Wm. Paul Lawrence, II

Of Counsel

Paul Lawrence serves as of counsel to Waters & Kraus, LLP. His practice focuses on appellate, class action, and qui tam whistleblower litigation under the False Claims Act in state and federal jurisdictions. Paul's whistleblower cases involve securities and financial fraud, government contract fraud, retail pharmacy fraud, off-label marketing of pharmaceuticals and devices, and other healthcare fraud. Most notable is the case that Paul litigated involving the nation's largest electric cooperative. The result was a record-setting settlement with industry-wide governance reforms. Paul is a graduate of the Louisiana State University, where he earned both his bachelor's and Juris Doctor degrees. He is licensed to practice law in Louisiana, Texas, Washington, and Virginia. Paul is a member of the American Bar Association and Taxpayers Against Fraud where he served as committee chair. He is also a frequent speaker on qui tam and False Claims Act topics at the Taxpayers Against Fraud Annual Conference.

Areas of Practice

• Appellate
• Class Action
• Qui Tam

Bar Admissions

• Louisiana, 1976
• Texas, 1998
• Washington, 1997
• Virginia, 2012
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1976
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 1977
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, 1995
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 1997
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, 1998
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 2001
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1976
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 1997
• U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, 1999
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1997

Education

• Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, J.D., 1976
• Louisiana State University, B.A., 1973

Professional Associations & Memberships

• American Bar Association
• Taxpayers Against Fraud

Honors & Awards

• Order of the Coif, Louisiana State University, 1976
• Associate Editor, Louisiana Law Review, 1975-1976

Other Appointments

• Hon. Albert Tate, Jr., Louisiana Supreme Court, Law Clerk, 1976-1977

Publications & Speeches

• Presenter, "Banking Fraud Whistleblower Claims Under FIRREA and FIAFEA," Georgia's New 2012 False Claims Act, and Update on Qui Tam, SEC, and IRS Whistleblower Claims, March 20, 2013
• Co-Author, "When Money Trumps Trust," TRIAL, American Association for Justice, formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA®), August 2012
• Panellist, Is the Government Making the Most Out of Whistleblower Statues? Whistleblower Assembly 2011: Whistleblower Statutes, Government Accountability Project, September 19, 2011
• Presenter, Taxpayers Against Fraud Annual Conference, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011