Anne Hayes Hartman

Anne Hayes Hartman represents whistleblowers as a partner in Constantine Cannon’s San Francisco office.  Ms. Hartman has pursued claims for  whistleblowers reporting fraud in numerous industries, including healthcare, defense contracting, natural resources, utilities, and finance.  In addition to qui tam claims arising under the federal False Claims Act, she also has worked extensively on qui tam lawsuits brought under state false claims laws for fraud against state agencies and political subdivisions, as well as claims under agency whistleblower programs.

In addition to her qui tam work, Ms. Hartman has extensive complex commercial litigation and trial experience in state courts, federal courts, and ADR proceedings. She has represented clients in business disputes and the litigation of financial and securities fraud, director and officer liability, professional malpractice, unfair business practices, consumer rights, and antitrust actions.

Representative Engagements

• Counsel for whistleblower and numerous California political subdivisions in litigation against major wireless carriers for overcharging government entities under cooperative purchasing arrangements used by carriers to sell wireless services throughout the country. Plaintiffs recovered over $138 million for government entities and the whistleblower, including a recovery representing the second-largest California False Claims Act settlement in the state’s history outside of the healthcare industry.
• Represented whistleblower in the first cybersecurity case successfully resolved under the False Claims Act. Cisco Systems, Inc. agreed to an $8.6 million settlement to resolve allegations it knowingly sold vulnerable video surveillance software to federal, state and local government agencies, exposing government systems to the risk of unauthorized access and the manipulation of vital information.
• Represented whistleblower in successful litigation against chain of sleep clinics alleged to have fraudulently billed Medicare for sleep studies conducted by unlicensed technicians in unapproved locations, dispensed durable medical equipment from unapproved locations using unlicensed technicians, and paid doctors for referrals in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
• Part of team that represented the whistleblower and several Los Angeles area political subdivisions in claims against an electric utility for overcharging its government customers.  Plaintiffs were awarded a $224 million judgment after trial.
• Represented whistleblower in qui tam case against ocean carriers for overcharges to Department of Defense that resolved with a 28% share for the relator after the government declined to intervene.
• Part of team that secured a $48 million recovery for the State of California in a whistleblower case against “sand pirates” alleged to have under-reported the quantity of the sand and gravel dredged pursuant to leases they held with the State, and misrepresented the value used to determine payments defendants owed to the State under their leases.
• Class action case alleging that eleven of the world’s largest banks conspired to restrain competition in the credit default swap market.  The litigation settled in 2015 for $1.86 billion.
• Represented the bankruptcy estate of a publicly-traded international construction company in audit malpractice claims against a Big Four accounting firm, breach of fiduciary duty claims against former officers, and claims for declaratory relief with respect to insurance proceeds.
• Class action against a brokerage firm for breach of fiduciary duty claims arising out of undisclosed kickbacks from mutual fund companies for the recommendation of their “preferred funds.”
• Represented farmer and producer in claims against a national grocer for intentional interference with supplier contracts.

Education and Experience

Originally from Indiana, Ms. Hartman received her A.B. (magna cum laude) from Columbia College of Columbia University, New York in 1990, a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 1996, and a Master’s in Public Policy (M.P.P.) from the Goldman School of Public Policy, also in 1996.  At Berkeley, she served as a teaching assistant for Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis, Criminal Justice Policy, and Introduction to Policy Analysis, experience which continues to feed her interest in matters that involve complex regulatory schemes or extensive quantitative analysis.

She joined Constantine Cannon LLP in 2015, and was previously a partner at Goodin, MacBride, Squeri, Day & Lamprey, LLP.  She is a member of the State Bar of California and admitted to each of the California federal district courts.