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
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: In March 2020, the Third and Ninth Circuits held, in two cases in which the government had declined to intervene, that a mere difference of medical opinion may be enough to satisfy the falsity element of the...more
The Supreme Court's recent decision in Ford is sure to be framed by some as expanding—perhaps quite significantly—the availability of specific personal jurisdiction under the Due Process Clause. But the decision should not be...more
The Background: In early December, the Supreme Court denied a whistleblower's request to review the Fifth Circuit's affirmance of the district court's dismissal of a False Claims Act ("FCA") case. This denial left the...more
A case must be filed within either six years of the FCA violation or three years from when the government knew or should have known of the violation.
In Cochise Consultancy, Inc. v. U.S. ex rel. Hunt, the Supreme Court...more
5/16/2019
/ Appeals ,
Cause of Action Accrual ,
Cochise Consultancy Inc v United States ex rel Hunt ,
Dismissals ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Intervenors ,
Limitation Periods ,
Qui Tam ,
Reaffirmation ,
Relators ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Statute of Limitations
The Situation: The Sixth Circuit recently affirmed the certification of an issue class in a groundwater pollution case. The court endorsed a "broad" view of Rule 23(c)(4) under which common questions must predominate only...more
4/26/2019
/ Causation ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Contaminated Properties ,
Denial of Certiorari ,
FRCP 23(b)(3) ,
FRCP 23(c)(4) ,
Groundwater ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Predominance Requirement ,
Property Damage ,
SCOTUS ,
Strict Product Liability
The Situation: Courts have disagreed over whether Universal Health Services, Inc. v. Escobar, 136 S. Ct. 1989 (2016), announced a mandatory test for implied certification liability under the False Claims Act ("FCA").
The...more
On June 18, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed Leidos v. Indiana Public Retirement System, a securities case that raised important and unsettled issues about the scope of liability under Section 10(b) of the Securities...more
The Situation: A decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinforces the growing body of case law regarding the strict materiality requirements of the False Claims Act.
The Result: Coyne v. Amgen is...more
1/15/2018
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Conditions of Payment ,
Failure To Disclose ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Implied Certification ,
Material Misrepresentation ,
Materiality ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar
The Situation: In Spay v. CVS Caremark Corp., the Third Circuit became the latest court of appeals to hold that, in False Claims Act litigation, scienter can be lacking when the government has knowledge of "the facts...more
11/28/2017
/ Acquiescence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False Statements ,
Government Knowledge Defense ,
Material Misstatements ,
Materiality ,
Medicare Part D ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Scienter ,
SCOTUS ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar