Whistleblower Law Collaborative Sponsoring and Speaking at The Anti-Fraud Coalition 23rd Annual Conference

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Oct 13, 2023, 16:32 ET

BOSTON, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF Coalition) 23rd Annual Conference will be held October 18-20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Whistleblower Law Collaborative (WLC) will once again be an active participant in the Conference both as a proud sponsor and with members speaking on important and timely topics.

Speaking at the TAF Coalition Conference will be Attorney Erica Blachman Hitchings, a member of TAF's President's Council and Government Relations Committee, Attorney Linda C. Severin, and Advanced Certified Paralegal, Kelly Shivery.

Attorney Hitchings will speak in a plenary session on the topic of Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) fraud and how to combat it using the False Claims Act (FCA). The panel is entitled, Every Case is a Part C Case Now: How Relators Can Help Stymie the Scourge of Fraud in the Medicare Advantage Space. Medicare Advantage fraud is one of the fastest growing areas of fraud, with some 50% of Medicare beneficiaries now covered by a Medicare Advantage plan rather than traditional Medicare. As a former Department of Justice fraud prosecutor who worked on successful Medicare Advantage FCA cases and now represents whistleblowers, Ms. Hitchings is superbly qualified to address this topic.
Attorney Severin will share her perspectives on a panel addressing, The False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute. She and her fellow panelists will explore the recent case law developing around the Anti-Kickback Statute, particularly with respect to causation and damages. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been the basis for many of this year's FCA recoveries and is a hot topic among FCA practitioners. Ms. Severin, who served as a criminal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York prior to joining WLC, brings a unique perspective to the nuances and challenges of the interplay between the FCA and Anti-Kickback Statute (which has both criminal and civil remedies associated with it).
Advanced Certified Paralegal Shivery will join a panel focusing on: Crossing the Bridge from Intake to Service of Complaint and Managing the Stream. She will share her knowledge and experience to educate attendees on how a well-qualified paralegal, who knows the law and the unique challenges of FCA qui tam work, can help shepherd cases through the many phases of a qui tam action. Ms. Shivery obtained her Certified Paralegal designation from NALA in 1996, followed by Advanced Certifications in E-Discovery and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Her experience includes not only FCA qui tam cases, but also matters under other whistleblower programs such as that administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At WLC, Ms. Shivery plays an integral role in all types of whistleblower cases.

As proud members of TAF Coalition since our founding in 2003, WLC fully supports TAF's mission of combatting fraud, incentivizing integrity, and protecting and supporting whistleblowers under the False Claims Act and other whistleblower laws and programs. WLC founders Robert M. Thomas, Jr. and Suzanne E. Durrell were honored to receive TAF's 2017 Whistleblower Lawyer of the Year Award. We look forward to continuing our support of TAF and its important work on behalf of whistleblowers and the public.

Whistleblower Law Collaborative LLC devotes its practice entirely to representing whistleblowers. For more information, contact the firm at 617.366.2800 or email Suzanne Durrell at [email protected].

SOURCE Whistleblower Law Collaborative LLC