A federal district court in Maryland issued a preliminary nationwide injunction on February 21 that temporarily halts enforcement of elements of Executive Orders 14151 and 14173. Most notably for federal contractors and...more
In a new decision that could have a significant impact on the persistent efforts of relators to reach otherwise lawful conduct and characterize it as a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), the US Court of Appeals for...more
A recent decision by a federal district court affirmed the ability of defendants in False Claims Act actions brought by qui tam relators to assert counterclaims against relators. The court’s opinion highlights the opportunity...more
The United States Supreme Court held on June 1 that the False Claims Act’s (FCA) scienter element requires analysis of the defendant’s subjective intent at the time of the alleged false claim, and that a defendant can be...more
6/5/2023
/ Drug Pricing ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Scienter ,
SCOTUS ,
Subjective Standard ,
US ex rel Thomas Proctor v Safeway Inc ,
US ex rel Tracy Schutte et al v SuperValu Inc et al
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 18 in United States ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu Inc. and United States ex rel. Proctor v. Safeway Inc., companion cases that raise the important question of whether, under...more
In response to assertions that the Biden administration has not done enough to pursue pandemic-era fraud, on March 2, 2023, the White House proposed a framework for a “whole-of-government” anti-fraud effort with the US...more
In what could be the most significant development for False Claims Act (FCA) jurisprudence since Universal Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar, on January 13, 2023, the US Supreme Court agreed to consider whether...more
STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL POST-ELECTION REPORT 2022 State attorneys general continue to dominate the national legal and political landscape, with a partisan fervor that sometimes obscures the ongoing investigations and...more
In a move that threatens to undermine some key defenses to liability under the False Claims Act, a bipartisan group of senators voted to advance the False Claims Amendments Act of 2021 (SB 2428) out of the Senate Judiciary...more
11/1/2021
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discovery ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Materiality ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Qui Tam ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar ,
Whistleblowers
The US Department of Justice’s Civil Division on September 4 issued detailed internal guidance on how the Division should evaluate and handle inability-to-pay claims by entities. Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan P....more
Senator Chuck Grassley plans to propose legislation that would require the US Department of Justice to state its reasons for dismissal of qui tam cases over the objection of the relator. ...more
On Friday, July 3, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Criminal Division and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published the Second Edition of A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the...more
7/8/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Issuers ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disgorgement ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Foreign Official ,
Guidance Update ,
Mens Rea ,
Mergers ,
Registered Agents ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Both individuals and higher education institutions could face criminal and civil liability if they are not in compliance with federal law in the administration of federal grants and expenditure of federal research dollars, as...more
5/14/2020
/ China ,
Civil Liability ,
Criminal Liability ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Educational Institutions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Grants ,
Incentives ,
Medical Research ,
Popular ,
Research and Development ,
TTP ,
Universities
In a recent denial of a petition for certiorari, the US Supreme Court declined to resolve the standard courts should use when evaluating government motions to dismiss in qui tam cases. ...more
Provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act show that the government intends to closely monitor and oversee management of the relief funds, as the act makes available more than $2 trillion to...more
In managing the quickly evolving healthcare landscape during this current crisis, healthcare companies should be wary of fraudsters who attempt to divert critical resources. ...more
Dear Retail Clients and Friends, This edition of Morgan Lewis Retail Did You Know? examines the impact of anti–price-gouging efforts by government enforcement officials in the time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ...more
Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski delivered remarks on December 4 at the American Conference Institute’s 36th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. AAG Benczkowski addressed the US...more
The UK Serious Fraud Office’s Corporate Cooperation Guidance has implications for organizations operating inside and outside the United Kingdom. International organizations should take the Guidance into account in practical...more
Practitioners active in derivative markets regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are well familiar with the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit’s proclamation in 1971 that “[t]he methods and...more
In recent remarks, AAG Brian A. Benczkowski emphasized that the US Department of Justice remains serious about fighting corporate fraud and corruption, and noted that transparency in its criteria for prosecution is a key tool...more
The guidance emphasizes flexibility and cost-benefit analysis in the monitor selection process, and along with the recognition by the US Department of Justice that monitors should be appointed only when absolutely necessary,...more
In a decision that is likely to resonate across various US government enforcement efforts, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently ruled that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act does not apply to nonresident...more
Unless and until the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, “en banc, interprets Escobar differently,” a Ninth Circuit panel, relying on past case law, has ruled that relators seeking to establish False Claims Act...more
US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matthew S. Miner recently delivered remarks at a forum on anti-corruption compliance, where he highlighted the Department of Justice’s growing efforts to increase transparency between DOJ...more