Policy & Compliance
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September 17, 2024
North Carolina Panel Orders Redo In Hospital Beds Battle
A Tar Heel State administrative court erred when it used the state health department's failure to hold a public hearing as a basis to yank the department's approval of the University of North Carolina's application to enhance its hospital's services, an appeals court ruled Tuesday, in a setback for Duke University's healthcare unit.
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September 17, 2024
Texas Fertility Clinic Hid 'Catastrophic' Lab Issue, Couples Say
Five couples accused a Houston fertility institute of hiding "catastrophic" laboratory issues that affected patients' embryos, saying in a lawsuit that the entity instead injected multiple hopeful mothers with "dead or dying" eggs.
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September 17, 2024
Henrietta Lacks' Family Still Seeks Justice For 'Immortal' Cells
Seven decades have passed since a doctor at a Baltimore hospital took, without permission, a sample of cells from a Black woman suffering from cervical cancer. While the durable strain of human cells known as "HeLa" has fueled a handful of lawsuits against drug companies accused of profiting from stolen genetic material, more are likely on the way.
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September 17, 2024
Brooklyn Feds Unveil Whistleblower Nonprosecution Plan
The Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office on Tuesday announced an initiative to reward corporate whistleblowers with nonprosecution deals amid a broader effort by federal prosecutors to encourage voluntary disclosure of criminal activity.
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September 17, 2024
Express Scripts Blasts 'Biased' FTC Drug Middlemen Report
The Federal Trade Commission defamed Express Scripts and violated its constitutional rights with an inaccurate report that ripped the role pharmacy benefit managers play as middlemen between drugmakers and insurers, according to a lawsuit lodged Tuesday in Missouri federal court.
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September 17, 2024
Blumenauer Pushes House Speaker To Put Pot Bill To Vote
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., on Monday urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring bipartisan cannabis legislation to a vote following revelations that Richard Nixon admitted privately that marijuana was "not particularly dangerous" while he publicly waged the war on drugs.
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September 16, 2024
5th Circ. Judge Chides High Court Calls in Abortion Pill Case
U.S. Circuit Judge James C. Ho on Monday threw shade at the U.S. Supreme Court and the Biden administration over what he described as side-switching on federal conscience laws for doctors.
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September 16, 2024
NC High Court Snapshot: Tax Fights And A Health Care Spat
Regulatory battles will take center stage when the North Carolina Supreme Court returns from summer break this week for a September argument lineup featuring appeals by Phillip Morris, Duke University's hospital and two Boost Mobile dealers.
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September 16, 2024
Nebraska Medical Cannabis Initiatives Will Be On Nov. Ballot
Initiatives to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska will appear on the ballot come November, despite some evidence of fraud in the signature-collecting petition process, according to state election officials.
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September 13, 2024
The 2024 Regional Powerhouses
The law firms on Law360's list of 2024 Regional Powerhouses reflected the local peculiarities of their states while often representing clients in deals and cases that captured national attention.
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September 13, 2024
Doctor Charged In DOJ Fraud Suit Gets 6 Months Probation
One of the defendants accused in a healthcare fraud suit that ended in a mistrial in 2022 was sentenced Thursday to six months of probation after pleading guilty in June to one count of aiding and abetting the conversion of public money in connection with the alleged fraud.
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September 13, 2024
Neb. Court Allows Competing Abortion Measures On Ballot
Nebraska's top court agreed on Friday to let two competing — and sharply contested — abortion initiatives on the November ballot.
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September 13, 2024
Mass. Justices Say Benefits Don't Accrue Under Leave Law
Massachusetts' top court ruled Friday that the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave Act doesn't allow a group of state troopers to accrue certain benefits while on leave.
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September 12, 2024
ND Judge Finds 'Fundamental Right' To Abortion, Strikes Ban
Women in North Dakota have a "fundamental right" to abortion access pre-viability, a state judge ruled Thursday in a decision overturning a near-total state ban.
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September 11, 2024
Gender Care Hearing Centers On Ohio Bill Of Rights
Questions about potential conflicts between an Ohio gender care ban and a right to healthcare "freedom" enshrined in the state constitution dominated much of a Wednesday hearing in a state appellate court.
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September 10, 2024
Missouri High Court Puts Abortion Rights Back on Nov. Ballot
Missourians will have a chance to vote this year on a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion access following a Tuesday ruling by the state's highest court.
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September 10, 2024
42 AGs Back Call For Social Media Warning Label Law
A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general urged Congress on Tuesday to introduce warning labels on social media platforms in a bid to tackle risks posed to young people's mental health.
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September 10, 2024
2024's Top Rulings In Native American Law
The U.S. Supreme Court this year has handed down rulings with huge price tags attached — from millions in healthcare reimbursement funding required for tribes to lending Florida a win that will garner it a new revenue stream — that are expected to have large implications for Native American sovereignty. Here, Law360 takes a look at some of the biggest decisions in Native American law from the first half of 2024.
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September 10, 2024
Neb. Midwife Can't Sue For 'Hypothetical' Clients, Judge Rules
A Nebraska midwife who challenged state restrictions on the practice "barely" tried to establish grounds to sue the state over allegations that her would-be clients were being harmed, a federal judge ruled Monday, dismissing the case.
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September 10, 2024
MedStar's $11.8M ERISA Deal Gets Final OK
A Maryland federal court gave final approval to an $11.8 million settlement between hospital chain MedStar Health and workers who said the company mismanaged their retirement plan.
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September 10, 2024
Cybersecurity Co. Beats Suit Over Med Tech Data Breach
A Massachusetts federal judge declined to hold information security technology company Barracuda Networks Inc. liable over a 2018 data breach that exposed the confidential information of more than 277,000 patients of medical device maker Zoll Medical Corp.
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September 10, 2024
The Medical-Style Legal Education Model On The Rise In Calif.
A medical-school style model of legal education is expanding to a second California law school, giving law students the option of a year of hands-on training experience and a head start for post-graduation employment while providing much-needed support for nonprofits and government agencies.
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September 10, 2024
Healthcare Hires: Leech Tishman, Weil, Henry Ford Health
Full-service law firm Leech Tishman and healthcare boutique Nelson Hardiman announced plans to combine in early October, while Henry Ford Health appointed a chief legal officer to serve on the executive team overseeing its upcoming merger with Ascension Michigan. Those and other moves lead Law360's latest roundup of personnel changes in healthcare and life sciences.
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September 10, 2024
Philips Balks At Dentons' Request To Exit IP Case
Dutch health technology conglomerate Philips Medical Systems Nederland BV is balking at Dentons US LLP's request to withdraw as counsel for Transtate Equipment Co. Inc. in a wide-ranging copyright and unfair competition case, insinuating that the move is a stalling tactic to avoid a final judgment.
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September 10, 2024
Free Speech Or Bad Medicine? The Abortion 'Reversal' Battle
The marketing of abortion pill "reversal" — a treatment doubted by medical groups but touted by anti-abortion advocates — is facing increased scrutiny from state attorneys general, triggering legal skirmishes in at least four states centered on First Amendment rights and consumer protection laws.
Expert Analysis
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
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AI In Health Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023
As the use of artificial intelligence accelerated this year, Expert Analysis writers examined AI's significant impact on the healthcare sector, ranging from key compliance considerations for companies utilizing AI tools to regulators' efforts to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies.
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The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023
A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
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Inside Higher Education's New FCA Liability Challenges
As the educational sector expands its use of government funding, schools are at increased risk under the False Claims Act, but recent settlements offer valuable lessons about new theories of liability they may face and specific procedures to reduce their exposure, say James Zelenay and Jeremy Ochsenbein at Gibson Dunn.
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AI Executive Order's Life Science, Healthcare Industry Effects
The recent White House executive order to manage risks associated with artificial intelligence includes provisions specific to healthcare and life sciences that merit special attention, including transparency, human oversight of AI output, and real world performance monitoring, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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HHS Advisory Highlights Free Product Inducement Risks
A recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advisory opinion highlights concerns that valuable free products and other inducements may influence patients and providers to choose one manufacturer’s product over another, notwithstanding that such free healthcare products may be a benefit, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities
Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
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In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023
Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
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How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season
Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Top 10 Whistleblowing And Retaliation Events Of 2023
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and federal and state courts made 2023 another groundbreaking year for whistleblower litigation and retaliation developments, including the SEC’s massive whistleblower awards, which are likely to continue into 2024 and further incentivize individuals to submit tips, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.
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The State Of CFPB Focus On Credit Reporting Of Medical Debt
An increase in credit reporting complaints and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent annual report on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act — which focuses on medical debt in credit reporting — are both evidence of the fact that the bureau will continue to prioritize oversight of credit reporting of medical debt, says Kristen Watson at Burr & Forman.
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FDA's Recent Litigation Records Are Strong, But Imperfect
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notched its share of litigation wins in recent years thanks to a number of key advantages, but the FDA has been less successful in certain highly visible arenas, Jonathan Berman and Colleen Heisey at Jones Day.