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Louis J. Cohen, P.C. Announces $4.5 Million Whistleblower Award from $15 Million False Claims Act Settlement

via Business Wire

Louis J. Cohen, P.C. announces a landmark whistleblower award agreement with the United States and the State of California, securing more than $4.5 million for our clients from the $15 million Medicare and Medi-Cal fraud False Claims Act settlement against former physician Mohammad Rasekhi, Sheila Busheri, and Southern California Medical Center.

View the firm’s press release for the December 2024 $15 million settlement here.

The False Claims Act promotes accountability in government programs by rewarding whistleblowers who expose fraud with statutory awards ranging from 15-30% of the federal recovery and 15-50% of the state recovery.

The $4,504,392.42 whistleblower award was secured through settlement negotiations with the governments and represents a 30% aggregate share of the $15 million recovery.

Awards of 30% represent the maximum share recoverable from the United States for intervened claims. Award amounts are negotiated with the government or, if necessary, determined by the Court.

"Whistleblowers are essential to protecting taxpayer dollars and patient care," said Louis J. Cohen, attorney for the whistleblowers. "The $4.5 million award reflects not only our clients' courage in coming forward, but the governments’ recognition of the critical role they played in stopping this multi-million dollar fraud scheme."

About our firm

Louis J. Cohen, P.C. is an Agoura Hills firm with a national practice dedicated to representing whistleblowers who report fraud against the taxpayer in the Medicare and Medi-Cal programs, Customs and Tariff fraud, and Procurement fraud under the False Claims Act. The firm also represents whistleblowers in the financial frauds whistleblower programs of the IRS, SEC, and CFTC, and employees in defamation, discrimination, sexual harassment, and whistleblower retaliation cases.

The firm has brought False Claims Act and employment cases with record-breaking results, with settlements and judgments exceeding $125 million dollars.

In 2024 alone, the firm achieved a $13.75 million Defamation, Blackballing and Discrimination settlement for a physician client, the largest settlement ever paid by the UC Regents in a single plaintiff-employment case and believed to be the largest employment defamation settlement in the country. The firm also secured two False Claims Act settlements in 2024 totaling $21 million.

The firm is recognized nationally for having consistently obtained among the highest whistleblower awards for its clients in False Claims Act cases.

"The $4.5 million award reflects not only our clients' courage in coming forward, but the governments’ recognition of the critical role they played in stopping this multi-million dollar fraud scheme," said Louis J. Cohen, attorney for the whistleblowers.

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