Recent changes to the federal False Claims Act have broadened the law, creating more ways for government contractors to find themselves in violation, say attorneys for Huntsville law firm Wilmer & Lee, speaking at a recent workshop for the 2014 GovCon conference at the Jackson Center.

Qui tam lawsuits, under which whistle blowers can bring charges against contractors for alleged violations, increased 15 percent in 2013, say Huntsville attorneys Richard Raleigh and Jerry Gabig.

They advised Huntsville federal contractors how to avoid a host of missteps that can cause False Claims Act lawsuits or, even worse, being banned from seeking government contracts.

The law has big teeth. Since 1987 qui tam provisions allowing whistle blowers to bring charges against companies have helped recover more than $39 billion in taxpayer money, and nearly $4 billion in 2013 alone, Raleigh says.

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