Nathaniel Garrett co-leads the nationwide qui tam and whistleblower practice at Helmer, Martins, Tate & Garrett Co., LPA—the longest-practicing law firm in the United States dedicated exclusively to False Claims Act litigation. Since 1984, the firm has been a trailblazer in whistleblower law, recovering over a billion dollars for the federal government in qui tam lawsuits and shaping the legal landscape through multiple precedent-setting United States Supreme Court victories and legislative reform.
Mr. Garrett continues this legacy, having worked on cases that have recovered tens of millions of dollars for the government while currently prosecuting cases seeking billions more in fraud recoveries. He represents whistleblowers who expose large-scale fraud in healthcare, defense procurement, and government contracting. The firm’s selective case acceptance—ensuring each client receives unparalleled attention and resources—combined with Mr. Garrett’s courtroom experience and deep understanding of government operations, positions the practice to effectively navigate the most complex and high-stakes False Claims Act litigation against well-resourced corporate defendants.
Military & Trial Experience
Mr. Garrett is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps. Captain Garrett distinguished himself as both a trial prosecutor and then as an area defense counsel, handling the full spectrum of military justice. He tried numerous courts-martial before judges and juries.
In 2017, Captain Garrett deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar—the largest U.S. air base in Central Command—in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel. There, he served as principal legal adviser to the installation commander and subordinate commanders on UCMJ, criminal, disciplinary, and force management matters affecting thousands of service members.
From 2014 to 2017, Mr. Garrett also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. In this capacity, he prosecuted civilians for federal and state criminal offenses committed within the exclusive federal jurisdiction of Buckley Air Force Base. He appeared regularly before U.S. Magistrate Judges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, managing all phases of litigation from initial appearance through trial.
Academic Excellence & Legal Scholarship
A proud Cincinnatian, Mr. Garrett graduated magna cum laude and with honors from the University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences. He earned his law degree summa cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
During law school, Mr. Garrett was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and led the creation of the UC Law Review blog. He served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Michael R. Barrett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, a legal extern to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, and a law clerk for GE Aviation.
Mr. Garrett received numerous accolades during his time as a student, including the Dean’s Honors List, John R. Sayler Prize in Evidence, Sidney G. Stricker Prize, Ernest Karam Book Award, George A. Dornette Professional Responsibility/Ethics Award, Judge William H. Lueders Prize in Wills, Trusts, & Future Interests, Eugene M. Corbin Prize, George C. Katsanis Memorial Scholarship, and the James B. Helmer, Jr. Law Review Prize.
In 2025, the University of Cincinnati College of Law established—with a financial gift from Mr. Garrett—the “B. Nathaniel Garrett Prize for Best Blog” awarded annually to the student with the best published law review blog article.
Recognitions
- Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2020–2026
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2021-2026
- Best Lawyers in America, 2027
- Cincy Magazine Leading Lawyers, 2022 and 2025
Representative Cases
- Evenflo Co., Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices and Prod. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 20-md-2938-DJC (D. Mass.) ($3.5 million class action and multidistrict litigation settlement)
- United States ex rel. Green, et al. v. Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. and Kokosing Materials, Inc., No. 1:22-cv-733 (S.D. Ohio) ($17.5 million qui tam settlement and 19.75% relator share)
- United States ex rel. Green, et al. v. Barrett Paving Materials, Inc., No. 1:23-cv-009 (S.D. Ohio) ($12.5 million qui tam settlement and 19.75% relator share)
- United States ex rel. White, et al. v. Modivcare Solutions LLC, et al., No. 1:15-cv-555 (S.D. Ohio) ($3.75 million qui tam settlement and 28.5% relator share)
- United States ex rel. White, et al. v. Mobile Care EMS & Transport, Inc., et al., No. 1:15-cv-555 (S.D. Ohio) ($475,000.00 ability-to-pay qui tam settlement, 22% relator share, and resolution of a False Claims Act retaliation claim)
- United States ex rel. Tensmeyer, et al. v. United Energy Workers Healthcare, Corp., No. 1:16-cv-1143 (S.D. Ohio) ($9 million qui tam settlement, 20% relator share, and resolution of a False Claims Act retaliation claim)
- Reister v. Gardner, 2020-Ohio-5484 (Ohio 2020) (unanimous decision clarifying Ohio’s litigation privilege)
- United States ex rel. Sanders, et al. v. Allison Engine Co. (S.D. Ohio) (resolution of two-decade old False Claims Act case involving US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, awarding 30% relator share)
- United States ex rel. Hines v. VPA, P.C. d/b/a Visiting Physicians Association, et al., No. 14-cv-13385 (E.D. Mich) ($8.5 million Medicare overpayment resolved under alternate remedy provision of False Claims Act)
Publications
- What is Qui Tam?, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (August 12, 2026)
- How to Choose a False Claims Act Attorney, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (August 7, 2026)
- Reporting Government Benefits Fraud – New 2026 DOJ Policy, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (May 29, 2026)
- Is My Employer Committing Healthcare Fraud?, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (May 21, 2026)
- Cincinnati False Claims Act Lawyers: Qui Tam Since 1984, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (May 14, 2026)
- Qui Tam Whistleblower Reward Calculator, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (May 13, 2026)
- How much do qui tam whistleblowers get paid?, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (April 30, 2026)
- What is the False Claims Act? (2026 Guide), HMTG Whistleblower Resources (April 1, 2026)
- Happy Birthday, Lincoln’s Law: The False Claims Act Turns 163!, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (March 2, 2026)
- Federal False Claims Act: What Every Potential Whistleblower Needs to Know, HMTG Whistleblower Resources (February 27, 2026)
- Remembering James B. Helmer, Jr., a Titan of False Claims Act Litigation, 91 U. Cin. L. Rev. 967 (2023)
- The False Claims Act’s (and Other Statutes’) Nationwide Subpoena Authority Remains Unaffected by the 2013 Amendments to Fed. R. Civ. P. 45, Federal Bar Association SideBAR (Fall 2018)
- Dodd-Frank’s Whistleblower Provision Fails to Go Far Enough: Making the Case for A Qui Tam Provision in a Revised Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 81 U. Cin. L. Rev. 765 (2012)
- Taming the Wild Wild Web: Twenty-First Century Prize Law and Privateers as a Solution to Combating Cyber-Attacks, 81 U. Cin. L. Rev. 683 (2012)
Presentations
- Interview – “5 Good Questions with B. Nathaniel Garrett” featured in the University of Cincinnati Donald P. Klekamp College of Law, Motions and Merits Blog (April 1, 2026)
- “Roundtable: Learning How to Evaluate Whistleblower Intakes” moderator on November 4, 2025 for the 2nd Annual The Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF) Young Lawyers Division Conference
- “Recovering Attorney’s Fees” panelist presentation on October 18, 2023 for the 23rd Annual The Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF) Conference
- “Incentivized Integrity – Federal False Claims Act Basics for Employment Lawyers” (with Partner James A. Tate) CLE presentation on October 12, 2023 for the OSBA Midwest Labor & Employment Law Conference
- “Incentivized Integrity: Whistleblower Reward Statutes” CLE presentation on November 1, 2019 for the Northeast Lawyers Club
