WilmerHale Victorious in $103 Million False Claims Act Verdict

Download IconDownload Print IconPrint

WilmerHale Victorious in $103 Million False Claims Act Verdict

Client News

Related Solutions

We offer clients exceptional insight in dealing with competition agencies in the United States, Europe and around the world.
A global team handling highly complex and sensitive matters in all aspects of litigation.
“The firm is at its best during a fight—whether that’s against an enforcer, or in court against a private litigant.” — Global Competition Review
Uncompromising defense of corporations and individuals in high-profile and complex litigation and investigations.
Drawing on years of experience in the public and private sectors, our lawyers handle a range of litigation involving the federal government, state and foreign governments, and complex regulatory regimes.
With litigators who previously served as senior lawyers in the Departments of Justice and Defense, our team has successfully represented clients in difficult, high-stakes FCA litigation brought by relators and the government.
Bringing significant depth and critical experience to government contracting matters.
Advising clients on changing priorities, new regulations, emerging threats and untapped opportunities.

In a rare and complex False Claims Act trial, WilmerHale, working with a trial team from the Department of Justice, won a jury verdict in favor of the US government and client Richard Miller against all defendants with a damages award of just over $103 million. This is the fourth largest US jury verdict in 2007. Following a week’s deliberation, the jury found the defendants liable under the False Claims Act for conspiring to rig bids for US government-funded construction projects in the Middle East.

The construction projects were born from the 1978 Camp David Peace Accords and were paid for by the US Agency for International Development. The verdict, over ten years in the making, follows a criminal trial in which one of the defendants was convicted and several others pled guilty to charges of rigging their bids for US AID-funded projects in violation of US antitrust laws. WilmerHale client Mr. Miller is a former executive of one of the construction companies who, after becoming aware of the companies’ conspiracy, alerted the government.

This case drew on WilmerHale’s strengths in the areas of both antitrust and False Claims Act litigation, in which we regularly defend companies suspected of violations, as well as those who are victims of unlawful conduct.

Members of WilmerHale’s Litigation Department and Antitrust and Competition Department who worked on this case include Robert Bell, Jonathan Cedarbaum, Robert Cultice, Jennifer O’Connor, Colin Rushing, Matthew Baumgartner, Ashley Baynham, Monya Bunch, Michael Gottlieb, Kevin Heffel, Allison Murphy, Gregory Reece and Stephen Smith.

Notice

Unless you are an existing client, before communicating with WilmerHale by e-mail (or otherwise), please read the Disclaimer referenced by this link.(The Disclaimer is also accessible from the opening of this website). As noted therein, until you have received from us a written statement that we represent you in a particular manner (an "engagement letter") you should not send to us any confidential information about any such matter. After we have undertaken representation of you concerning a matter, you will be our client, and we may thereafter exchange confidential information freely.

Thank you for your interest in WilmerHale.

I Accept Cancel