For many years the firm has engaged in civil rights litigation and litigation under the Federal False Claims Act. These two areas are often considered together by our firm because, typically, both involve litigation conducted on a contingent fee basis and both bear aspects that relate them closely to the firm's criminal defense practice.

Our cases in the civil rights area have most typically involved claims brought on behalf of individuals who were wrongfully convicted and eventually released from incarceration. We have also been engaged in cases on behalf of inmates who were subjected to abuse or mistreatment in jails and prisons or have endured unconstitutional conditions of confinement. While we undertake only a fraction of the cases presented to us, we continue to believe that cases in this area are ones in which lawyers in our firm have special expertise and are ones in which good can be done for the clients and for other defendants and inmates similarly situated as these cases often have precedent-setting consequences for others. Over the years we have also served as class counsel in a variety of civil rights cases in areas as diverse as public education and public accommodations.

Our False Claims Act work, while most commonly done on behalf of plaintiff whistleblowers, has not been limited to the plaintiff side. The experience we have gained in doing False Claims Act work, dating back to 1986 when the False Claims Act was expanded, has given us insights and perspectives that have proved of value to the firm's business clients. We may be among the few lawyers in Arizona who have undertaken cases on both sides of the False Claims Act docket. We think that the ability to represent clients effectively is enhanced by our experiences in this field.