). In her Complaint, Williams, a 7-year employee of Viacom and most recently its Vice President for Financial Planning and Analysis, accuses Viacom of attempting to attribute TMNT’s revenue (a 2014 motion picture release) to the Netherlands in an effort to avoid paying U.S. taxes. While the entity that owns TMNT was based in Netherlands, the Complaint states that all of the business that was conducted concerning the rights of the movie- licensing decisions, contract negotiations – all were done in New York State. The Complaint also alleges that Viacom had a similar plan for other intellectual properties, such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Williams alleges that other employees, including a Senior Vice President, who expressed their opposition to the tax-avoidance scheme has their employment terminated. When Williams, herself, raised her concerns about the planned activity, she alleges that she was ignored and told to not memorialize the tax avoidance plans in any emails.
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As we have discussed previously, whistleblowers play a vital role in our society; they are uniquely situated to report frauds perpetuated on the government and the tax paying public.

Our Award Winning New York Whistleblower Attorney has been asked to comment on a recent multi-million dollar settlement resolving a Medicaid fraud case that was brought under state and federal False Claims Acts. If you are aware of any situations where the government is being defrauded, contact our office for a confidential consultation. As discussed below, it is imperative that whistleblowers speak with counsel before taking any steps.

Government fraud is wrong and must be stopped. Whistleblowers are courageous individuals who come forward and help tax payers from being ripped off. Our New York False Claims Act Lawyer has been asked to discuss a case where multiple wireless carriers are accused of overcharging the government by more then $100 million. Our attorneys have counseled clients in confidential matters regarding whistleblower actions.

In State of California et al. ex rel. OntheGo Wireless, LLC v. Cellco Partnership et al., Case No. 34-2012-00127517 (Super. Ct. Cal., Sacramento County), it is alleged that the Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile failed to charge the lowest rate possible to its government customers. It was alleged that the wireless carriers signed a contract with the government that required it to conduct regular rate plan optimizations to ensure that its government customers were charged the lowest possible rate. It is alleged that the wireless companies did not conduct the rate plan optimization, which is a computerized system that applies the lowest cost plan based on an analysis of a customer’s specific usage pattern.

If you are aware of a company or individual that is overcharging the government or engaging in fraudulent practices, I urge to contact our office for a confidential consultation to learn your rights and options. Not only do the whistleblowers shine a light on corruption and recover monies for taxpayers, they also are eligible for a monetary reward depending on the circumstances. Below are some frequently asked questions from our prior discussions.

As we have discussed before, whistleblowers perform a critical role in our communities by helping to stem fraud and corruption. As with cases like the one below, had a whistleblower timely intervened, it could have potentially saved taxpayers millions of dollars, valuable time and resources, and a whistleblower may even have been entitled to one-third of any monies recovered by the government from the corrupt corporation or individuals.

Not every case forms the basis for a whistleblower claim under a statute or applicable law – call our New York Whistleblower Attorney to learn your options and the strength (or weakness) of your potential claims. Not every case is the same and initial missteps can be fatal to claim. Learn your rights before you take any action.

Our New York Whistleblower Attorney has been asked to comment on a recent Medicare fraud case that was brought under the False Claims Act. It is important to stop government fraud including Medicare Fraud because it affects society as a whole. It is has been reported that Medicare Fraud is estimated to be 50 billion dollars annually. If you are aware of any situations where the government is being defrauded, contact our office for a confidential consultation. As discussed below, it is important for whistleblowers to speak with counsel before taking any steps.

Dr. Jean Moore, a physician, blew the whistle by filing a lawsuit under the False Claims Act against Mercy Health Springfield Communities, formerly known as St. John’s Health System Inc., which owns and operates a hospital in Springfield, Missouri, and its affiliate, Mercy Clinic Springfield Communities, formerly known as St. John’s Clinic. It was alleged that the defendants submitted false claims to the Medicare Program for services rendered and the referring physicians received improper bonuses. There are strict laws that regulate whether bonuses can be paid to referring patients for policy and health reasons. Patient care and medical treatment should be paramount. Indeed, according to press reports, U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson stated “[a] bonus structure that rewards physicians based on the value of their referrals is detrimental to both the quality and the cost of health care. Patients deserve assurances that they are receiving appropriate medical care, unbiased by hidden incentives. And taxpayers deserve assurances that the cost of public health care programs is not inflated by unnecessary procedures and services.”