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Litigating New York State False Claims Act Cases

- Location -
Concierge Conference Center
780 Third Avenue (at 48th Street)
New York, NY 10017
(212) 735-0072

 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

4.0 MCLE Credits: 3.0 Professional Practice; 1.0 Ethics

 Register online now 

This program is available live and via a simultaneous live webcast option.  Newly admittied attorneys (less than twenty-four months) must attend the program in person to receive New York MCLE credit.                         

NYSBA Co-sponsors: Commercial and Federal Litigation Section and its NYSBA Civil Prosecution Committee, and the Committee on Continuing Legal Education

Program Despcription

The New York State False Claims Act is a powerful weapon in the State’s fight against fraud on the government.  This statute, one of the most robust of its kind in the country, empowers the Attorney General, local governments and private individuals to bring a civil lawsuit - on behalf of the government - against any person or entity that defrauds the government.  The consequences are significant: defendants are potentially liable for three times the financial loss from the fraud as well as civil penalties.  Private citizens who bring successful qui tam actions under New York’s False Claims Act can receive up to 30% of the recovery, in addition to their attorney’s fees and expenses.  Notably, New York’s statute applies to not only Medicaid and other types of fraud where government dollars are involved, but also to tax fraud, which the Federal False Claims Act and many state false claims acts specifically exclude.  The New York False Claims Act adopts a fundamentally different approach to fighting tax fraud than the one found in the federal IRS Whistleblower program.  

Attorneys of all experience levels will benefit from this program.  Program attendees will learn about:

            •  The history of the New York State False Claims Act, its specific provisions and recent amendments;

            •  The New York State Attorney General’s Office Taxpayer Protection Bureau and how it, along with New York’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, use the New York False Claims Act to combat fraud in all areas involving government dollars, including:  taxes, construction programs, labor issues, school programs, pension funds, securities, and the environment, among others;

            •  How to effectively defend a client in a False Claims Act case in New York State; and

            •  Best practices and ethical considerations when pursuing and defending cases under the New York False Claims Act.

Participants in the program will include key government attorneys involved in investigating and pursuing these cases, as well as experienced private sector practitioners who represent whistleblower plaintiffs and corporate defendants. 

Program Agenda

Program Agenda

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.           Registration

9:00 – 9:05 a.m.          Introduction                                

                                       Moderator:         
                                       Hon. Margaret J. Finerty, Partner, Getnick & Getnick LLP, New York, New York

9:05 -  9:50 a.m.         Basic Provisions of the New York State False Claims Act           

                                    •  Statutory framework
                                    •  Qui tam provisions
                                    •  Procedural regulations
                                    •  Drafting a False Claims Act Complaint

                                     Speakers:      
                                     Gregory M. Krakower, Senior Advisor & Counselor to the Attorney General, Office of the New York Attorney General
                                     Neil V. Getnick, Managing Partner, Getnick & Getnick LLP, New York, New York                                  

9:50 - 10:20 a.m.         Medicaid Fraud Control Unit

                                    •  What is Medicaid Fraud
                                    •  Applicable statutes and regulations
                                    •  Examples of Medicaid Fraud cases pursued under the False Claims Act
                                    •  The work of the NAMFCU

                                     Speakers:                  
                                     Jay S. Speers, Special Assistant Attorney General, New York Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
                                     Marie D. Spencer, Special Assistant Attorney General, New York Medicaid Fraud Control Unit

10:20 – 10:30 a.m.      Break

 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.     Taxpayer Protection Bureau

                                    •  Tax provisions of the New York State False Claims Act
                                    •  Role of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
                                    •  New areas of application for the New York False Claims Act
                                    •  Interplay with other state and federal whistleblower statutes                   

                                     Speaker:                  
                                     Randall M. Fox, Bureau Chief, Taxpayer Protection Bureau, Office of the New York Attorney General

 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.      Perspectives of a Whistleblower Counsel

                                    • Public/Private Partnerships
                                    • Deciding when to bring a case
                                    • Whistleblower Client considerations

                                     Speakers:                  
                                     Neil V. Getnick, Managing Partner, Getnick & Getnick LLP, New York, New York
                                     David A. Koenigsberg, Partner, Menz Bonner Komar & Koenigsberg LLP, New York, New York   

11:30 – 12:00 p.m.      Defending a False Claims Act Case

                                    • What to do when your client thinks it has a whistleblower
                                    • Interacting with the Government
                                    • Interacting with plaintiff’s counsel
                                    • Negotiating settlements
                                    • How to avoid whistleblower suits

                                     Speakers:                  
                                     Robin L. Baker, Counsel, WilmerHale, New York, New York
                                     Stephen A. Warnke, Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP, New York, New York

12:00 – 12:10 a.m.      Break

12:10 – 1:00 p.m.        Ethical Considerations

                                    •  Gathering information and evidence
                                    •  Negotiating settlements
                                    •  Government considerations                           

                                    Speakers:                                     
                                    Hon. Margaret J. Finerty, Partner, Getnick & Getnick LLP, New York, New York
                                    David A. Koenigsberg, Partner, Menz Bonner Komar & Koenigsberg LLP, New York, New York   
                                    Robin L. Baker, Counsel, WilmerHale, New York, New York
                                    Nicholas Suplina, Assistant Attorney General, Taxpayer Protection Bureau, Office of the New York Attorney General  
                                    Stephen A. Warnke, Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP, New York, New York

  1:00 p.m.                   Adjournment

Directions

Between 48th and 49th Street Using Public Transit: Take the 4, 5, 6, S Subway to Grand Central Station Walk one block East to Third Ave, continue North on Third Ave to 48th Street Take the E, V Subway to Lexington Ave/53rd Street. Walk one block East to Third Ave, continue South to 49th Street

The last day to pre-register online was November 18, 2012.

Members, please login to get member discounts.

Seminar
NYC-Registration	$140.00
Webcast Registration	$140.00

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Webcast Registration	$240.00

Seminar
NYC-Registration	$60.00
Webcast Registration	$60.00

Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities:
NYSBA welcomes participation by individuals with disabilities. NYSBA is committed to complying with all applicable laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of its goods, services, programs, activities, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations. To request auxiliary aids or services or if you have any questions regarding accessibility, please contact Cindy O'Brien at 800-582-2452 or cobrien@nysba.org.