Whistleblower Laws - Qui Tam
Qui tam is law terminology associated with whistleblower protection laws for individuals who inform the government about fraud or other corporation misdoings. The phrase is derived from the Latin expression ‘qui tam pro domino rege quam pro seipse’, which translates to ‘he who sues for the king as for himself’. In general a Qui tam lawsuit is filed by private individuals on behalf of the government in an attempt to prevent abuse of funding and finances.
Many people who are whistleblowers realize that they will often face retaliation and harsh consequences if the speak out against their employer. This generally causes most individuals who witness these types of illegal activities to remain silent. Fortunately, these laws are in place to protect the brave people who have the courage to stand up for what they believe in. These laws are strictly designed to encourage and compensate these individuals who have taken this incredible risk to protect their country.
While it might seem like a noble idea to report illegal corporate activities to the government, the thought of losing everything you have worked for is often to overwhelming. Without employment and financial security, reporting illegal business activities is often the last thing on an employee’s mind. The United States government recognizes this and stipulates that 10% of the punitive settlement will go to the person acting on behalf of the government and its citizens.
To learn more about Whistleblower Laws and Qui Tam, please visit http://www.sddefenselawyers.com/quitam/ This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay intact.
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You’ve done your research and have decided on a business entity. You’re chomping at the bit to open a bank account and get moving. You file your corporation or LLC with the Secretary of State and wait…and wait…and wait. Just how long is this going to take?
California Filing Times
The California Secretary of State can be very slow when it comes to approving new business entities. Once you file the entity, you can sit around tapping your fingers for as long as two months. After two months, you may not even remember why you filed the darn thing! Can you avoid this time and momentum killer? YES!
The California Secretary of State offers “rush filing” options for forming business entities. The first is a 24 hour rush that ads $500 to the filing process, an expense that should really only be undertaken if you are desperate. The second option runs a whopping $15 and has a turn around time of 7 to 10 business days. Ah, so this is the way to do it, right? Nah, that would be far too easy!
For rush filings, the Secretary of State requires all filings to be made in person. If you are not located in Sacramento, this can cause a major problem. So, what do you do?
If you are creating a corporation, you can file the articles of incorporation at a branch office of the Secretary of State. Most major cities have a branch, but you can pop on to the web site for the Secretary of State and find your local branch.
If you are forming an LLC, California makes things difficult. For no logical reason, the Secretary of State doesn’t allow LLC filings to be made at branch offices. This policy makes absolutely no sense, but what are you going to do? You are going to beat the state at its own game.
Rush LLC filings must be personally filed in the Sacramento office of the Secretary of State. The policy doesn’t say WHO must personally file it. Using this loophole, you can hire an attorney delivery service in Sacramento to file and pick up the Articles of Organization for your LLC. You simply send them the articles as well as the filing and rush filing fees. You can expect to pay the attorney service an additional $50 to $75 for the service.
California is one of the worst states to do business in. The Secretary of State does everything possible to make filings a pain in the… With this information, you can turn the tables and beat them at their own game.
Richard A. Chapo is a San Diego business lawyer with www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com - providing legal services and legal advice to businesses in San Diego, California.
