Thomas C. Hill

Successfully resolved a $100 million plus False Claims Act suit against a major Japanese manufacturer with a nominal payment. Successfully avoided criminal or enforcement proceedings on behalf of the CFO of a Fortune 500 financial services company who was the target of an investigation by the Department of Justice and the SEC concerning allegations of securities fraud. Succeeded in getting criminal charges of false statement of regulatory compliance dismissed that had been brought against a lead engineer of a nuclear utility. Representation of the owner/operator of the nuclear power plant in connection with the incident at Three Mile Island. Representation of a DOD contractor in connection with a False Claims Act investigation of conflict of interest allegations concerning the award and performance of its contract. Representation of a DOD contractor in connection with a False Claims Act investigation of allegations of violations of the federal bribery and gratuities statutes. Representation of a large physician group in connection with claims of alleged Medicare fraud. Representation of physicians in state licensing revocation proceedings. Representation of a high-ranking executive of a Fortune 50 DOD contractor in connection with a criminal antitrust investigation. Representation of a major importer of seafood in connection with a criminal and agency enforcement proceeding relating to its alleged false certifications with regard to quality control issues before the Food and Drug Administration. Representation of a major international company in connection with allegations that it had made false statements to the Federal Election Commission with respect to campaign contributions made by the company. Representation of a major Japanese company in connection with a grand jury and regulatory enforcement proceeding concerning allegations that it had made false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency in connection with testing of petroleum products. Representation of a major foreign bank in connection with a grand jury and agency enforcement action concerning allegations of false statements made to the SEC and the Federal Reserve. Representation of a major U.S. consulting company in connection with a grand jury investigation concerning allegations that it had made false statements to customs officials with regard to work that it had done abroad. Representation of a major Swiss company in connection with a grand jury investigation concerning allegations that it had made false statements to customs officials in connection with its importation of products produced overseas. Representation of physicians in state licensing revocation proceedings. Representation of various government contractors in suspension and debarment proceedings before various government agencies. This represents just a sampling of cases and investigations involving allegations of wrongdoing handled by Tom and his group. Tom is assisted by other experienced former prosecutors and defense lawyers located both in Washington and in Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s other offices, and he collaborates frequently with other Pillsbury lawyers with other relevant substantive specialties, often including our Government Contract and Regulatory practices.

Co-author.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of a “cross-agency” Trade Fraud Task Force “to bring robust enforcement against importers and other parties who seek to defraud the United States.” According to DOJ, the Task Force will “augment the existing coordination mechanisms” within DOJ and leverage expertise from DOJ’s Civil and Criminal Divisions and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against any parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy.”

On July 29, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum for all federal agencies titled “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination.” The Guidance “clarifies the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI),” and “provides non-binding best practices to help entities avoid the risk of violations.” The Guidance is not premised on a change in antidiscrimination laws articulated by Congress, the Supreme Court, or even lower courts. Rather, the Guidance highlights certain practices that “the federal government has turned a blind eye toward or even encouraged,” but which the current administration deems illegal. The Guidance is specifically directed to “[e]ntities that receive federal financial assistance,” but it indicates the Administration’s policies around DEI more broadly. The Guidance states that it is interpreting Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (both of which apply only to entities receiving federal financial assistance), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which applies to employers with more than 15 employees), and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (which applies to states).

In a memorandum issued by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, a new enforcement effort that uses the federal False Claims Act (FCA) to pursue investigations and prosecutions of recipients of federal funding—including institutions of higher education, research centers and federal contractors—who allegedly falsely certify their compliance with federal civil rights laws. The FCA is known as the government’s “primary weapon against fraud, waste, and abuse,” because FCA violations can yield treble damages plus five-figure penalties for each false claim.