False Claims Act Insights - How a Marine Fisheries Dispute Opened an FCA Can of Worms
False Claims Act Insights - If Everything Matters, Nothing Does: Parsing Materiality in FCA Disputes
Podcast: Non-binding Guidance: SEC Disclosure Issues for Life Sciences Companies
Life Sciences Quarterly (Q3 2019): SEC Enforcement and Class Actions Regarding FDA Communications
On April 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated a summary judgment ruling in favor of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Commonwealth Equity Services, LLC, also known as Commonwealth...more
On April 1, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated a $93 million judgment for the SEC against Commonwealth Financial, including a $65 million disgorgement award. The three-judge panel concluded that the...more
On April 1, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit overturned a $93 million judgment issued against Commonwealth Financial Network (“Commonwealth”) nearly one year ago in a case by the Securities and...more
When state law provides that an insurance contract can be rescinded for misrepresentations only if they are “material,” can an insurer contract around that rule by adding an exclusion for all claims based on any...more
Although discretionary, it is well-known among commercial practitioners that the Commercial Division justices generally like a Rule 19-a statement of material facts included with the submission of a summary judgment motion....more
Plaintiff loaned money to his employee to purchase a home, and the loan was secured by a mortgage. When the employee failed to pay the loan and to insure the home, Plaintiff obtained a landlord package policy from Erie and...more
On November 20, 2023, the Northern District of California denied summary judgment for the defendant in SEC v. Panuwat, an enforcement action being brought under a novel theory of insider trading law that is being referred to...more
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s summary judgement order, granting a chocolate shop franchisor’s breach of contract and unfair competition claims. The appellate court concluded there were...more
How should a court evaluate the FCA’s materiality requirement when the government’s ability to deny claims is constrained? According to a recent decision from the Eleventh Circuit, the court should “broadly” consider the...more
On February 11, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted Ford’s motion for summary judgment on the plaintiff’s fraud and consumer protection claims, concluding that the plaintiff had not...more
The Situation: The Supreme Court's ruling in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar, 136 S. Ct. 1989 (2016), opened the door to more materiality defenses under the False Claims Act ("FCA"), but without making...more
Massachusetts employers’ decision-making processes with regards to lateral, internal employee transfers are now subject to possible state law discrimination claims. On January 29, 2019, the SJC issued its decision in Yee v....more
Since the 2016 Supreme Court decision in Universal Services Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar, courts have wrestled with exactly how to apply the unanimous decision. This post highlights developments across the country in...more
In late August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a long-awaited decision in U.S. ex rel. Rose v. Stephens Institute that interprets key aspects of the implied false certification theory of False Claims...more
In a split decision announced on August 24, 2018, the Ninth Circuit added another layer to the ongoing debate about “materiality” under the False Claims Act (FCA) in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Universal...more
Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Chris Lazarini analyzed a case in which a group of shareholders claimed misleading statements in a press release caused them to sell stock early and lose money in a subsequent bidding war. The...more
A Florida federal court threw out a $350 million jury verdict against a nursing facility, citing the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar. The court explained...more
At the end of last month, the Seventh Circuit issued its opinion on remand in United States v. Sanford-Brown, Ltd., No. 14-2506, — F.3d —-, 2016 WL 6205746 (7th Cir. Oct. 24, 2016) (“Sanford II”). The court once again...more
On June 16, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar1 (Escobar) unanimously upheld the implied certification theory of False Claims Act (FCA) liability and strengthened...more