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Qui Tam Section: [VIRTUAL] False Claims Act Today – Middle District of Tennessee
**Program hosted in (ET) time zone**
Hosted by the FBA’s Qui Tam Section, often in cooperation with local FBA chapters, “The False Claims Act Today” is a discussion series that examines the details of real-life FCA practice in specific jurisdictions. Sessions typically focus on a single federal district and feature an experienced local panel that includes an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the district; a federal judge; a relator-side attorney; and a defense attorney. This online-only event will be conducted via Zoom and will spotlight the Middle District of Tennessee.
This event does not offer CLE credit. Registrants will receive Zoom login details on the day before the event.
Registration is Closed
About the Presenters
R. Scott Oswald – Chair, FBA Qui Tam Section (moderator)
Scott Oswald is an accomplished trial lawyer who has brought more than 40 trials to verdict. His cases have recovered more than $300 million in judgments and settlements. A fellow of the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, he received his law degree from Howard University and honed his skills at Trial Lawyers College, founded by the legendary Gerry Spence. Mr. Oswald litigates employment and whistleblower actions nationwide. Among his results:
- First jury verdict under new whistleblower protections in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013|
- First Sarbanes-Oxley Act liability verdict to withstand appeal
- First jury verdict under 2009 anti-retaliation provisions of False Claims Act
- First Dodd-Frank Act retaliation lawsuit to reach discovery in federal court
Mr. Oswald is chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Qui Tam Section and immediate past chair of the FBA’s Professional Ethics Committee. Lawdragon ranks him as one of the top 500 plaintiff-side employment lawyers in the country.
W. Michael Hamilton, Partner, Provost Umphrey Law Firm L.L.P.
Mike Hamilton is the resident Partner in the Nashville office of Provost Umphrey Law Firm, LLP. Mr. Hamilton has engaged in civil litigation practice since 1977, concentrating on the representation of unions and employees in labor and employment litigation, consumers in class action litigation and whistleblowers in False Claims Act litigation. He is a 1974 graduate of the University of Denver and a 1977 graduate of the University of Arkansas, Leflar Law Center. His previous positions include Partner at Gardner, Middlebrooks, Fleming and Hamilton, P.C., Associate General Counsel of the United Paperworkers International Union, AFL-CIO and counsel to NLRB member Betty Murphy. He is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Arkansas and has been admitted to more than fifteen Federal Courts nationwide.
Kaitlin Hazard, Assistant U.S. Attorney, M.D. Tenn.
Kaitlin Hazard is an Assistant United States Attorney who focuses on Affirmative Civil Enforcement in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. Prior to becoming an AUSA, Ms. Hazard focused on internal investigations, government enforcement, and compliance matters in private practice. She began her career working on Foreign Corruption Practices Act and False Claims Act matters at a law firm in Washington, D.C. She subsequently practiced at law firm based in Nashville, TN, with a focus on healthcare fraud investigations. Ms. Hazard is a graduate of Vassar College and Georgetown University Law Center.
Hon. Eli J. Richardson, U.S. District Judge, M.D. Tenn.
Judge Richardson was initially nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in 2017 and received his commission in October 2018. Before taking the bench, Judge Richardson was a partner at Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville, where his practice focused on government investigations involving alleged white-collar crime, False Claims Act violations, and quasi-criminal civil violations. Before engaging in private practice, Judge Richardson served nineteen months overseas as the U.S. Department of Justice’s resident legal adviser to Serbia, providing training, advice, and case-specific assistance to Serbian judges, police, and prosecutors. From 2004 to 2009, Judge Richardson served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee, where he served as the anti-terrorism coordinator, head of the terrorism and official corruption unit, and finally criminal chief, all in addition to prosecuting cases.
From 2002 to 2004, Judge Richardson served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey, investigating and prosecuting a wide variety of criminal violations. In the four years prior to that, Judge Richardson spent four years as a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent, working first on public-corruption investigations and then on counterterrorism matters. Judge Richardson began his career in private practice from 1992 to 1998, focusing on commercial litigation and intellectual property matters. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at both Belmont College of Law and Vanderbilt Law School.
Christopher C. Sabis, Member, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, PLC
Chris Sabis heads Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison’s Government Compliance & Investigations group in Nashville, Tennessee, and concentrates his practice in Government Investigations and Litigation. He has extensive experience in False Claims Act (FCA) matters involving allegations of healthcare and procurement fraud, white-collar fraud investigations, and commercial litigation. Mr. Sabis has significant experience in the mediation of FCA cases and is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Before joining the firm, Mr. Sabis served nearly a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee. Mr. Sabis serves as a Hearing Examiner for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility and on the Boards of Stars Nashville and Autism Tennessee.
Registration
FBA Members – $0
Nonmembers – $10
Registrants will receive Zoom login details on the day before the event
Cancellation Policy
No refunds will be made for cancellations received after the close of business on November 1, 2021. No-shows will be billed. Substitutions may be made at any time upon notification. Please contact Daniel Hamilton at dhamilton@fedbar.org with cancellation and/or substitution requests.
CLE
Please note that CLE credit is not offered for this webinar.
Email Communication Policy
By registering for this event, you agree to receive email communications from the Federal Bar Association and affiliated sponsors of the program concerning event details, Continuing Legal Education certification, programming changes, upcoming events, surveys, and post-event communications.
Recording Disclaimer
By registering for an FBA webinar, you agree to the recording of audio and visual content presented during the live event and consent to subsequent use of the recording by the FBA. You agree that the recording is the sole property of the FBA and that the recording may be used by the FBA in any manner in its sole and absolute discretion. This recording may include questions and poll responses provided by you during the live event. If you do not consent to the recording and the FBA’s use of the same, do not register for the event.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact sections@fedbar.org.