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Allison O'Neil

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Allison strategically handles high-stakes investigations and litigation, including multifaceted government inquiries, sexual misconduct probes, and major False Claims Act cases, and she has a deep understanding of the financial impacts of such challenges.

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On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of a Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which will use the False Claims Act (FCA) as a basis for investigating the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices of recipients of federal funds, including colleges and universities who receive Title IV student financial aid and research grants. Calling out academic institutions specifically, the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative will invoke the FCA “against those who defraud the United States by taking its money while knowingly violating civil rights laws.”

In the fourth episode of our 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Dan Waltz is joined by colleague Amy Williams, a partner at Troutman Pepper, and Allison O’Neil, co-chair of Locke Lord’s White Collar Defense & Investigations practice group. They dive into recent enforcement actions under the False Claims Act (FCA) at both federal and state levels.