The Situation: The False Claims Act ("FCA") imposes treble damages on defendants, as well as mandatory penalties per false claim. Because alleged false claims often involve much smaller amounts—for example, in cases with a...more
8/19/2024
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Due Process ,
Eighth Amendment ,
Excessive Fines Clause ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Treble Damages
On June 11, 2024, Governor Greg Abbott appointed the three inaugural justices for the new Fifteenth Court of Appeals, which will hear appeals from business courts statewide....more
Vermont passed a first-of-its-kind law requiring energy companies to pay for part of the damages from extreme weather events, but the law likely will face legal challenges....more
6/10/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Liability ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
National Emissions Standards ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Severe Weather ,
Superfund ,
Vermont
The Development: On April 15, 2024, the Department of Justice ("DOJ") Criminal Division announced a pilot program that will offer mandatory non-prosecution agreements ("NPAs") to individuals who provide original and...more
The Development: On March 7, 2024, Deputy Attorney General ("DAG") Lisa Monaco discussed updates to the Department of Justice's ("DOJ" or "Department") corporate criminal enforcement policies and announced a pilot program...more
3/14/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
CFTC ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
Money Laundering ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
Qui tam relators and the U.S. Department of Justice continue to expand usage of the False Claims Act....more
3/4/2024
/ Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
Qui Tam ,
Settlement ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
In light of the DOJ’s most recent guidance on the use of personal devices and third-party messaging applications by corporate personnel, this White Paper addresses issues and challenges that companies are facing in this area...more
10/18/2023
/ CFTC ,
Compliance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Electronic Communications ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Guidance Update ,
Instant Messaging Apps ,
Mobile Devices ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
White Collar Crimes ,
Workplace Communication
The False Claims Act's ("FCA") use of qui tam relators (private individuals bringing suit on behalf of the government) has long raised both procedural and substantive challenges....more
The U.S. Supreme Court clarified the standard for a defendant's state of mind in False Claims Act ("FCA") cases, holding that a defendant acts "knowingly"—which the FCA defines also to include deliberate ignorance and...more
On May 12, 2023, the Texas Senate passed House Bill 19. Once signed by Governor Greg Abbott, Texas will create a new specialized court that will alter how high-stakes business disputes are resolved....more
Each year, the Department of Justice ("DOJ"), the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and in recent years, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") dedicate substantial resources to investigating and...more
In a momentous event for False Claims Act cases throughout the country, the Supreme Court has granted certiorari to decide the applicable scienter standard....more
In Short -
The Situation: The federal False Claims Act ("FCA") allows the United States to dismiss the action if the qui tam relator "has been notified by the Government of the filing of the motion and the court has...more
The Situation: Most companies have faced challenges in finding the right balance between their information governance programs and their employees' use of technologies that do not permit retention of communications....more
3/21/2019
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Document Retention Policies ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Record Retention ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Self-Reporting ,
Voluntary Disclosure ,
White Collar Crimes
On February 8, 2017, the United States Department of Justice ("DOJ") Fraud Section published a blueprint for assessing corporate compliance efforts, titled "Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs" ("Guidance"). It...more
3/2/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Board of Directors ,
Compliance ,
Confidential Communications ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Sentencing Guidelines ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Fraud ,
Internal Investigations ,
New Guidance ,
OECD ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Senior Managers ,
Third-Party Relationships ,
Training