Qui Tam Section: [VIRTUAL] False Claims Act Today – Northern & Southern Districts of Mississippi

**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.

“FCA Today” sessions currently are being conducted online via Zoom, and do not offer CLE credit. This session will focus on FCA practice in the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi

Registration for this event is now 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.

Hon. Carlton W. Reeves, U.S. District Judge, S.D. Miss.

United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, assumed office on December 30, 2010.  Immediately prior to his nomination by President Barack Obama, Judge Reeves was engaged in private practice with Pigott Reeves Johnson, P.A., a law firm he co-founded in 2001.  The focus of his practice was state and federal litigation.

Judge Reeves began his career as a law clerk to Justice Reuben V. Anderson of the Mississippi Supreme Court.  He also served as staff attorney to the court, and later became an associate with the Phelps Dunbar law firm (1991-95) before serving as Assistant United States Attorney, Chief of the Civil Division for the Southern District of Mississippi (1995-2001).

A graduate of Jackson State University (1986) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1989), Judge Reeves is a former President of the Magnolia Bar Association.

Angela Givens Williams, Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the S.D. Miss.

Angela Givens Williams is the Chief of the Civil Division and an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi (USAO). She also currently serves as the Ethics Advisor in the USAO. Since joining the office in 2006, she has handled numerous civil and criminal cases, including more than a dozen trials. She has handled multiple False Claims Act (FCA) cases, primarily in the health care fraud arena including hospice, medical device, anti-kickback and cost reporting cases. She has obtained several multi-million-dollar settlements following investigation and has obtained a judgment of more than $30 million in a health care fraud FCA case following a jury trial.

Prior to joining the USAO, Ms. Givens Williams worked with Arnold & Porter, LLP (now Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP) in Washington, D.C., where she practiced litigation, representing corporate and individual defendants and plaintiffs in civil and criminal matters. In addition to practicing law, Ms. Givens Williams has taught legal courses to undergraduate, graduate and law school students.

J. Harland Webster, Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the N.D. Miss.

Harland Webster has been the ACE Coordinator in U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi since 2019. Mr. Webster began his career in 2007 with Chapman, Lewis & Swan PLLC in Clarksdale. His practice focused on products liability and general affirmative civil litigation. Mr. Webster has tried over a dozen cases to jury verdict in the state and federal courts of Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Amanda B. Barbour, Attorney, Butler Snow

Amanda serves as Team Leader for the White Collar, Compliance and Government Investigations Team at Butler Snow and focuses her practice on government investigations and complex litigation.  She regularly conducts internal investigations providing advice on reporting obligations and representation throughout all phases of civil and criminal government investigations.  She defends companies in False Claims Act cases and other commercial cases.

Ms. Barbour’s experience includes representation of health care providers and other federal contractors under investigation by the Department of Justice, or state Attorney Generals, and other federal or state agencies accused of fraud following the filing of a False Claims Action.  Ms. Barbour has been successful in many cases in negating criminal allegations against the provider or contractor and individual employees while persuading the government to refrain from intervention and/or negotiating reduced settlement of the false claims action when appropriate.

J. Brad Pigott, Partner, Pigott & Johnson

Throughout his forty years of trying both civil and criminal cases before juries, Brad Pigott has litigated complex questions of business fraud, government fraud, torts, and constitutional rights, including six years of service (1994-2001) as the Presidentially-appointed United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.

During the 1980’s, Mr. Pigott became a partner with Watkins, Ludlam and Stennis, and tried numerous cases presenting complex issues of securities fraud, products liability, constitutional rights, and negligence. In the early 1990’s as a partner in the firm of Maxey, Pigott, Wann and Begley, Mr. Pigott regularly tried cases involving torts, securities broker fraud, and bank fraud. As United States Attorney, Mr. Pigott personally tried on behalf of the United States complex criminal fraud cases involving health care fraud and public corruption.

Registration

Registration for this event is now closed.

No refunds will be made for cancellations received after the close of business on March 12, 2021. No-shows will be billed. Substitutions may be made at any time upon notification. Please contact Ariel White at awhite@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.