False Claims Act: Implied Certification Theory
On January 25, in United States ex rel. Sheldon v. Allergan, No. 20-2330 (4th Cir., Jan. 25, 2022), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a lower-court dismissal of a False Claims Act (FCA) case...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
In the latest instance of courts interpreting the Supreme Court’s landmark False Claims Act ruling in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. Escobar, the Eleventh Circuit recently departed from the trend of giving great weight in...more
On January 8, 2021, in the first appellate decision of the year addressing a False Claims Act case, the Fourth Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal of relators’ claims that a manufacturer of allergenic extracts...more
Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), which placed new limits on physician-owned hospitals, St. Luke’s Health System (“System”) took action to change one of its hospital’s ownership structures through a...more
In Cochise Consultancy Inc. v. United States, ex rel. Hunt, the Supreme Court expanded the time in which False Claims Act (“FCA”) lawsuits may be filed by qui tam relators in which the government does not intervene. The Court...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 2016, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Universal Health Servs. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar which dealt, in part, with how the “materiality” requirement should be enforced in False Claims Act (“FCA”)...more
Recent decisions in the Fourth and Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeals demonstrate the central role that the Supreme Court’s Escobar decision continues to play in fraud litigation despite, or as a result of, continued uncertainty...more
We are pleased to present Bradley’s annual review of significant False Claims Act (FCA) cases, developments, and trends. From a relatively short article several years ago, the Review has grown to a significant publication...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
On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit heard argument in United States ex rel. Escobar, et al. v. Universal Health Services, Inc. This case was sent back...more