This year, three Whistleblower Law Collaborative attorneys were recognized by Best Lawyers® for their professional excellence–Suzanne E. Durrell, Erica Blachman Hitchings, and Linda C. Severin They are all former DOJ attorneys, and their practice is now devoted entirely to whistleblowers.
Linda C. Severin
This year, WLC partner Linda Severin joined the ranks of The Best Lawyers® in America 2027 for Litigation – Healthcare. Her background as a federal prosecutor, a white-collar defense attorney, and an in-house litigation attorney enables her to analyze whistleblower fraud matters from multiple perspectives.
Distinguished Career
Linda served for eight years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. As a federal prosecutor, she investigated and tried cases involving fraud, racketeering, drug trafficking, money laundering, and extortion, and she briefed and argued criminal appeals before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Linda Severin moved to Seattle and entered private practice, where her work focused on white-collar criminal defense and internal investigations. She was a partner at Bogle & Gates and later founded the firm of Tallman & Severin LLP with Richard C. Tallman. After Mr. Tallman became a United States Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Linda worked in-house for The Boeing Company and, later, for Garvey Schubert Barer. She joined WLC in 2018.
Some of Linda’s whistleblower successes include the $234 million Mallinckrodt settlement and a $13 million settlement with BioTel and LifeWatch.
Erica Blachman Hitchings
WLC partner Erica Blachman Hitchings was peer chosen for inclusion in this year’s The Best Lawyers® in America 2027 for Employment Law – Individuals. Erica has dedicated her entire career to False Claims Act cases, first as a government attorney and now representing whistleblowers.
Accomplished Government Attorney
Prior to joining WLC in 2019, Erica spent nine years in the Department of Justice. In 2009, Erica entered the Department through the prestigious Attorney General’s Honors Program. She immediately set to work investigating and litigating FCA cases as a Trial Attorney in the Civil Fraud section. After two years in D.C., Erica moved to San Francisco and became an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Erica spearheaded two cutting-edge Medicare Advantage fraud investigations. One of these matters led to a $90 million recovery against Sutter Health.
Erica was proud to be a member of the legal team representing the whistleblower in a municipal bond fraud settlement. The $70 million qui tam settlement was with eight of the nation’s largest banks. It is the largest reported settlement ever under the Illinois False Claims Act. In addition, Erica is one of relator’s counsel in the Study Across the Pond education fraud matter in which the government partially intervened in May 2024. It is alleged that Study Across the Pond charged the universities on a per-student basis thus violating the “incentive compensation ban.” The litigation in this matter is underway. Erica also represented the whistleblower who brought allegations that Zoll Medical Corporation had violated the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) and led to a $400,000 recovery.
Erica is an active member of the whistleblower attorney community, serving on the President’s Council of the TAF Coalition. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and teaches Healthcare Fraud and Abuse at Boston University School of Law.
Suzanne E. Durrell
Suzanne E. Durrell has been included in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation – Health Care and Health Care Law. Suzanne has extensive experience handling False Claims Act cases over the past thirty years. After a distinguished career with the Department of Justice, she founded Whistleblower Law Collaborative with Robert M. Thomas, Jr. in 2003.
Notable Career of Service
Prior to representing whistleblowers, Suzanne served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. She began as Deputy Chief, and then became Chief, of the Civil Division. Suzanne was instrumental in developing that Office’s now famed False Claims Act practice. Suzanne prosecuted many notable FCA cases in the government, including several qui tam cases against National Medicare Care, Inc. (Fresenius). Under her leadership, the government recorded a then record-breaking $486 million civil and criminal settlement in the Fresenius cases. Suzanne also played a role in shaping policies for False Claims Act enforcement nationwide as Deputy Associate Attorney General in Washington D.C. (1991-1992). During her tenure with the DOJ, she received numerous awards from DOJ and other agencies. Among them was the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the most prestigious recognition bestowed by the DOJ.
Suzanne’s career as whistleblower counsel is also a model of success. She has represented whistleblowers in numerous cases, including several record-breaking cases such as settlements with AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Mylan. Suzanne is proud to be part of the honorary society of American Bar Fellows for her outstanding dedication to her clients and demonstrating the highest principles of the legal profession.
Best Lawyers® In America
First published in 1983, recognition by Best Lawyers ® is based entirely on peer review. Their process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
