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Health
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July 01, 2024
NC Doctor Takes Abortion Drug Limits Fight To 4th Circ.
A North Carolina doctor who challenged the state's restrictions on abortion drug mifepristone asked the Fourth Circuit to review a district court's decision to allow certain limits to stand.
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July 01, 2024
Supreme Court Widens Window To Challenge Federal Regs
Legal challenges to federal regulations can be brought outside the normal statute of limitations if someone isn't adversely affected until after the six-year window of time to file suit, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.
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June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes
By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
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June 28, 2024
Will 'Moral Victory' In Purdue Ruling Help Plaintiffs?
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that the Sackler family members who own Purdue Pharma LP cannot be shielded by the bankruptcy code from lawsuits over the opioid crisis reflects the widespread public outrage over their role in the epidemic, but experts say it remains unclear what will happen next for the individuals and governments that have sued the company.
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June 28, 2024
CUNY Medical Prof Accused Of Fabricating NIH Grant Apps
A medical professor at the City College of New York and paid adviser to Cassava Sciences has been indicted on allegations he falsified scientific data in grant applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health on behalf of himself and Cassava, prosecutors announced Friday.
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June 28, 2024
Texas Justices Back Ban On Gender Affirming Care For Minors
The Texas Supreme Court upheld a state ban on medical treatments that affirm the gender identity of transgender youths, saying Friday that the legislature "made a permissible, rational policy choice," though a dissenting justice said the court allowed the state "to legislate away fundamental parental rights."
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June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
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June 28, 2024
Ontrak Exec Conviction Shows Trading Plans Aren't Shields
Executives who use so-called Rule 10b5-1 trading plans to buy and sell shares of their company's stock don't have an automatic shield against insider trading charges, attorneys said following the first criminal conviction of an executive based exclusively on his use of the plans, which are facing increased scrutiny from financial regulators.
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June 28, 2024
Health Regulators Likely To Tread Carefully Post-Chevron
The demise of Chevron deference at the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday will likely encourage or fortify challenges to agency rulemaking on matters of health policy in the U.S., from Medicare reimbursement decisions to FDA rules on laboratory-developed tests.
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June 28, 2024
Rite Aid Ch. 11 Plan OK'd With Insurers' Objections Resolved
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge Friday approved pharmacy chain Rite Aid's Chapter 11 restructuring plan after the company said it had resolved objections from its insurance carriers to how the plan treats their policies.
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June 28, 2024
Shifting Legal Positions Behind High Court Abortion Punt
Rapid developments in Idaho abortion law paved the way for a fractured U.S. Supreme Court decision that leaves doctors in the state in murky legal waters around providing abortions to patients in medical crisis.
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June 28, 2024
Jury Convicts Seattle Doctor In NBA Health Fraud Case
A Manhattan federal jury on Friday found a Seattle doctor guilty of healthcare fraud and other charges related to a scheme to submit bogus claims for payment to an NBA healthcare plan, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
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June 28, 2024
3 Biggest Benefits Policy Developments From 2024's 1st Half
The U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies finalized significant changes to regulations affecting employee benefits in the first half of 2024. Here are three policy moves that benefits attorneys should have on their radar.
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June 28, 2024
Judge Finalizes $4M Deal In Eye Doc Ransomware Dispute
A North Carolina federal judge has signed off on a $4 million deal to resolve two class actions over an electronic patient recordkeeping and billing company allegedly failing to give truthful, timely notice to ophthalmology practices and their patients about ransomware attacks that damaged its software for months.
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June 28, 2024
Mich. EMTs Did Not Prove Immunity Over False Death Declaration
A Michigan Court of Appeals panel says first responders who declared a 20-year-old woman with cerebral palsy dead only for a funeral home embalmer to discover she was still breathing after having been placed in a body bag have not yet proven they are immune from liability, restoring a dismissed lawsuit.
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June 28, 2024
5th Circ. Tosses Texas Health System's COVID-19 Suit
The largest nonprofit health system in Texas cannot get coverage for COVID-19-related business interruption losses it said totaled over $192 million, the Fifth Circuit affirmed, highlighting previous circuit precedent establishing that COVID-19 does not cause "physical loss or damage."
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June 28, 2024
Litigation Pro Joins Bradley Arant From Houston Boutique
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has strengthened its litigation practice in Texas with a partner who came aboard from Houston corporate law firm BoyarMiller.
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June 28, 2024
Iowa Supreme Court Approves 6-Week Abortion Ban
The Iowa Supreme Court narrowly ruled Friday that the state can enforce a law restricting abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, finding the state has a "legitimate interest in protecting unborn life," according to the majority opinion.
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June 28, 2024
Supreme Court Strikes Down Chevron Deference
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned a decades-old precedent that instructed judges about when they could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking, depriving courts of a commonly used analytic tool and leaving lots of questions about what comes next.
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June 27, 2024
Biden, Trump Spar On Abortion Access In The Wake Of Dobbs
The U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision upending Americans' access to abortion care made an early appearance at Thursday night's presidential debate, with President Joe Biden lamenting the end of Roe v. Wade and former President Donald Trump taking credit for handing the issue of abortion rights "back to the states."
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June 27, 2024
OptumRx Agrees To Pay $20M To Resolve DOJ Opioid Claims
OptumRx Inc. has reached a $20 million deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to end allegations the company improperly filled opioid prescriptions in combination with other drugs, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
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June 27, 2024
State AGs Want Stay Lifted In Generic Drug Pricing Suit
The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut have asked a federal judge to lift a partial discovery stay in three state-led generic drug pricing lawsuits against the pharmaceutical industry, saying it is no longer necessary because sentencing is complete in a parallel U.S. Department of Justice proceeding.
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June 27, 2024
Judge Blasts Prisons Bureau, Sends Exec To Halfway House
An Illinois federal judge said Thursday he felt he needed to protect Outcome Health's co-founder from the Bureau of Prisons' "ridiculous" policy barring her from a low security camp just because she isn't a citizen, sentencing her to time served and three years' supervision in a Chicago halfway house instead.
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June 27, 2024
Insurers Call Rite Aid Ch. 11 Opioid Deal Unfair
Counsel for bankrupt drugstore chain Rite Aid told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge Thursday that it hopes to reach an agreement with at least some of its insurers on payments into an opioid settlement fund before closing arguments in its Chapter 11 plan confirmation Friday.
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June 27, 2024
Texas DAs Escape Defendant Class Cert. In Abortion Case
A Texas federal judge on Wednesday rejected a bid to force state prosecutors to become a certified class of defendants in a suit aimed to curb retaliation against advocates who help women get an abortion outside the state, saying there was no risk of varying adjudications.
Expert Analysis
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Tylenol MDL Highlights Expert Admissibility Headaches
A New York federal court's decision to exclude all plaintiff experts in a multidistrict litigation concerning prenatal exposure to Tylenol highlights a number of expert testimony pitfalls that parties should avoid in product liability and mass tort matters, say Rand Brothers and Courtney Block at Winston & Strawn.
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PE-Healthcare Mergers Should Prepare For Challenges
State and federal regulators are increasingly imposing new requirements on healthcare transactions involving private equity partners, with mergers that would have drawn little scrutiny a few years ago now requiring a multijurisdictional risk analysis during the deal formation process, say attorneys at Stinson.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight
The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched an online portal where the public can report potentially unfair healthcare practices, effectively maximizing enforcers' abilities to police anti-competitive actions that can drive up healthcare costs and chill innovation, say attorneys at Seyfarth.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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McKesson May Change How AKS-Based FCA Claims Are Pled
The Second Circuit’s analysis in U.S. v. McKesson, an Anti-Kickback Statute-based False Claims Act case, provides guidance for both relators and defendants parsing scienter-related allegations, say Li Yu at Dicello Levitt, Ellen London at London & Stout, and Erica Hitchings at Whistleblower Law.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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Considering CGL Defense For Social Media Addiction Claims
A recent lawsuit filed in California state court against Meta seeks damages from technology companies for the costs of treating children allegedly suffering from social media addiction, but the prospects of defense coverage under commercial general liability insurance policies for a potential new wave of claims look promising, say Craig Hirsch and Tae Andrews at Pasich.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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9th Circ. Ruling Puts Teeth Into Mental Health Parity Claims
In its recent finding that UnitedHealth applied an excessively strict review process for substance use disorder treatment claims, the Ninth Circuit provided guidance on how to plead a Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act violation and took a step toward achieving mental health parity in healthcare, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Breaking Down DOJ's Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently announced pilot program aims to incentivize individuals to voluntarily self-disclose corporate misconduct they were personally involved in, complementing a new whistleblower pilot program for individuals not involved in misconduct as well as the government's broader corporate enforcement approach, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.
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Ch. 11 Case Shows Why Plan Acceptance Procedures Are Key
Sunland Medical's recent liquidation plan proposal is an important example of how top-notch judges and attorneys propose and analyze complex issues during the confirmation process, and the bankruptcy court was forward-thinking to consider the implications of such proposed treatment in the face of the Bankruptcy Code, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.