Attorney General’s Report to the Legislature on the New Jersey False Claims Act (NJFCA)

The reports are in  and represent an upward trend in recoveries by the State of New Jersey through actions filed under the New Jersey False Claims Act. In 2011, the State of New Jersey recovered about $3 million in damages and penalties under the NJFCA. Not bad considering the Act was has only been around for about three years.

The 2010 and 2011 reports are available here.

A little bit of history:

On January 17, 2010, then-New Jersey Governor John Corzine signed S-2534 into law as P.L. 2009, c.265, amending sections of the New Jersey False Claims Act and adding new sections, including, N.J.S.A. 2A: 32C-18 which states:

On the 30th day after the effective date of P.L.2009, c. 265 (C.2A:32C-18 et al.) and annually on the anniversary of the effective date of P.L.2009, c. 265 (C.2A:32C-18 et al.), the Attorney General, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c. 164 (C.52:14-19.1), shall submit to the Legislature, a report containing the following information:

a. The number of cases the Attorney General filed during the previous calendar year under the “New Jersey False Claims Act,”P.L.2007, c. 265 (C.2A:32C-1 et seq.);
b. The number of cases private individuals filed under the “New Jersey False Claims Act,” P.L.2007, c. 265 (C.2A:32C-1 et seq.) during the previous calendar year, including those cases that remain under seal, and specifying for those cases no longer under seal:
(1) the State or federal courts in which those cases were filed and the number in each court;
(2) the State program or agency that is involved in each case; and
(3) where the information is available, the number of cases filed by private individuals who previously had filed an action based on the same or similar transactions or allegations under the federal False Claims Act or the False Claims Act of another state;
c. The amount that was recovered by the State under the “New Jersey False Claims Act,” P.L.2007, c. 265 (C.2A:32C-1 et seq.) in settlement, in damages, penalties, and litigation costs, if known, and specifying for each the following:
(1) the case number and parties for each case in which there was a recovery;
(2) the separate amounts of any funds recovered for damages, penalties, and litigation costs; and
(3) the percentage of the recovery and the amount awarded to any private person who brought the action.



Business Lawyer Anand Natarajan Chosen As 2012 Leadership New Jersey (LNJ) Fellow

By Natarajan LLP

Commercial litigation lawyer Anand Natarajan was recently selected as a Fellow for the 2012 Leadership New Jersey program. As a fellow, Mr. Natarajan, who represents New Jersey business owners in a range of business law issues, will meet with a variety of New Jersey citizens, lobbyists, legislators and law enforcement officials to discuss and help find solutions to various social, economic and political issues that confront the state. “As a New Jersey lawyer, lifelong New Jersey resident and local business owner, I am thrilled to get the opportunity to participate in LNJ and meet with people that are equally concerned about this state’s future.” Mr. Natarajan said. “It is a great honor to participate in a program that has graduated innovative and influential leaders and I look forward to working with the other fellows in 2012.”

The 2012 LNJ program will kick off leadership retreat on January 19th 2012.

Natarajan LLP advises on sale of 35,000 square foot Class A commercial building

Sagar Shah, a partner at Natarajan LLP, advised the principals of Perrine Professional Group (PPG) in the successful condominium conversion and sale of a new construction Class A medical and office building located at 300 Perrine Road in Old Bridge, NJ. Natarajan LLP will also advise the purchasers of the building on the subsequent sale and lease of individual condominium units. The firm plans on advising the principals of PPG on future commercial real estate ventures in the Central New Jersey area. “Central New Jersey provides a unique opportunity for both residential and commercial real estate, and I am excited to be working with Natarajan LLP to both vet and develop new real estate deals in the area,” said Ajay Jain, member of PPG.

300 Perrine Road boasts state of the art construction, ample parking and ideal location at the intersection of Route 34 and Route 9 in Old Bridge and is also zoned for medical use.  “300 Perrine presents the ideal real estate transaction,” Sagar Shah said. “Its construction was managed superbly, its financing was backed by a stable community bank and it was built in a really great location—it was a pleasure working with PPG to complete this transaction.”

Dr. Sunil Garg to speak at the New Jersey Environmental Law Section annual meeting

Dr. Sunil Garg will speak on the implications of the Stengart case in a panel entitled “Electronic Media: Is Your Privilege Protected After “Loving Care?” at the New Jersey Environmental Law Section annual meeting held on June 27, 2010.  In the Stengart case, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that an employee had a reasonable expectation of privacy in emails between the employee and her attorney.  For more information about this case, visit The Rajan Report to read the full article.

New Jersey High Court Protects Employees’ Right to Personal Emails

By Natarajan LLP

New Jersey employers: employees have a limited right to access and send personal emails to their attorney on company computers, and you have no authority to read them. This watershed rule was announced in Stengart v. Loving Care Agency, Inc.,1 where the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously held that an employee had a reasonable expectation of privacy in emails between the employee and her attorney which were sent and received through a web-based email account accessed on laptop provided by her employer.

Dr. Sunil Garg joins Natarajan LLP as Special Counsel

Natarajan LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Sunil Garg to the firm’s commerical law practice. Dr. Garg possesses over 25 years of experience in several areas of law and has made a name for himself as an astute environmental, intellectual property and commercial litigator. Dr. Garg is a Registered Patent Attorney and holds a Masters in Chemistry and a Ph.D in Physical Chemistry. He has previously been associated with Stroock & Stroock and Lavan LLP, Hannoch Weisman P.C. and Lowenstein Sandler P.C.   He has represented multi-national insurance companies, manufacturing companies and other blue-chip entities in a variety of transactional and litigation matters as an attorney, scientist, expert witness and consultant.

Anand Natarajan recognized for pro bono work in Union County

The Union County Bar Association recently recognized Anand Natarajan for his dedicated service to low income residents of Union County. Mr. Natarajan was thrilled to receive the recognition and looks to continue his excellent record of service to low-income clients throughout New Jersey in 2010.

Natarajan LLP introduces OneRate billing

After receiving feedback from clients and examining new industry trends in legal billing, Natarajan LLP now offers fixed rate billing for a variety of matters, including transactional work and motion practice. Our OneRate pricing allows our clients to see exactly how much our representation will cost from start to finish, before any work is started. Traditional billable hour plans will also be offered by the firm, allowing clients the flexibility of multiple pricing plans for various legal projects.

Natarajan LLP selected as a preferred buyer’s attorney

As a result of Natarajan LLP’s uncompromised integrity and commitment to real estate purchasers at Renaissance Properties’ Crine West development in Marlboro, NJ, the firm has been granted preferred status by the Old Bridge, NJ-based developer.

Natarajan LLP opens second office in Mountainside, NJ

Natarajan LLP has opened its second office at 200 Central Ave in Mountainside, NJ. Our new location is minutes from Route 22 and will allow the firm to better serve its Northern New Jersey clients and will also serve as the firm’s operational hub. The firm’s Old Bridge office will continue to serve our central and southern New Jersey clients.