“I work hard every day to be the best whistleblower lawyer for my clients…”
“I often think about the clients whom I have represented as a whistleblower lawyer over the course my career — the nurses who challenged unsafe medical procedures and dishonest billing practices at a leading hospital; the engineer and former Vietnam War veteran who took on a major defense contractor for falsifying test results on weapon system parts; the director of operations for a security firm who spoke out against practices he believed compromised the safety and security of a U.S. Embassy. These are just a few examples. I could go on and on about the courageous individuals I have and continue to represent.
My clients rarely sought or welcomed the spotlight. Instead, they were propelled by a deep sense of right and wrong and a commitment to the public good. I draw my energy from these individuals as I seek to hold wrongdoers accountable for stealing from the taxpayer and running roughshod over those who stand in their way. I thank my clients for the opportunity to do such meaningful work.”
BACKGROUND
- Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude
- Qui tam lawyer for whistleblowers in False Claims Act cases and related wrongful termination lawsuits since 1989
- Veteran trial and appellate attorney with over 50 jury trials in federal and state courts
- Ten years, federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles prosecuting government contractor fraud, financial fraud, political corruption, racketeering and environmental crime
- National Co-Chair of the Qui Tam Subcommittee for the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section
- Guest Faculty, Harvard Law School’s trial advocacy program, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and the University of Southern California Law Center
- Founding partner, Phillips, Cohen & Goldstein (now Phillips & Cohen)
- Brandeis University, B. A., magna cum laude
AWARDS
- 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” in Qui Tam Law in Washington, D.C., by Best Lawyers
- “Best Lawyer in America for Qui Tam” by Best Lawyers in America, 26th ed. (2019), 27th ed. (2020), and 29th ed. (2022), 2024, 2025
- Taxpayers Against Fraud “Whistleblower Lawyer of the Year” 2013
- “Washingtonian Magazine “Best Whistleblower Attorney” 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020
- Rated “Superb” by Avvo.com
- “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell (its highest possible peer review rating)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Bronze Medal for outstanding contributions to environmental enforcement
- U.S. Department of Justice Special Achievement Award
- U.S. Department of Treasury Director’s Award
- Featured in Giantkillers: The Team and the Law that Help Whistle-blowers Recover America’s Stolen Billions, published by Atlantic Monthly Press
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- ABA Health Care Fraud Institute
- The National Employment Lawyers Association
- The Health Care Compliance Association
- The ABA National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act
- The National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units
- The West Virginia Association for Justice
- The ABA Environmental, Mass Torts & Products Liability Litigation Seminar
- The ABA Procurement Fraud Committee
- Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund’s Annual Conference