The U.S. Supreme Court on May 22 stayed the reinstatement of Gwynne Wilcox, a former member of the National Labor Relations Board, and Cathy Harris, a former member of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Both women were...more
The Supreme Court last week granted the stay requested by the Government enjoining the enforcement of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s orders involving President Trump’s firing of members of the National...more
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
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
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
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
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
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
In October of 2024, the United States appealed the federal district court’s judgment in United States ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates, LLC. In that case, the court held that the statute authorizing...more
D.C. Circuit majority opinion that CEQ regulations constitute ultra vires action should be considered dicta if the decision is allowed to stand. On November 12, 2024, the D.C. Circuit, in a split 2-1 decision in Marin...more
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) lacks statutory authority to issue binding regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). While the decision does not invalidate any actions...more
On October 30, 2024, the District Court for the Southern District of Texas preliminarily enjoined the Department of Labor (“DOL”), the Secretary of Labor, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”), and the...more
Mandatory disclosure obligations significantly changed for federal grant recipients, sub-recipients, and applicants on October 1, 2024. The amended federal regulation establishing these mandatory disclosures (2 C.F.R. §...more
This landmark decision, if upheld on appeal, has the potential to drastically reduce the number of False Claims Act actions brought against government contractors. A U.S. District Court in Florida held that the qui tam...more
On September 30, 2024, a federal district court in Florida held the qui tam enforcement provision of the False Claims Act (“FCA”), which permits private citizens to pursue actions in the name of and on behalf of the...more
The Zafirov decision finds that the False Claims Act qui tam provision violates Article II of the US Constitution. On September 30, 2024, in United States ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates LLC, Judge Kathryn...more
On September 30, 2024, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued an order in United States ex rel. Clarissa Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates, LLC, holding that the...more
A federal court in Florida this week ruled that the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act (FCA) is unconstitutional under the Appointments Clause in Article II of the U.S. Constitution, creating an opportunity for a split...more
On September 30, 2024, in U.S. ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates LLC, Judge Kathryn Mizelle in the Middle District of Florida dismissed a qui tam action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) on the basis that the...more
Last year, Justice Clarence Thomas’s dissent in United States ex rel. Polansky v. Executive Health Resources, Inc., 599 U.S. 419 (2023) (“Polansky”), resurrected an old debate about whether the False Claims Act (FCA) qui tam...more
In recent months, False Claims Act (FCA) defendants have increasingly sought to challenge the constitutionality of the statute’s qui tam provisions. This trend gained momentum following Justice Thomas’s dissent in United...more
In February of this year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought an administrative complaint to block Kroger Company’s $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons Companies, Inc., citing antitrust concerns. On August 19, 2024,...more
In a landmark decision issued last week, SEC v. Jarkesy, the Supreme Court held that the Seventh Amendment guarantees a defendant a jury trial when the SEC seeks civil penalties against the defendant for committing securities...more
At the end of its 2024 term, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down four decisions limiting the power of federal agencies. While none of those decisions involved a labor and employment agency, all of them could transform labor...more