Cleveland Lawrence- A ONE OF A KIND "Lagniappe" Wb Attorney- S3Ep6
Lagniappe
(/ˈlænjæp/ LAN-yap, /lænˈjæp/ lan-YAP)
New Orleans is my favorite city to visit. There are so many unique things that a person can only find there and no were else in the US.
When talking with noted Whistleblower Attorney, Cleveland Lawrence of Mehri & Skalet PLLC, I found out he's originally from New Orleans. I also found out a few really cool things related to his roots there, and what kinds of community involvement he still is a part of. I also learned some interesting new Creole words, like "Lagniappe".
Listen in to hear all about Cleveland's history and thoughts on current issues and cases.
Join US, because this revolution is Lagniappe, but still #NoTeaParty.
Cleveland is a partner at Mehri & Skalet, and is Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower Rights practice group, where his practice focuses on representing individual and corporate whistleblowers at all stages of litigation under federal and state False Claims Act laws, the IRS, SEC, and CFTC whistleblower programs, the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act, and other, similar laws and regulations. Cleveland is an expert on False Claims Act, whistleblower, fraud, and compliance issues, and has been a thought leader in the qui tam community for more than a decade. From 2008 to 2016, Cleveland led the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund (TAFEF) and its sister organization, Taxpayers Against Fraud, and regularly met with whistleblowers, federal and state government officials, private attorneys, and the public to combat fraud against federal and state funds. He also served as editor-in-chief of TAFEF’s law journal, the “False Claims Act & Qui Tam Quarterly Review.” After leaving TAFEF, Cleveland returned to private practice and spent two years as the Whistleblower Director for the Sanford Heisler Sharp law firm, before joining Mehri & Skalet. In 2020, he re-joined TAFEF’s leadership, and serves as a member of its President’s Council.
Throughout his distinguished career, Cleveland has worked with the highest levels of all three branches of Government to shape whistleblower law and policy. In addition to arguing before federal district and circuit courts on behalf of his own whistleblower clients, he has authored and filed numerous amicus curiae briefs in federal and state courts across the country – including the U.S. Supreme Court. Cleveland has also and partnered with high-ranking officials from the U.S. Department of Justice to coordinate the nation’s largest annual False Claims Act conference – which often featured Directors of the IRS, SEC, and CFTC whistleblower programs. Moreover, he has testified before Congress and state legislatures regarding FCA and whistleblower-related legislation; represented a testifying witness during Congressional committee hearings; prepared draft federal and state legislation; and submitted multiple comment letters to federal agencies implementing Dodd-Frank and other whistleblower reward programs. Cleveland received a B.A. from Georgetown University and he graduated, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School, where he was a member of the Public Contracts Law Journal. A native of New Orleans, he is a founder and president of the Lagniappe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
