From $500 Million DOJ Settlement, Only $211,000 Goes to Whistleblower’s Lawyers

Given this week's news that the Justice Department has entered into a whistleblower settlement with the state and city of New York worth more than $500 million, one might assume that a qui tam lawyer is celebrating a whopper of a payday. But that doesn't appear to be so. New York state has agreed to pay $210,950 in attorney fees and costs to the whistleblower's lawyers. The bill is low because Hedy Cirrincione originally filed her suits pro se, says attorney David Koenigsberg of Menz Bonner & Komar.