Attorney Debra S Katz's Legal Cases

Employment and labor

Gordon v. ArmorGroup

Jul 01, 2011

OUTCOME: $7.5 million settlement

In July 2011, ArmorGroup North America and its affiliates paid $7.5 million to resolve allegations that AGNA submitted false claims for payment on a State Department contract to provide armed guard ser ... vices at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The settlement resolves a whistleblower suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under seal by Katz, Marshall & Banks client James Gordon against AGNA, ArmorGroup International plc, G4S plc and Wackenhut Services Inc. under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.

Sexual harassment

Barrett v. Andre Chreky Salon

Mar 08, 2010

OUTCOME: $2.3 million verdict

On March 8, 2010, Katz, Marshall & Banks won a $2.3 million verdict for Ronnie Barrett in a sexual harassment and retaliation suit against Andre Chreky and the Andre Chreky Salon, one of the top-rated ... salons in Washington, DC. Debra Katz, Alexis Rickher and Alison Asarnow of Katz, Marshall & Banks, along with Nathan Goldberg of Allred, Moroko & Goldberg, represented Ms. Barrett, a former hair colorist at the salon.

Employment and labor

Capitol Tunnel Workers v. Architect of the Capitol

Jun 01, 2007

OUTCOME: Out-of-court settlement

Complaint filed under the Congressional Accountability Act with the Office of Compliance on behalf of ten U.S. Capitol tunnel workers. Ms. Katz, along with Mr. Marshall who served as lead counsel, succ ... essfully represented ten U.S. Capitol tunnel workers in a whistleblower retaliation complaint against the Architect of the Capitol. The workers charged the Architect with harassing and threatening them after they alerted Congress in March 2006 to the life-threatening levels of asbestos and other hazards they faced while working in the utility tunnels that run beneath the U.S. Capitol. In June 2007, the workers and the Architect agreed to a substantial out-of-court settlement that was later approved by the Congressional Office of Compliance.

Employment and labor

Estes v. Georgetown University

Sep 27, 2005

OUTCOME: Jury verdict of $1.25 million

Jury verdict of $250,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages for claims of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.

Employment and labor

Roger Barnes v. Fannie Mae

Oct 01, 2004

OUTCOME: Out-of-court settlement

The Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed allegations made by Katz, Marshall & Banks client Roger Barnes, a former Fannie Mae accounting manager, that the mortgage-finance giant cooked its books ... and retaliated against him for complaining about it. The SEC further concluded that Fannie Mae manipulated its earnings through "cookie jar" accounting and order Fannie Mae to restate its earnings. As a result of Mr. Barnes' disclosures, Fannie Mae's management team, including Fannie Mae’s CEO and other top executives, were removed from their positions. Ultimately, Fannie Mae's restatement of earnings was one of the largest in U.S. history. Additionally, Barnes received a sizable settlement.

Employment and labor

Speegle v. Stone & Webster

N/A

OUTCOME: Ongoing

After Katz, Marshall & Banks client James Speegle lost his job in 2004 for blowing the whistle on nuclear safety lapses at TVA’s Browns Ferry nuclear plant in Alabama, KMB represented Mr. Speegle at tr ... ial and on appeal to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Administrative Review Board. The ARB has twice ruled in the favor of Mr. Speegle, and will soon hear his case for the third time, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit continues to overturn the ARB's decisions and deny Mr. Speegle justice. Ms. Katz and the rest of the attorneys at KMB have been representing Mr. Speegle in his whistleblower lawsuit against Stone & Webster for almost a decade now, however, and will continue to fight for him until he is made whole for his retaliatory termination.

Employment and labor

Blanton v. Biogen Idec, Inc.

N/A

OUTCOME: Resolved

In a whistleblower case brought under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Debra Katz successfully defeated a motion for a protective order filed by the defendant to prevent the plaintiff from deposing Biogen Idec’ ... s CEO, James Mullen. Mr. Blanton alleged that the Boston-based pharmaceutical fired its chief reimbursement expert in retaliation for complaints about illegal kickbacks to physicians.

Employment and labor

Bowles v. National Ass’n of Home Builders

N/A

OUTCOME: Resolved

Waiver of attorney-client and work-product by defendants relating to our client’s claims of tortious interference with contract and civil conspiracy to cause wrongful termination. Bowles, formerly Pres ... ident of the NAHB Research Center alleged that the Center, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NAHB, terminated her at the behest of NAHB and its officers because she refused to sign a License Agreement demanded by NAHB for the sole purpose of reducing the aggregate taxes paid by NAHB and its subsidiary entities. Under the terms demanded, the Center would be required to make annual royalty payments to NAHB of five percent (5%) of its gross revenues in exchange for the Center’s continued use of its own trade name, “NAHB Research Center.” Bowles objected, upon advice of counsel, noting that the IRS would likely view the License Agreement as a fraudulent attempt to evade taxes.

Employment and labor

Riggs v. Home Builders Institute

N/A

OUTCOME: Resolved

Former Congressman Frank Riggs filed suit against the Home Builders Institute alleging that it terminated his employment solely because he refused to participate in activities prohibited by federal tax ... laws and Department of Labor regulations and because he insisted that HBI comply with federal tax laws. District Court held that the complaint properly stated a claim for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy under District of Columbia law.

Debra S Katz's Legal Cases (9)

Gordon v. ArmorGroup

Barrett v. Andre Chreky Salon

Capitol Tunnel Workers v. Architect of the Capitol

Estes v. Georgetown University

Roger Barnes v. Fannie Mae

Speegle v. Stone & Webster

Blanton v. Biogen Idec, Inc.

Bowles v. National Ass’n of Home Builders

Riggs v. Home Builders Institute