Blog | Chilivis Cochran Larkins & Bever

U.S. Department of Justice Announces $729 Million in Settlements and Forfeitures for Alleged Kickbacks to Doctors and Patients

Jul 2, 2020 | General

On July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced two separate settlements with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Novartis”), totaling more than $729 million, involving allegations that Novartis paid kickbacks to doctors and patients. In the first...

DOJ Announces Two Seven-Figure False Claims Act Settlements With Georgia Health Systems In Same Week

Jun 29, 2020 | False Claims Act, Fraud Investigations, Government Investigations, Health Care

Last week, two Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Offices announced multi-million dollar False Claims Act (FCA) settlements with major health systems. First, on June 24, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced that Augusta University Medical...

FINRA Revises Rules in Anticipation of Reg BI

Jun 24, 2020 | General

In the past two weeks, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) issued two notices to members which revise certain FINRA Rules to comport SEC’s Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI). Reg BI, which is set to become effective on June 30, 2020, establishes a...

The Future of Sovereign Immunity in Georgia

Jun 22, 2020 | General

Earlier this month, we published a blog post regarding attempts on the federal level to end the defense of qualified immunity, which is a judicially created legal doctrine that shields police officers from liability for money damages from lawsuits alleging...

Don’t Neglect Cybersecurity When Migrating To The Cloud

Jun 16, 2020 | Cyber Law

ven before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses – including small businesses – were in the process of migrating certain of their operations to cloud-based systems. This trend accelerated significantly following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. A...

As Georgia General Assembly Reconvenes, Charter Schools Plan For Next School Year and Face Funding Challenges

Jun 15, 2020 | Government Investigations

Though it seems like the school year just ended, some school districts in the metro Atlanta area will resume in only seven weeks. Needless to say, many aspects of schools and the school year will look different when students return for the 2020-2021 academic year....

Supreme Court Holds Title VII Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Jun 15, 2020 | Employment Law

On June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Gerald Lynn Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia. The Court consolidated three cases involving allegations that employees were fired for being homosexual or transgender in violation of Title...

DOJ Faces Renewed Criticism Over Its Dismissal Authority under the False Claims Act

Jun 15, 2020 | False Claims Act

In a March 4, 2020 brief to the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) appears to take a broad view of its dismissal authority under the False Claims Act (FCA). DOJ’s position has provoked vocal criticism from Senator Grassley, a long-time advocate for...

ADA Settlement With Hospital Demonstrates EEOC’s Continued Interest in Healthcare Industry

Jun 12, 2020 | Employment Law

In October 2019, we discussed increased enforcement efforts by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the healthcare industry. Then in February 2020, we discussed the EEOC’s lawsuit against Yale New Haven Hospital for alleged Americans with...

The End Of Qualified Immunity?

Jun 9, 2020 | General

On June 8, 2020, the United States House of Representatives introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which takes several steps toward comprehensive police reform and accountability. The legislation proposes several key policing measures, including prohibition...