Mark Hanna and Nicolas Mendoza speak at Taxpayers Against Fraud conference
Murphy Anderson attorneys Mark Hanna and Nicolas Mendoza spoke on panels concerning Covid related fraud and cybersecurity fraud at the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund’s annual conference on October 13-15, 2021. The conference explores topics related to the various whistleblower laws and their use in the fight against fraud on the government and the public.
Mendoza participated in a panel discussing the use of the False Claims Act (FCA) to defend against cybersecurity breaches of federal agencies. Mendoza discussed President Biden’s May 21 executive order requiring federal contractors to share information about cybersecurity protections and breaches, as well as the Department of Justice’s new cyber fraud initiative which is focused on the use of the FCA and whistleblowers to ensure contractors’ compliance with cybersecurity requirements. Mendoza was joined by panel moderator Renée Brooker, a partner at Tycko & Zavareei LLP, as well as Kline & Specter LP partner David Williams, and Constantine Cannon LLP partner Michael Ronickher.
Hanna moderated a panel which provided an overview of fraud schemes and civil enforcement actions involving Covid-19 relief funds, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), expanded unemployment assistance, grants to state governments, education spending, long-term healthcare spending, pharmaceutical spending, and hospital spending. On the panel were Stone & Magnanini LLP managing partner Robert A. Magnanini and Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP partner Qiaojing Ella Zheng.