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September 06, 2024
4 ERISA Arguments To Watch In September
The Ninth Circuit will weigh two cases involving whether class claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act can be forced into solo arbitration, and the Second Circuit will hear Yale University workers' bid to revive their retirement plan mismanagement suit. Here are four upcoming oral argument sessions that benefits attorneys should have on their radar.
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September 06, 2024
Atty Loses Bid To Revive NJ Malpratice Suit Against 2 Firms
A New Jersey state appeals court on Friday upheld the dismissal of an attorney's common law fraud and negligence claims against two law firms for allegedly misrepresenting a debt he owed.
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September 06, 2024
Glioblastoma Org Wants End To Rival's Use Of 'GBM' Acronym
The Glioblastoma Foundation has hit a competing nonprofit with a suit alleging the group's use of the initials "GBM" in its name has ripped off its trademark and sown confusion among donors who can't tell the two organizations apart.
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September 05, 2024
Ohio Justices Craft New Jury Rule For Negligence Trials
An Ohio state appeals court on Friday reinstated a jury verdict clearing a hospital and others of liability in a suit accusing them of negligently causing a patient's death, and it set new guidelines for jury deliberations in all negligence cases.
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September 05, 2024
Law Firms Appeal Atty Fee Denial In Opioid Settlements
Two law firms, Goldstein & Russell PC and Kelley & Ferraro LLP, have claimed in an appeal to the Sixth Circuit that they were improperly shut out of the $2.13 billion attorney fee pool created by recent national opioid settlements with major pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy chains.
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September 05, 2024
NC County Says Hospital 'Monopoly' Led To ER Understaffing
A North Carolina county has accused an Asheville hospital of driving up taxpayer-funded ambulance expenses by understaffing its emergency department and forcing paramedics to step into the roles of emergency physicians.
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September 05, 2024
Judge Rewrites 'Unfair' Missouri Abortion Ballot Language
A Missouri judge on Thursday found that the Republican secretary of state's language used to describe an abortion amendment set to appear on the state's November ballot is "inaccurate" and "unfair," and he must replace the language with the new statement from the court.
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September 05, 2024
Conn. Dentist Admits To Reaping $2.2M Through Kickbacks
A Connecticut dentist has pled guilty to paying $360,000 in kickbacks to recruiters who corralled Medicaid patients into her practice, pocketing $2.2 million in government payments in the process, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Judge Orders Jury Trial Over Arbitration Bid In TCPA Fight
An Ohio federal judge declined to rule on whether a proposed Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action against a Maryland-based healthcare company should go to arbitration, ordering that a jury should decide whether the plaintiff had an applicable arbitration agreement.
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September 05, 2024
Referral Model Means No Tax Exemption For Texas Health Co.
The commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service told a Fifth Circuit panel Thursday that the U.S. Tax Court got it right when it barred a Texas company that coordinates healthcare for chronically ill patients from claiming tax-exempt status, telling the court that secondary social welfare effects of the company's business model aren't enough to establish tax-exempt status.
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September 05, 2024
9th Circ. Says Court 'Lost The Letter' In ERISA Coverage Row
A California federal court "lost the letter" in remanded proceedings over allegations that United Behavioral Health improperly denied nearly 70,000 claims for mental health coverage, the Ninth Circuit has said in a new memorandum.
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September 05, 2024
Texas Says New HIPAA Rule Obstructs State Abortion Laws
Texas has hit the federal government with a suit challenging a new privacy rule limiting the disclosure of reproductive health information to law enforcement, arguing the rule was designed to obstruct the state's ability to enforce its own laws on abortion.
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September 05, 2024
FTC Staff Opposes Indiana Hospital Merger
Federal Trade Commission staff on Thursday urged Indiana's health department to reject Union Health's planned purchase of Terre Haute Regional Hospital LP from HCA Healthcare Inc.
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September 05, 2024
Lupin Infringes Exeltis Contraceptive Patents, Judge Finds
Mumbai-based generic-pharmaceuticals company Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. has infringed five patents of the estrogen-free contraceptive Slynd, a Delaware federal judge said Wednesday, finding in favor of Spanish pharmaceutical company Insud Pharma and its New Jersey-based division Exeltis USA Inc. on all asserted claims.
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September 05, 2024
PE Firm Argues Tossing of FTC Case Also Ends Workers' Suit
The dismissal of a government antitrust action against Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe warrants the dismissal of a second lawsuit brought by a Houston workers' benefit fund since the complaint is "unapologetically based" on the parallel Federal Trade Commission action, the private equity firm told a Houston federal judge in a hearing Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
ER Doctors End Surprise Billing Battle With Harvard Pilgrim
A medical group that staffs the emergency departments at several Connecticut hospitals on Thursday dropped a lawsuit accusing Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc. of improper billing practices and agreed to pay the insurer some of the costs of the litigation that was doomed by a recent Connecticut Supreme Court opinion.
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September 05, 2024
Feds Ask Justices For 'GVR' In Abortion Guidance Case
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is urging the nation's high court to simultaneously grant its certiorari petition, vacate a Fifth Circuit decision blocking guidance for hospitals to provide emergency abortions, and remand the case to lower courts in light of new developments.
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September 04, 2024
Albertsons Denied Texas Court Remand In Opioid MDL
An Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over accusations that drug distributors contributed to the opioid epidemic denied a motion to transfer to Texas a portion of the dispute involving pharmacy company Albertsons.
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September 04, 2024
Ill. Panel Backs Atty's Bid To Litigate Medical Record Fee Suit
An Illinois attorney looking to hold document delivery service Ciox Health LLC liable for charging allegedly illegal fees can pursue those claims in court since there is no evidence he ever agreed to arbitrate disputes with the company, a state appellate panel said Tuesday.
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September 04, 2024
Leech Tishman Combines With Calif. Firm Nelson Hardiman
Leech Tishman is set to add California-based healthcare and life science law firm Nelson Hardiman's 17 attorneys to its Los Angeles office this fall and will do business in the Golden State under the combined name Leech Tishman Nelson Hardiman, the firm announced Tuesday.
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September 04, 2024
Medical Cos. Must Provide Doctor Names In Fla. Qui Tam Suit
A Florida federal judge has ordered several medical companies accused of fraudulently obtaining more Medicare funding than they were owed to produce the names of doctors associated with the companies, saying the difference between employed and affiliate providers isn't relevant.
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September 04, 2024
10th Circ. Partially Nixes Insurer Win In Liposuction Death Suit
The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday revived a health provider's bad faith claim against its insurer over coverage for a $60 million judgment stemming from a woman's fatal liposuction surgery, finding the claim fell within a four-year period of limitations for insurance bad faith claims.
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September 04, 2024
Judge Recommends Not Tossing Ex-UMiami Doctor's Bias Suit
A Florida federal magistrate judge has recommended against dismissing a suit by a former University of Miami surgery chair who says she was discriminated against because of her race and gender and terminated because she complained about it.
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September 04, 2024
UBH Wins On Parity In Family's Mental Health Benefits Fight
A Utah federal judge has handed mixed results to United Behavioral Health and a father whose child was partially denied coverage for mental health treatment at two residential treatment centers.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Won't Disturb Distributors' Opioid Trial Win
The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed a ruling that family members of drug abusers are not entitled to a new trial after a Glynn County jury cleared opioid distributors of wrongdoing, in response to claims regarding an allegedly dishonest juror and flawed jury instructions.
Expert Analysis
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Pa. Health Employers Must Prep For Noncompete Restrictions
Newly enacted legislation in Pennsylvania prohibits certain noncompete covenants for healthcare practitioners in the state beginning next year, creating compliance challenges that both employers and employees should be aware of, say attorneys at Buchanan Ingersoll.
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Opinion
Congress Must Do More To Bolster ERISA Protections
As the Employee Retirement Income Security Act turns 50 this month, we applaud Congress for championing a statute that protects worker and retiree rights, but further action is needed to ban arbitration clauses in plan provisions and codify regulations imperiled by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Chevron ruling, say Michelle Yau and Eleanor Frisch at Cohen Milstein.
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FTC Focus: What Access To Patent Settlements Would Mean
Settling parties should adopt a series of practice tips, including specifying rationales to support specific terms, as the Federal Trade Commission seeks to expand its access to settlements before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, say Shannon McGowan and David Munkittrick at Proskauer.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Opinion
Agencies Should Reward Corporate Cyber Victim Cooperation
The increased regulatory scrutiny on corporate victims of cyberattacks — exemplified by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's case against SolarWinds — should be replaced with a new model that provides adequate incentives for companies to come forward proactively and collaborate with law enforcement, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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5 Ways Life Sciences Cos. Can Manage Insider Trading Risk
In light of two high-profile insider trading jury decisions against life sciences executives this year, public companies in the sector should revise their policies to account for regulators' new and more expansive theories of liability, says Amy Walsh at Orrick.
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Strategies To Defend Against Healthcare Nuclear Verdicts
The healthcare industry is increasingly the target of megaclaims, particularly those alleging medical malpractice, but attorneys representing providers can use a few tools to push back on flimsy litigation and reduce the likelihood of a nuclear verdict, says LaMar Jost at Wheeler Trigg.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
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Series
Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
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What Drug Cos. Must Know About NY Price Transparency Law
Drug manufacturers must understand the contours of New York's recently implemented law requiring self-reporting of drug price increases, as well as best practices for compliance and challenges against similar laws in other states, say Elizabeth Bierut and Angie Garcia at Friedman Kaplan.
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How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.
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Opinion
Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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Whistleblowers Must Note 5 Key Differences Of DOJ Program
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently unveiled whistleblower awards program diverges in key ways from similar programs at other agencies, and individuals must weigh these differences and look first to programs with stronger, proven protections before blowing the whistle, say Stephen Kohn and Geoff Schweller at Kohn Kohn.
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The Licensure Landscape For Psychedelics Manufacturers
As the need for bulk manufacturing of psychedelic substances grows, organizations aiming to support clinical trials or become commercial suppliers must navigate a rigorous and multifaceted journey to obtaining a license from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Jaime Dwight at Promega Corp.