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Health
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October 02, 2024
Supplement Co. Hits Back At TM Suit, Alleges Fake Reviews
Supplement-maker Nutranext Business LLC failed to disclose that a doctor promoting its products is a paid influence, artificially inflated its positive reviews on Amazon and misrepresented a study that purports to show the benefits of using its products, according to new counterclaims filed by a competitor it sued for trademark infringement.
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October 02, 2024
Georgia Moves To Block, Appeal Ruling Against Abortion Ban
The Georgia attorney general's office, as promised earlier this week, moved swiftly Tuesday to halt and appeal a Fulton County judge's decision that struck down for the second time the state's so-called heartbeat abortion ban, which prohibits most abortions after six weeks.
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October 02, 2024
Bid-Rig Charges Irrelevant To $26M Base Award, GAO Says
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has shot down a contractor's protest over a rival company being awarded a $26 million Army hospital maintenance contract, finding that the awardee's conviction for bid-rigging in Korea had no bearing on its track record of successful operations.
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October 02, 2024
Ga. Surgery Provider Denies Wrongdoing In EEOC Suit
A cosmetic surgery provider accused by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of firing a surgical sales coordinator who asked to work remotely after being diagnosed with breast cancer during the coronavirus pandemic denied all wrongdoing in a filing Tuesday, saying the worker actually resigned after learning her position couldn't be done remotely.
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October 02, 2024
Abortion Clinic To Get Early Discovery In Patient Spying Case
A Massachusetts federal judge said Wednesday that an abortion clinic should get expedited discovery into its claims that a neighboring "pregnancy resource center" illegally infiltrated its patient communications in an attempt to derail appointments.
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October 02, 2024
Fort Worth Senior Home Hits Ch. 11 With Prepackaged Plan
The owner of a Fort Worth, Texas, retirement home filed for Chapter 11 with a prepackaged plan that would refinance its $112 million of municipal bond obligations.
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October 01, 2024
CFPB Warns On Collecting 'Invalid,' Unverified Medical Debt
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday cautioned debt collectors about significant potential compliance risks when working in the medical debt market, issuing guidance that identified a number of practices as illegal and capable of triggering "strict liability" under federal law.
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October 01, 2024
Jefferson Health Can't Ditch Suit Over Meta Data Sharing
A Pennsylvania federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Jefferson Health of unlawfully sharing patients' confidential health information with Meta Platforms Inc., finding that the plaintiffs had cured prior deficiencies to adequately support their wiretap and privacy claims.
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October 01, 2024
From AI To Enviro: The Top Biz Bills Calif. Gov. Inked Into Law
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed hundreds of bills into law ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline, meaning major changes are on the horizon for employers, tech companies, healthcare providers and others doing business in the Golden State.
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October 01, 2024
Premier Health Sued For Age Bias By Ex-Regional Director
Premier Healthcare and University of Louisville Health face an age discrimination suit filed Monday in North Carolina federal court by a former employee who alleges he experienced a hostile work environment and that younger colleagues subjected him to derogatory comments, including "boomer" and "dumb son of a bitch," that went unaddressed.
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October 01, 2024
Judge Backs Louisiana 340B Law In Loss For Pharma Lobby
A Louisiana federal court has issued a sweeping loss to Big Pharma's top lobbying group and two pharmaceutical companies that argued a state law improperly expands the scope of the federal drug discount program.
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October 01, 2024
Ga. County Urges Full 11th Circ. To Nix Trans Deputy's Win
A Georgia county told the Eleventh Circuit on Monday that a health plan coverage exclusion for gender-affirming surgery is comparable to other exclusions in coverage and does not violate federal anti-discrimination laws.
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October 01, 2024
9th Circ. Revives FCA Claims Against Dermatology Practice
A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday revived the claims of a former employee who accused a Nevada dermatology practice of retaliation under the False Claims Act and other wrongdoing, reversing the practice's early win and sending the case back for trial.
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October 01, 2024
Novel FCA Decision Amplifies Voices Of Whistleblower Critics
A Florida federal judge's characterization of whistleblowers as self-appointed "special prosecutors" when they file lawsuits on the federal government's behalf amplifies the voices of critics questioning the constitutionality of a key enforcement tool for fighting fraud, while threatening to create a circuit split.
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October 01, 2024
Activists Sue Ark. Officials Over Medical Pot Ballot Measure
Activists attempting to put a measure that would expand medical marijuana access in Arkansas on the ballot brought a lawsuit against John Thurston, the state's secretary of state, on Tuesday, one day after he said that the campaign did not have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
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October 01, 2024
Ex-CBD Exec Must Face SEC Fraud Suit Over $13M Deal
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sufficiently backed its claims that a former cannabidiol products executive misled investors, including by making false statements in press releases, a Connecticut federal judge has ruled.
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October 01, 2024
DOJ Says It Is Constitutional To Disarm Pot Patients
The U.S. Department of Justice told a Pennsylvania federal judge Tuesday that a federal policy barring medical marijuana patients from lawfully possessing firearms is constitutional, and it urged the court to dismiss a legal challenge to the statute.
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October 01, 2024
Wash. Panel Backs Workers' $3.3M Win In Meal Break Suit
A Washington appeals court refused to upend a class of workers' $3.3 million win in their lawsuit accusing a Seattle-based hospital of failing to provide them with 30-minute meal periods, saying employees in Washington state are entitled to additional pay if they're forced to work through their breaks.
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October 01, 2024
Willis Towers Watson Inks $632M Sale Of Tranzact To PE Firms
Insurance company Willis Towers Watson Plc, advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, on Tuesday announced that it is divesting its direct-to-consumer insurance distribution business Tranzact and selling it to Kirkland & Ellis LLP-advised private equity firm GTCR and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP-led technology services investment platform Recognize for $632.4 million.
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October 01, 2024
NC Hospital Hit With More Class Claims Over Data Breach
Columbus Regional Healthcare System's legal woes have worsened with more privacy breach claims filed against it by patients whose personal information was exposed by a May 2023 cyberattack on the healthcare provider's network.
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October 01, 2024
Steward Can't Be Forced To Reassign Contract In Ch. 11
While a government contractor was within its rights to end a subcontracting agreement with embattled hospital group Steward Health, the Bankruptcy Code's provisions for assignment of contracts mean the debtor can't be compelled to reassign the agreement while in Chapter 11, a Texas bankruptcy judge said Tuesday.
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October 01, 2024
Doctors Were 'Bamboozled' By $160M Health Fraud, Jury Told
A Houston man accused of defrauding the government out of $160 million by submitting false claims for diabetes medication is only guilty of creating a competitive business model, his attorney said Tuesday, telling a Texas federal jury it was "ridiculous" to say doctors across the country were "bamboozled" by an alleged scheme.
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October 01, 2024
Mass. Hospital To Pay Up To $6.5M In Sober Home Scheme
A Massachusetts behavioral health hospital will pay up to $6.5 million to resolve claims it illegally steered Medicare and Medicaid patients to its outpatient substance abuse programs with a promise of free sober home housing, according to a settlement announced Tuesday.
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October 01, 2024
DOJ Joins Employee Antitrust Suit Against UPMC
The U.S. Department of Justice is backing a proposed class action from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center workers who say the hospital used noncompetes and blacklists to suppress wages, telling a Pennsylvania federal judge that UPMC's motion to dismiss the suit sets an "insurmountable" pre-discovery bar for plaintiffs.
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October 01, 2024
Arkansas AG Says YouTube Addicts And Harms Youth Users
The Arkansas attorney general has sued YouTube LLC, Google LLC and their parent company in state court, alleging that the YouTube platform is deliberately designed to addict youth users and shows them harmful content, leading to a mental health crisis that has cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
State-Regulated Cannabis Can Thrive Without Section 280E
Marijauna's reclassification as a Schedule III-controlled substance comes at a critical juncture, as removing marijuana from being subjected to Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code is the only path forward for the state-regulated cannabis industry to survive and thrive, say Andrew Kline at Perkins Coie and Sammy Markland at FTI Consulting.
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Key Takeaways From FDA Final Rule On Lab-Developed Tests
Michele Buenafe and Dennis Gucciardo at Morgan Lewis discuss potential consequences of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recently finalized rule regulating lab-developed tests as medical devices, and explain the rule's phaseout policy for enforcement discretion.
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Examining Illinois Genetic Privacy Law Amid Deluge Of Claims
After a federal court certified an Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act class action in August, claims under the law have skyrocketed, so employers, insurers and others that collect health and genetic information should ensure compliance with the act to limit litigation risk, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
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Assessing HHS' Stance On Rare Disease Patient Assistance
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recent advisory opinion, temporarily blessing manufacturer-supported copay funds for rare disease patients, carves a narrow path for single-donor funds, but charities and their donors may require additional assistance to navigate programs for such patients, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.
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Opinion
Feds' Biotech Enforcement Efforts Are Too Heavy-Handed
The U.S. Department of Justice's recent actions against biotech companies untether the Anti-Kickback Statute from its original legislative purpose, and threaten to stifle innovation and undermine patient quality of care, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Del. Ruling Highlights M&A Deal Adviser Conflict Disclosures
The Delaware Supreme Court recently reversed the Court of Chancery's dismissal of challenges to Nordic Capital's acquisition of Inovalon, demonstrating the importance of full disclosure of financial adviser conflicts when a going-private merger seeks business judgment rule review, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Action Steps To Address New Restrictions On Outbound Data
Companies should immediately assess all their data-based operations so they can consider strategies to effectively mitigate new compliance risks brought on by recently implemented transaction restrictions, including a Justice Department proposal and landmark data legislation, say attorneys at Wiley.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data
Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
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What CRA Deadline Means For Biden Admin. Rulemaking
With the 2024 election rapidly approaching, the Biden administration must race to finalize proposed agency actions within the next few weeks, or be exposed to the chance that the following Congress will overturn the rules under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Covington.
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Are Concessions In FDA's Lab-Developed Tests Rule Enough?
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new policy for laboratory-developed tests included major strategic concessions to help balance patient safety, access and diagnostic innovation, the new rule may well face significant legal challenges in court, say Dominick DiSabatino and Audrey Mercer at Sheppard Mullin.
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8 Questions To Ask Before Final CISA Breach Reporting Rule
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s recently proposed cyber incident reporting requirements for critical infrastructure entities represent the overall approach CISA will take in its final rule, so companies should be asking key compliance questions now and preparing for a more complicated reporting regime, say Arianna Evers and Shannon Mercer at WilmerHale.
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Series
Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.
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Mid-2024 FCA Enforcement And Litigation Trends To Watch
Reviewing notable False Claims Act trends and enforcement efforts in the last year and a half reveals that healthcare is a key enforcement priority for the U.S. Department of Justice, and the road ahead may bring clarification on Anti-Kickback Statute causation and willfulness standards, along with increased focus on private equity, cybersecurity and self-disclosure, say attorneys at Epstein Becker.
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A Recipe For Growth Equity Investing In A Slow M&A Market
Carl Marcellino at Ropes & Gray discusses the factors bolstering appetite for growth equity fundraising in a depressed M&A market, and walks through the deal terms and other ingredients that set growth equity transactions apart from bread-and-butter venture capital investing.
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What 100 Federal Cases Suggest About Changes To Chevron
With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn or narrow its 40-year-old doctrine of Chevron deference, a review of 100 recent federal district court decisions confirm that changes to the Chevron framework will have broad ramifications — but the magnitude of the impact will depend on the details of the high court's ruling, say Kali Schellenberg and Jon Cochran at LeVan Stapleton.