Marlan B. Wilbanks
Marlan B. Wilbanks – Senior Partner
Email: mbw@wilbanks-bridgeslaw.com
Marlan B. Wilbanks has been with the Firm since his graduation in 1986 from the University of Georgia School of Law. The Firm's name was changed in 1989 to reflect his inclusion as a partner in the Firm. Marlan has spearheaded the Firm's effort's to achieve national recognition involving qui tam litigation or "whistleblower suits," as they are commonly referred to. In these whistleblower cases, the Firm represents individuals who have come forward with information concerning fraudulent acts that have been committed against the government. These cases usually involve a client's knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid abuse or information regarding the defrauding of the government by a company involved in the military defense industry. The Firm's successes in this area of practice have created a tremendous "win-win" scenario for both the Firm's clients and the government.
Since 1999, Marlan has acted as the lead attorney for clients with whistleblower cases, wherein hundreds of millions of dollars have been recovered by the government from entities who were caught defrauding them. Additionally, the Firm's clients in these matters have recovered more than $40 million for their efforts in the recovery of the amounts misappropriated from the government. In 2001, a client received more money than any other individual who filed a claim in the record-breaking Columbia/HCA fraud case. A settlement exceeding $800 million dollars was reached. This was the largest civil healthcare fraud settlement in the history of the United States Department of Justice.
Marlan is currently acting a lead counsel in important qui tam cases that are filed in federal and state courts across the nation. He has handled whistleblower litigation matters against companies that have committed fraudulent acts against the government in numerous federal courts and many state courts including cases in California, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois.
The successful results obtained for Marlan's clients in this field have been the subject of many newspaper articles, television spots, and legal seminars across the country. The coverage of Marlan's cases have been provided by diverse media sources such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal, CNN, Atlanta network television affiliates and numerous legal periodicals. A sampling of these articles is available for your review through this website.
Marlan is frequently asked to speak at seminars to other lawyers about this emerging area of his practice. By way of example, he has been asked to appear on seminar faculties for presentations dealing with recent developments in qui tam litigation for the Health Care Fraud Institute in Young Harris, Georgia, and at Calloway Gardens. He has also conducted seminar presentations on whistleblower actions. These seminars are held for lawyers who do not specialize in health care law. It was held at the Urgent Legal Matters seminar last year at Sea Island, Georgia. Marlan is scheduled to appear again this year for that purpose.
For many years, Marlan has been a very frequent and well-received speaker at seminars organized by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia. He has presented materials to thousands of lawyers who practice law in Georgia and across the country. He has also assisted in the preparation of litigation seminars organized by the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. He has taught and participated at seminars, which involve matters as diverse as expert witness preparation, case analysis, and successful trial techniques.
He has served on several occasions as a faculty member at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy conducted each year at Emory University School of Law.
The Bridge the Gap seminar is conducted two times each year. Attendance at this seminar is a mandatory requirement for all lawyers who have obtained law degrees and wish to obtain a license to practice law in the State of Georgia. Marlan has been asked to speak at every Bridge the Gap seminar conducted over the last seven years. His topic at each of the last fourteen seminars dealt with preventative law. The general outline of his seminar presentation is entitled, Practical Considerations to Use in Advising Your Corporate Clients on How to Avoid Unnecessary Litigation. This paper can be accessed and reviewed through this website. The purpose of his efforts at the Bridge the Gap seminars has been to educate young lawyers as to how they can better protect their clients in order to avoid lawsuits. Marlan regularly works with and advises corporate clients as to the policies and procedures that they should implement to protect assets and avoid unnecessary and costly litigation.
Despite Marlan's prominence among lawyers who represent whistleblowers, who often sue health care providers, he is regularly asked to represent health care providers such as hospitals and physicians. Over the past twelve years, Marlan has represented numerous hospitals, medical practices, ambulatory surgery centers, and nursing homes across the Southeastern United States. He provides advice on a wide variety of contractual and civil litigation matters affecting these providers. His expertise with regard to the representation of health care providers has enabled him to better understand the laws and analysis inherent within the Firm's qui tam practice.
In addition to the above areas of practice, Marlan has handled other diverse areas of complex commercial litigation. He still represents clients who have suffered serious and traumatic personal injury as a result of the negligence of others. He has also maintained a steady case load of nursing home negligence cases, since 1992. He has presented seminars on behalf of the Georgia Trial Lawyers concerning the handling of a nursing home negligence case. Marlan has recovered a number of substantial settlements for his clients who have been injured in nursing homes.
Marlan has been recognized for his work in the profession of law by his peers. He has been assigned an AV rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. This directory is the legal community's most widely consulted directory of lawyers and law firms. Marlan was given the highest attorney rating obtainable. The AV rating is based upon his legal ability and ethical standards. Similarly, the Firm has been awarded the highest firm rating awarded by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Marlan is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia. During law school, he was a member of the University of Georgia Intrastate Moot Court Team and he coached the American Bar Association Moot Court Team.
Current Employment Position(s):
Senior Partner
Area of Practice:
Whistleblower - Federal
Bar Admissions:
Georgia, 1986
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1988
U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1988
Education:
University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia
Suite 1075
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404-842-1075
Fax: 404-842-0559
Email:mbw@wilbanks-bridgeslaw.com
Email:tmb@wilbanks-bridgeslaw.com