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"Collective Knowledge" Rejected

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 12.07.10

In U.S. v. Science Applications Int'l Corp., the D.C. Circuit concluded that the government cannot use "collective knowledge" jury instructions to prove that a corporation violated the False Claims Act because it would allow FCA liability without the level of knowledge required by the statute – i.e., that the corporation's employees acted in deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of its claims. A collective knowledge instruction improperly allows the government "to prove scienter by piecing together scraps of innocent knowledge held by various corporate officials."

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Client Alert | 7 min read | 10.27.26

New Developments in DOJ Whistleblower Policies and HHS Disclosures: Key Takeaways for General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers, and Boards

On October 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Fraud Enforcement Division announced a new whistleblower rewards initiative, the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP). Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald issued a directive earlier this month directing Division leadership to design and implement policies and programs that incentivize whistleblowers to bring forward credible information pertaining to fraud. The new WHIP incentive pays awards of $10,000 to $30,000 for qualifying tips at or around the time criminal charges are filed or unsealed, rather than years later at case resolution....