Williams Mullen's COVID-19 Comeback Plan: Preparing Today for Tomorrow's PPP Audit
The Situation: The False Claims Act ("FCA") imposes treble damages on defendants, as well as mandatory penalties per false claim. Because alleged false claims often involve much smaller amounts—for example, in cases with a...more
On February 1, 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals held that a plaintiff alleging a violation of the Maine Equal Pay Law (MEPL) does not need to show additional discriminatory intent beyond establishing that an employer...more
Last week, the Ninth Circuit in True Health Chiropractic, Inc. v. McKesson Corp. (True Health II), No. 22-15710 (9th Cir. Oct. 25, 2023), affirmed the Northern District of California’s earlier ruling in True Health...more
On February 27, 2023, a jury in Minnesota federal court rendered a verdict in favor of the United States and against a surgical product distributor following a False Claims Act jury trial that lasted six weeks. The jury...more
Last week, in what may be the first of its kind, a putative class of Massachusetts consumers filed a false labeling class action complaint against Global Widget LLC, d/b/a Hemp Bombs (“Hemp Bombs”) (Ahumada v. Global Widget...more
On the heels of the broadest Pay Equity law in the country, New Jersey has just passed the broadest wage theft law in the country, which is certain to lead to increased litigation. Unwary employers may not only be facing...more
The recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirming the district court's judgment imposing more than $61 million in damages against Dish Network for its vendor's violations of the Telephone...more
As the global focus on data protection increases, so expands the liability exposure for data holders following a breach. Employers collect significant amounts of sensitive personal information about their employees over the...more
On March 27, 2018, New Jersey became the latest state to pass comprehensive equal pay legislation, and one of the first states to pass an equal pay law that extends protections beyond gender to all classes of employees that...more
The FCA continues to be the federal government’s primary civil enforcement tool for investigating allegations that healthcare providers or government contractors defrauded the federal government. In the coming weeks, we...more
A recent federal court ruling provides a potent reminder that companies can be held liable for consumer protection law violations committed by third-party vendors—and underscores the importance of maintaining strong vendor...more
A North Carolina district court recently held that Dish Network (“Dish”) willfully violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) when Satellite Systems Network (SSN) made more than 50,000 telemarketing and sales calls...more
On February 10, 2017, an Illinois federal judge determined that R-Boc Representatives violated an injunction issued following a jury trial on their alleged patent infringement. In a unique opinion replete with quotations...more
On November 3, 2016, a Thurston County Superior Court judge levied an $18 million penalty against a trade association for violations of Washington campaign finance laws. This is believed to be the largest campaign finance...more
Affirming a ruling of invalidity and an antitrust damages award of trebled attorneys’ fees in a patent abuse case, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit highlighted the severe penalties that may befall patent owners...more
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument on April 19, 2016, in United Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar, No. 15-7, a case likely to resolve the current split among federal appellate courts on the...more
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments next month in a False Claims Act (“FCA”) case that could significantly broaden the scope of the statute and resolve a split among the U.S. Circuit Courts. If the Supreme...more
On August 31, 2015, highway contractors Trinity Industries, Inc. and Trinity Highway Products, LLC (collectively, Trinity) appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit a $663,360,750 final judgment entered...more
A False Claims Act suit can be a company’s worst nightmare, as it may potentially result in large settlements and awards on account of the statute’s trebled damages provision. However, the nightmare for AmerisourceBergen was...more