With nearly a decade of focusing exclusively on False Claims Act litigation, JULIE KEETON BRACKER has come to realize that her passion–and her mission–is to protect people who are willing to stand up and expose the truth. And if she can bring down those who profit from corruption along the way, all the better.
Julie fell in love at first sight with the False Claims Act. Unfortunately, her first sight was across the Bar– from the defense side! After wrapping up her first and only case as a lawyer for an FCA defendant, Julie upended her practice and her life to switch sides–or, as she says, to don a white hat and fight for the good guys.
For the next eight years, she worked exclusively in an FCA boutique firm where she was named partner after only two years, closing more than 30 cases, bringing in more than 80 million dollars back to the taxpayers, and honing her craft.
Shortly after a landmark $13 million dollar settlement in the Eastern District of Tennessee, Julie began an affiliation with the Georgia Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers’ Association (“NELA”) that further defined her career. Always an advocate for the whistleblower, Julie became increasingly aware of the number of brave souls who reported fraud and “did everything right,” only to be left with no recourse because the fraud they reported–often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars–was still too small to be economically feasible for the Government to prosecute, and usually too small to be of interest to large qui tam firms either. Since then, Julie has made it her mission to get the word out about the retaliation provisions of the False Claims Act, serving as Georgia NELA’s president in 2014 and speaking at events across the country.
In 2015, Julie took the next step, partnering up with Jason Marcus to open the firm of Bracker & Marcus. Having worked together for seven years, Julie knew Jason to be a powerhouse of FCA knowledge and legal expertise. Their partnership enables the team to expand their practice to include cases of all sizes, and to extend their advisory and pro bono work even further. The pair consult regularly with attorneys across the country to evaluate FCA claims and strategize about the best means of protecting their heroes, the whistleblowers.
Julie has served on the Board of the Georgia Chapter of the National Employment Lawyer’s Association (NELA) and had the honor of serving as its President in 2014. She currently serves in the mentor program for NELA and speaks regularly at the state and national level on the qui tam and retaliation provisions of federal and state False Claims Acts. In addition, Julie is nationally recognized for her work in electronic discovery.
Julie was named one of Georgia’s Top Rated Lawyers by Legal Leaders, is annually selected as a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine, and maintains the highest ratings of AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and 10.0 by Avvo. She also received the Women in Law Award from Lawyer Monthly for 2016 and 2017.
Julie lives in East Cobb with her husband and two children. She and her family are active members of East Cobb Church, where she serves as co-ministry leader for the Women’s Ministry.
EDUCATION
Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D. summa cum laude, 2002; Order of the Coif; Executive Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law; Moot Court Board; HeadNotes a capella singing group
Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, B.S., magna cum laude, 1993 in Cognitive Studies and Education, with minors in Russian and statistics; John Windrow Scholar, Peabody College of Education (1989-1993); Outstanding Promise in Cognitive Studies Award (1993); Peabody Young Alumni Award; dean’s list, four years.
AWARDS
AV preeminent rating, Martindale-Hubbell (2014-present); Georgia Top Lawyers; Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine (2017-present); Women in Law, Lawyer Monthly (2016 & 2017); Legal Leaders (2014, 2015); Order of the Coif (2002); Vanderbilt Law School scholarship (1999-2002); Coca-Cola Educator of the Year (1998-99); Teacher of the Year, Ridgeview Middle School (1997-98, 1998-99); Alabama Youth Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1989).
REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKING EXPERIENCE
Taxpayers Against Fraud Annual Conference – Panel Moderator, “Privilege: Balancing the Sword and the Shield” (November 2017); NELA National Convention – Speaker, “Leadership Development, Diversity, and Succession” (June 2015); The Sedona Conference – Faculty, E-Discovery Negotiation Training: Practical Cooperative Strategies (March 2015); Whistleblower Law Symposium, State Bar of Georgia CLE – Speaker, Health Law Update (March 2015); Tri-State 11th Circuit Convention – Georgia Liaison, panel moderator (March 2014); Taxpayers Against Fraud Educational Fund – Speaker, “Developments in Damages Law under the FCA,” (2014); “The Government Knowledge Defense,” (2013); Florida NELA Fall Convention – Speaker, “Retaliation Claims Under the FCA” (2014); Florida NELA Spring Convention – Speaker, “The FCA: Perils and Pitfalls” (2013); Georgia NELA: CLE Committee Chair and Speaker – “Litigating the Plaintiff’s Employment Case” Parts 1, 2 and 3 (2011, 2012, 2013).
PUBLICATIONS
“The Basics of E-Discovery and the Rule 26(f) Conference,” American Journal of Trial Advocacy, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Spring 2014), with Carrie Fowler; to be presented at E-Discovery Symposium, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
“Arbitration in the Corporate Context,” Columbia Business Law Review, Vol. 2003, No. l, with Larry D. Soderquist (2003).
Secules, T., Swink, J., Keeton, J., & Millican, C. (April, 1995). Restructuring the school day: A sixth grade classroom. Presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.
Cote, N., Goldman, S.R., Gjellstad, L., Keeton, J., & Millican, C. (November, 1994). Children’s use of prior knowledge and experience in understanding informational text on nutrition. Presented at annual meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association.
Keeton, J. (October, 1992). Effects of Bilingualism on the Lexical Decision Task. Presentation at Vanderbilt Summer Research program.