A Qui Tam lawyer is a legal professional who represents a private citizen who has filed suit against an individual or corporation that has fraudulently used government funds.
Qui Tam is an abbreviated version of the Latin phrase "Qui Tam pro domino rege quam pro si ipso in hac parte sequitur," which means "Who sues on behalf of the King, as well as for Himself." In Qui Tam litigation, a private citizen (the whistleblower) who knows of fraud committed against the government may, through his own privately retained lawyers, file a law suit to recover the losses caused by the government fraud. The False Claims Act provides huge financial incentives to citizen whistleblowers to retain attorneys and come forward, prosecute these lawsuits, and fight government fraud.
Qui Tam laws have existed for hundreds of years, with roots in England in the middle ages. In qui tam provisions, the government gives private citizens the right and the financial incentive to retain a private lawyer to file a lawsuit to act in the place of law enforcement. Abraham Lincoln, himself a lawyer in private practice before ascending to the Presidency, was responsible for enactment of the 1863 False Claims Act, which was necessary to protect the government from the fraudulent suppliers of faulty war equipment during the Civil War. Although a significant narrowing of the provisions of the False Claims Act took place in 1943, the law was revitalized by Congress in 1986, with a significant expansion of the scope of the law and renewed attention to the federal whistleblower and his or her attorney as a key to enforcement.
Have questions? Contact us!