In the summer of 2023, Justice Thomas suggested in a dissenting opinion in U.S. ex rel. Polansky v. Executive Health Resources that Article II of the Constitution might not permit a qui tam relator to sue in the name of the...more
On March 28, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump likely has the authority to remove National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Gwynne Wilcox and Merit...more
President Trump issued more than 70 Executive Orders in the first 30 days of his new administration – nearly twice the amount his closest competitor (President Biden) issued in his first 100 days. These Executive Orders have...more
The Supreme Court’s decision in Wisconsin Bell v. United States ex rel. Todd Heath clarifies what constitutes a “claim” under the federal False Claims Act (FCA). ...more
After several Supreme Court decisions and Executive Orders upended many of the norms governing the relationship between governmental agencies and the constitutional branches, a recent decision by the Federal Deposit Insurance...more
On Feb. 18, 2025, in a case seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Notice of Change in Position indicating that the DOJ will no longer defend in litigation "the...more
Trump Administration continues aggressive use of Executive Orders to assert Article II powers. Latest EO will require one of the most extensive regulatory reviews ever....more
On February 18, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (EO), entitled, “Restoring Democracy and Accountability in Government,” which asserts greater authority over all federal agencies, including those...more
Justice Kavanaugh issued a concurring opinion in Wisconsin Bell, which Justice Thomas joined, to question again whether the False Claims Act qui tam provision violates Article II of the US Constitution....more
The United States Tax Court skillfully dodged answering the headline question with a holding on standing. The court decided, however, that IRS appeals officers and IRS appeals team managers are not officers of the United...more
On February 9, DOJ filed an emergency motion seeking to dissolve, modify or clarify a temporary restraining order issued by the U.S. SDNY, which prohibited certain political appointees and DOGE members from accessing the...more
On January 27, 2025, President Trump fired National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) Member Gwynne A. Wilcox, marking the first time that a president has ever attempted to remove a Board member prior to the end of...more
On January 20, 2025, a new administration took control of the Executive Branch of the federal government, and it has signaled that it will make aggressive use of executive orders....more
President Trump wasted no time sweeping his campaign objectives on immigration into motion. Our Immigration Team breaks down the impact of his Executive Orders on immigration policy, the people who fall under those policies,...more
The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act allow individuals to file suit on behalf of the United States and to receive a share of the resulting financial settlement or judgment. Filing a qui tam case is not just a formal...more
In 2024, federal courts issued a number of important decisions in False Claims Act (FCA) cases that are particularly noteworthy for the health care and life sciences industries. We focus here on decisions that further develop...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently facing a growing number of challenges related to the constitutionality of the agency’s structure and operation. One of these challenges was raised by current FTC...more
For over 160 years, the False Claims Act has let people bring claims on behalf of the U.S. government alleging fraud. In exchange, those individuals receive a portion of any recovery. In September, a federal district judge...more
On December 10, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, sitting in the District of Columbia, ruled that the job protections afforded NLRB Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are unconstitutional because they impede the...more
A government contractor challenged a U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs ("OFCCP") enforcement scheme in federal court as violating the United States Constitution. The contractor...more
A seismic shift in the world of False Claims Act (“FCA”) might have occurred recently in a Middle District of Florida courtroom. On September 30, 2024, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle issued her ruling in US ex rel Zafirov v....more
In a landmark decision, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, in United States ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates, LLC, held that the False Claims Act’s (FCA) qui tam provision –...more
On Sept. 30, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida declared the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act unconstitutional. The Court, in United States Of America ex rel Clarissa Zafirov v....more
A tool long-favored by the plaintiffs' bar to extract big judgments and settlements from individuals and companies – the False Claims Act (FCA) – which allows individual whistleblowers to pursue alleged civil wrongdoers in...more
On September 30, 2024, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle held that the qui tam provision of the FCA violates the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution because False Claims Act (“FCA”) relators are acting as...more