The False Claims Act in 2025: Updates on & Preparing for Changing Enforcement Priorities (Presented by The Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting & Convention 2025 sponsor Faegre Drinker)

Erica H. MacDonald, Partner | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

When clients are in search of competence, character and credentials for their most sensitive, high-risk matters, Erica MacDonald is a first-call, Chambers-ranked litigator who knows how to get results. Erica is a partner in the firm’s business litigation group and co-chairs its white collar defense and investigations team. Prior to joining Faegre Drinker, Erica served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota from 2018-21 and was selected as one of the few U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, a body entrusted with advising the Attorney General of the United States on the most important policy matters related to all aspects of the work of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Prior to serving as U.S. Attorney, Erica served as a Judge of District Court in Minnesota’s First Judicial District from 2010-18 and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1999-2009. As a former federal prosecutor and district court judge, Erica has a track record that speaks for itself with more than 26 years of investigative and litigation experience. She is adept in managing teams of attorneys running complex investigations and has years of experience managing such matters. For more information on Erica’s background, please visit her Wikipedia page and her full Faegre Drinker biography.

Carolyn Fitzhugh McNiven, Partner | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Clients rely on Carolyn McNiven to handle their most challenging government enforcement problems because she is a strong client advocate, whether the matter is criminal, civil or both. Although her local roots are generations deep, Carolyn’s practice is national in breadth and takes her wherever clients need her deft hand — whether conducting a sensitive internal investigation or going toe-to-toe with government enforcement authorities. With a focus on health care enforcement defense, Carolyn represents public companies and individuals under U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DoJ) investigation and defends civil enforcement matters triggered by qui tam (whistleblower) complaints. View Carolyn’s full biography.

Jessica Natali, Partner | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Jessica Natali is a white collar defense attorney and former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She has deep experience both prosecuting and defending a wide range of criminal cases, particularly involving the health care, securities and financial services industries. Jessica represents entities and individuals in complex white collar defense matters, federal and state criminal cases, and grand jury investigations. She also frequently conducts internal and parallel investigations, while her civil practice often involves select product liability cases and the defense of qui tam and False Claims Act complaints. Additionally, Jessica assists clients in building and implementing policies and procedures consistent with the elements of an effective program under the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other government regulatory guidelines. View Jessica’s full biography.

I. The Basics of FCA Enforcement | 2:00pm – 2:15pm

II. Key Legal Issues | 2:15pm – 2:30pm

III. FCA Enforcement Trends | 2:30pm – 2 :45pm

IV. Q/A | 2:45pm – 3:00pm