Significant work goes into settling a False Claims Act action. Defendants may spend months negotiating with the government to reach an agreeable settlement — often even longer if the defendant pursues the arduous ability-to-pay financial analysis process. But what happens when you reach the end of this process and the relator objects to the agreed-upon
Courtlyn Ward
Courtlyn Ward’s practice is primarily focused on complex business disputes and government enforcement matters. She has experience across a broad range of industries and has assisted clients with issues related to partnerships and shareholders, construction, real estate, licensing and trademarks. Courtlyn is a strong advocate who understands the importance of communication and creativity in helping her clients achieve optimal results.
SuperValu: Supreme Court Clarifies FCA’s State-of-Mind Requirement
On June 1, 2023, in U.S. ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu Inc., the Supreme Court clarified the state-of-mind (or “scienter”) standard under the False Claims Act (FCA), holding that a defendant’s subjective belief that a claim was false was sufficient to establish the FCA’s scienter element. In doing so, the Court rejected the Seventh…
A Sight for Sore Eyes: Sixth Circuit Rejects Government’s Expansive AKS and FCA Theories in Ophthalmologist Dispute
Last week, the Sixth Circuit closed two paths the government and relators have tried to take to expand liability for medical providers under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and False Claims Act (FCA): the meaning of “remuneration” under the AKS and the causation standard for AKS-based FCA claims.
Key Takeaways
The AKS, which prohibits referrals in…
Supreme Court to Consider False Claims Act “Objectively Reasonable” Knowledge Standard
In what may lead to the biggest FCA opinion in recent history, the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month agreed to consider two cases addressing the necessary state of mind (i.e., “scienter”) to violate the FCA.
Background
The FCA prohibits defendants from knowingly submitting false claims. That scienter standard is broader than just actual knowledge.
CFIUS Releases First-Ever Enforcement Guidelines
New guidelines may portend increased enforcement over foreign investment that implicates U.S. national-security concerns
On October 20, 2022, the Department of Treasury, which houses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), adopted the first-ever CFIUS Enforcement and Penalty Guidelines. The guidelines represent the first written guidance related to how CFIUS will…
DOJ Announces Updated Guidance on Corporate Criminal Enforcement
On September 15, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced revisions to the Department of Justice’s corporate criminal enforcement policies. In her speech at New York University and subsequent memorandum (the “Monaco Memo”), Monaco outlined this updated guidance, which focused on individual accountability, prior misconduct, voluntary self-disclosures, monitorships, and compensation structures that promote compliance.