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Health
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August 23, 2024
NC Not Shielded From Racetrack's COVID Shutdown Suit
The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday ruled a racetrack owner's lawsuit accusing state officials of violating his constitutional rights with a COVID shutdown order can survive dismissal, reasoning the claims were sufficient to overcome the government's protections from being sued.
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August 23, 2024
Alvarez & Marsal Adds Transfer Pricing Expert From EY
A former EY partner joined Alvarez & Marsal LLC to serve as managing director of its transfer pricing line of services in its New York office, the firm announced.
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August 23, 2024
Albertsons-Kroger Deal Tests FTC's Stepped-Up Merger Policy
The Federal Trade Commission's highly anticipated hearing to block Albertsons' planned $24.6 billion merger with Kroger kicks off Monday in a Portland, Oregon, courtroom in what attorneys say will be a pivotal test of the Biden administration's newly formalized merger policy.
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August 23, 2024
Clinic Biz Can Tap Additional Ch. 11 Lifeline, Judge Says
A Delaware bankruptcy judge agreed on Friday to allow clinic operator Pioneer Health to take on more debtor-in-possession financing as it works toward an asset sale, finding the latest arrangement to be in the debtor's best interest.
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August 23, 2024
Covington-Led Getinge Pays $477M For Organ Transplant Biz
Swedish healthcare company Getinge, advised by Covington & Burling LLP, has unveiled plans to buy Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP-led Paragonix, a provider of organ transport products and services in the U.S., in a $477 million deal.
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August 23, 2024
Delaware Lets Ventis Move Pacira's False Ad Suit To Calif.
Ventis Pharma Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing nonopioid anesthetics, got a federal court's approval Friday to move a false advertising lawsuit filed by competitor Pacira BioSciences Inc. from Delaware to California, where Ventis is based.
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August 22, 2024
PBMs Can't Yet Duck Municipalities' Claims In Opioid MDL
The Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict opioid litigation on Thursday refused, for now, to throw out claims against pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts Inc. and OptumRX Inc., finding that the PBMs' arguments were brought too early and a more robust record is needed.
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August 22, 2024
6th Circ. Reopens Red Cross Nurse's COVID-19 Vax Suit
The Sixth Circuit revived a former Red Cross nurse's claim that the nonprofit organization failed to accommodate her religious beliefs when it refused to exempt her from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, ruling that the lower court held the plaintiff to an overly strict standard when it tossed her suit.
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August 22, 2024
Mich. Panel Upholds Block Of 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period
Michigan appellate judges have refused to lift a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of a 24-hour waiting period and other abortion regulations, leaving in place a lower court decision that found the laws likely violate the state constitution.
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August 22, 2024
Ga. Appeals Court Tosses Nearly $1M Slip-And-Fall Fee Award
The Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a trial court's decision to revoke nearly $1 million in attorney fees from a man who was allegedly injured after falling into a city of Atlanta water meter box while also affirming the trial court's imposition of spoliation sanctions against the city.
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August 22, 2024
Pennsylvania Hospital Gets 1 Week Reprieve In Steward Ch. 11
A Texas bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved an order setting general closing procedures for bankrupt hospital operator Steward Health Care, but gave Pennsylvania authorities a week's reprieve as they try to arrange a hospital sale.
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August 22, 2024
Ohio Justices Won't Upend Precedent On Service Rules
The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday declined to overturn its precedent holding that participation in a case does not mean a defendant has waived a lack of service defense, though one justice urged reform to address the "gamesmanship" that the prior ruling allows.
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August 22, 2024
Philly Hospital Fights $45M Verdict For Teen Gunshot Patient
Temple University Hospital Inc. wants to undo a $45 million jury verdict, arguing in a posttrial brief that the jury made contradictory findings — that the hospital was responsible for a plaintiff's injuries, and that he'd been eating pieces of chicken against medical advice.
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August 22, 2024
Texas Tells High Court It's Not Idaho '2.0' In HHS Abortion Row
Texas and a pair of anti-abortion doctor organizations have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the federal government's appeal of a Fifth Circuit decision blocking the Biden administration's guidance that hospitals must provide emergency stabilizing medical care, including abortions.
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August 22, 2024
Ex-MiMedx Sales Rep Says Fraud Schemes Pushed Her Out
A former employee of controversial biotech firm MiMedx who was sued for joining a competitor earlier this year hit the company back with a counterclaim Tuesday charging that she was forced out for refusing to go along with the company's alleged flouting of U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and rampant overbilling schemes.
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August 22, 2024
Investors Sue Orthopedics Co., Ousted Execs Over Stock Drop
Investors of Texas-based Orthofix Medical Inc. have launched a proposed class action against the spine and orthopedics company and current and former executives, claiming the company's stock tumbled more than 30% following Orthofix's merger with medical technology company SeaSpine in 2023 and the unexpected termination and reshuffle of some of the company's C-suite.
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August 22, 2024
2nd Circ. Says Feds Can't Forcibly Drug Man Facing Removal
The Second Circuit ruled Thursday that the Bureau of Prisons can't yet forcibly administer antipsychotic medication to render a Sierra Leone native competent to stand trial on charges of assaulting officers at a prison where he was being detained pending deportation.
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August 22, 2024
DLA Piper Wants Texas High Court To Review Doc Order
DLA Piper has asked the Texas Supreme Court to review a trial court order that would force it to hand over communications with a medical group it represented in a sale, writing that an ex-client is trying to carve out an exception to attorney-client privilege because she had hired multiple law firms.
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August 22, 2024
Pa. Air Force Vet Can't Challenge Court's Medical Pot Rules
A Pennsylvania appeals court won't let an Air Force veteran challenge the medical cannabis rules for treatment court programs in Berks County, saying he lacks standing because his use of medical cannabis was not the reason he was denied entry into the programs.
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August 21, 2024
Fed. Circ. Won't Rethink IP Safe Harbor Case
The Federal Circuit on Wednesday declined to review its decision affirming the dismissal of Edwards Lifesciences' infringement suit against Meril Life Sciences after Edwards urged the full court to narrow its interpretation of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration safe harbor that essentially allows patent infringement during drug development.
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August 21, 2024
2nd Circ. Partly Revives Life Insurance Suit Against AXA
The Second Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of an investment firm founder's claims alleging AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. caused the founder to miss a payment that led to the termination of his life insurance policies, but revived his claim that AXA wrongly denied his request to reinstate the policies.
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August 21, 2024
Tobacco Cos. Ask Justices To Review FDA's New Warnings
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fifth Circuit decision affirming an FDA rule mandating new health warnings on cigarette packaging and advertisements, arguing that the court created an unjustified circuit split when it found the graphic warnings are "purely factual and uncontroversial."
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August 21, 2024
No Coverage For CVS In Additional Opioid Actions
A Delaware state court ruled that CVS cannot get coverage for over 200 opioid-related actions that remained at issue after the pharmacy chain and its insurers agreed that thousands of other opioid suits aren't covered, finding the remaining suits asserted claims for economic harm, not bodily injury or property damage.
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August 21, 2024
Conn. Justices Back Insurer's Out-Of-Network Patient Bills
The Connecticut Supreme Court on Wednesday limited an emergency physician group's attempt to require a medical insurer to shoulder patient costs under the state's surprise medical billing law, holding that insurers can charge patients for shared costs, such as deductibles and copayments, at lower levels without violating consumer protection laws.
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August 21, 2024
Mich. High Court Asked To Redo Wrongful Death Ruling
The family of a deceased teen asked the Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday for another chance to show that future earnings awards should be allowed in wrongful death cases, arguing the court's recent ruling restricting those awards ignored important state law.
Expert Analysis
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3 Healthcare FCA Deals Provide Self-Disclosure Takeaways
Several civil False Claims Act settlements of alleged healthcare fraud violations over the past year demonstrate that healthcare providers may benefit substantially from voluntarily disclosing potential misconduct to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, say Brian Albritton and Raquel Ramirez Jefferson at Phelps Dunbar.
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Series
After Chevron: ERISA Challenges To Watch
The end of Chevron deference makes the outcome of Employee Retirement Income Security Act regulatory challenges more uncertain as courts become final arbiters of pending lawsuits about ESG investments, the definition of a fiduciary, unallocated pension forfeitures and discrimination in healthcare plans, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.
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Opinion
Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis
For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.
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Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent determination that the government must reimburse two Native American tribes for administrative healthcare costs will help tribes maintain equal footing with the Indian Health Service when administering programs, and continues a pattern of how the current court aligns on tribal concerns, say attorneys at Lewis Roca.
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Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar
At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Eye On Compliance: New Pregnancy And Nursing Protections
With New York rolling out paid lactation breaks and extra leave for prenatal care, and recent federal legislative developments enhancing protection for pregnant and nursing workers, employers required to offer these complex new accommodations should take several steps to mitigate their compliance risks, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at Wilson Elser.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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FTC Focus: Private Equity Investments In Healthcare
As the Federal Trade Commission is tightening its scrutiny of private equity investment in healthcare, the agency is finding novel grounds to challenge key focus areas, including rollup acquisitions, the flip-and-strip approach and minority investments in rival providers, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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High Court's Expert Ruling May Help Health Fraud Defendants
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Diaz v. U.S. appears to give the government a powerful new tool in calling its own agents as expert witnesses, but it could also benefit defense counsel in criminal healthcare fraud and other white collar criminal cases that arise in complex legal or regulatory environments, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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Patent Lessons From 5 Federal Circuit Reversals In June
A look at June cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court highlights a potential path for branded drugmakers to sue generic-drug makers for off-label uses, potential downsides of violating a pretrial order offering testimony, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.
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Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs
A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.
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Series
Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
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How 5 States' Deal Notification Laws Are Guiding Healthcare
Healthcare transaction notification laws at various stages of implementation in California, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon and Washington are shaping sector mergers and acquisitions, with significant transparency, continuity of care and compliance implications as providers tackle complex regulatory requirements, says Melesa Freerks at DLA Piper.
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Contract Disputes Recap: Preserving Payment Rights
Stephanie Magnell and Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions that together illustrate the importance of keeping accurate records and adhering to contractual procedures to avoid inadvertently waiving contractual rights to cost reimbursements or nonroutine payments.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.