2016 was another active year in the land of False Claims Act enforcement. The U.S. Department of Justice continued to set recovery records and turned its eye more keenly on enforcement of individuals. We heard from the...more
In 2016, the Department of Justice (DOJ) continued to give high priority to False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and prosecutions. The government brought in more than $4.76 billion in settlements and judgments, nearly a...more
In a season of political surprises, the eight-member U.S. Supreme Court has stirred no controversy with its decisions so far this term. The handful of opinions the Court released in the fall were unanimous and, for the most...more
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. v. United States ex rel. Rigsby addresses sanctions for violating the seal provision of the False Claims Act (FCA). ...more
In the midst of a False Claims Act (FCA) case, the relators have blatantly violated the FCA’s seal provision. Surely this will lead to dismissal, right? Wrong. On Tuesday, December 6, the Supreme Court unanimously...more
Rigsby places discretion in the hands of district courts as to whether and how to sanction relators who violate the seal requirement in False Claims Act cases. On December 6, 2016, only a month after oral argument, the...more
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued an anxiously anticipated False Claims Act (“FCA”) decision in State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. United States ex rel. Rigsby, holding that a violation of the statute’s seal requirement...more
The Supreme Court held that a relator’s breach of the seal in a qui tam case does not require mandatory dismissal of the complaint, but the Court declined to articulate what factors are appropriate to consider in determining...more
The Supreme Court held yesterday that a violation of the False Claims Act’s seal provision does not mandate dismissal of a relator’s complaint. Justice Kennedy authored the Court’s opinion in the unanimous 8-0 decision. ...more
On December 6, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled unanimously in State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. v. United States ex rel. Rigsby that violations of the False Claims Act’s (FCA) seal requirement do not require...more
The Supreme Court of the United States issued decisions in three cases today: Samsung Electronics Co. v. Apple Inc., No. 15-777: A jury found that smartphones manufactured by petitioner Samsung infringed respondent Apple...more
The Supreme Court ruled today (December 6, 2016) in State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby, ___ S. Ct. ___ (2016). The case probed whether a violation of the False Claims Act’s seal requirement mandated dismissal...more
On December 6, 2016, the United States Supreme Court decided State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. United States ex rel. Rigsby, No. 15-513, holding that the False Claims Act (FCA) does not mandate dismissal of the case when a...more
This month the Supreme Court heard oral argument in State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. United States ex rel. Rigsby, a case centered on allegations dating back to Hurricane Katrina. The Fifth Circuit had previously upheld a...more
We blogged in September about State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby, 136 S. Ct. 2386 (2016), a case that is pending before the United States Supreme Court. On Tuesday, November 1, the Supreme Court heard oral...more
In the aftermath of the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Cori and Kerri Rigsby accused State Farm Fire and Casualty Company of falsely misclassifying wind damage as flood damage, among other misdeeds, leaving...more
In May 2016, the United States Supreme Court granted the petition for a writ of certiorari in State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. United States, ex rel. Rigsby, et al. During the next term, the Supreme Court will hear oral...more
Eye on the Supreme Court—Corruption and Fraud Edition - Why it matters: This session, the Supreme Court has undertaken the review of numerous cases that raise thorny issues arising in the white collar context. In our...more
Last week the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. v. USA, ex rel. Rigsby, Case No. 15-513, to resolve a circuit split regarding the consequences of a qui tam relator violating a...more