Dec 29, 2020 | COVID-19 Related Law, White Collar Crime
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced nearly everyone to drastically alter how they once did things, including the justice system. Many aspects of the criminal justice system are now conducted virtually, including but not limited to arraignments, bond revocation hearings,...
Dec 23, 2020 | Government Investigations
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) filed a lawsuit on December 22, 2020 against retail giant Walmart, alleging the company played a significant role in fueling the country’s opioid epidemic. The lawsuit is the result of a years’-long investigation by the DOJ’s...
Dec 22, 2020 | False Claims Act
In July 2020, CG attorneys discussed two settlements by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation for $729 million involving allegations that Novartis paid kickbacks to doctors and patients. One settlement involved Novartis agreeing to pay $51.25 million to resolve...
Dec 15, 2020 | Health Care, Medicare and Medicaid
On Thursday, December 10, 2020, the Department of Justice issued a press release regarding the sentencing of a Texas clinic owner and employee to 20 years and 8 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a pill mill scheme. The clinic owner, Baker Niazi, pled...
Dec 10, 2020 | False Claims Act
On December 4, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the creation of the False Claims Act Working Group (FCA Working Group). The federal False Claims Act (FCA) has remained one of the federal government’s top tools to investigate and...
Dec 2, 2020 | Employment Law
On November 24, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settled its lawsuit against Tegra Medical LLC (Tegra) for $240,000, according to a press release. In July 2020, the EEOC sued Tegra alleging sexual harassment in violation of Title VII of...
Dec 2, 2020 | False Claims Act
On November 6, 2020, a D.C. District Court judge ruled that a whistleblower bringing a suit under the False Claims Act (FCA) need not allege “materiality” when relying on the “fraud in the inducement” theory of falsity. Over the years, Congress and federal agencies...
Dec 1, 2020 | Health Care
On November 24, 2020, Purdue Pharma LP pleaded guilty to allegations that it conspired to defraud the government and violate the anti-kickback statute. Purdue pleaded guilty to three felony charges: one count of dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and...
