Paul Perkins, former Associate Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Director of the Civil Fraud Section at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group and chair of the firm’s False Claims Act practice.

Paul defends healthcare and life sciences companies, government contractors, and other clients in False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and litigation and related government enforcement actions. He also conducts internal investigations and advises on FCA compliance and voluntary disclosures. He brings more than 15 years of government and private practice experience, including senior DOJ leadership roles and an extensive record of personally building and litigating FCA cases, supervising complex matters, and negotiating nine-figure settlements.

As Associate Deputy Attorney General, Paul oversaw the Civil Division and other Department components, shaped national FCA enforcement policy and priorities, and directed key FCA and other enforcement matters. As Deputy Director of the Civil Fraud Section, he supervised dozens of FCA matters, directing case strategy and settlement negotiations.

His FCA experience includes matters involving the Anti-Kickback Statute, Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, medical necessity and billing, manufacturing compliance and product quality, and government contract costs.

Paul draws on this combination of leadership and case experience to assess the government’s legal theories and evidence, develop defenses, and position matters for declination, dismissal, or resolution. He helps clients respond to inquiries and civil investigative demands, manage parallel civil and criminal exposure, and pursue favorable outcomes efficiently while limiting business disruption and collateral consequences.

Representative Experiences

Selected experience before joining Morrison Foerster includes:

• Negotiated the United States’ nine-figure FCA settlement with a global healthcare company concerning alleged noncompliance with manufacturing requirements.
  
• Defended a major pharmaceutical company in parallel civil and criminal DOJ investigations involving alleged off-label promotion and improper financial relationships with physicians. Managed key aspects of the company’s response to DOJ and internal investigation, including interviewing employees, coordinating document productions, and preparing reverse proffers.
  
• Supervised nationwide FCA investigations, litigation, and settlements under DOJ’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative involving alleged noncompliance with federal civil rights and anti-discrimination requirements.
  
• Directed DOJ’s civil FCA and criminal investigations, litigation, and resolutions involving hospitals and other healthcare providers concerning alleged billing fraud and noncovered services.
  
• Supervised DOJ’s FCA investigation of a national pharmacy chain’s alleged improper dispensing of controlled substances and related false claims, directing negotiations that resulted in a nine-figure resolution.
  
• Represented the United States in Medicare Advantage risk adjustment litigation against a national health insurer, briefing and arguing motions, coordinating the government’s discovery responses, conducting witness interviews, and preparing witnesses and defending depositions.
  

• Represented the United States in a multimillion-dollar FCA settlement with a defense contractor concerning alleged overcharging of material costs under government contracts.
  
• Led DOJ investigations of clinical laboratories from inception and negotiated multimillion-dollar settlements involving alleged kickbacks, medically unnecessary testing, and improper billing. Negotiated related civil resolutions with owners, investors, and a billing company, and coordinated the civil matters with parallel criminal proceedings.
  
• Led an FCA investigation through government intervention and the filing of a complaint against laboratory executives involving alleged kickbacks and medically unnecessary testing.
  
• Supervised DOJ’s FCA investigation of a healthcare provider concerning alleged kickbacks in patient recruitment and directed negotiations resulting in a multimillion-dollar settlement.
  
• Supervised DOJ’s FCA investigation of a hospital concerning Medicare coverage requirements and directed negotiations resulting in a multimillion-dollar settlement.
  
• Negotiated the United States’ nine-figure civil settlement with a global technology company in consumer protection litigation.
  

Paul’s leadership work at DOJ included developing the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative and helping to formulate the policies on sub-regulatory guidance and qui tam dismissal reflected in the 2026 Justice Manual revisions. His extensive experience evaluating requests under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A) informs his advice to clients seeking DOJ dismissal of declined qui tam actions.

During his four years as Deputy Director of the Civil Fraud Section, Paul served as a career member of the Senior Executive Service and helped lead the Civil Fraud Section’s more than 150 attorneys and professional staff. During that period, DOJ obtained more than $13 billion in FCA settlements and judgments.

His work included dozens of depositions and witness interviews and coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, investigative agencies, and criminal prosecutors. He used data analytics to identify potential fraud schemes and develop investigations that resulted in settlements. That experience helps him assess the data and assumptions underlying government and whistleblower allegations.

His other DOJ roles included Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, and Trial Attorney in the Civil Fraud Section.

Before DOJ, Paul spent five years at a global law firm handling corporate investigations and complex civil litigation. He clerked for the Honorable Leslie H. Southwick of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and began his career in the U.S. Senate and the White House Counsel’s Office.