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Insurance Coverage for FCA Lawsuits
For companies that have business dealings with the government, the False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. ” 3729-3733, needs no introduction. The FCA, which at a high level prohibits making false claims to obtain payment from the federal government, has led to billions of dollars in recovery by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Indeed, in each of the last four years, the DOJ has recovered more than $3 billion, including $3.8 billion in 2013 alone. See Justice Department Recovers $3.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2013, Dept. of Justice, http://1.usa.gov/1VyZsNn. In October 2014, a federal jury handed down a $175 million verdict against a Texas manufacturing company accused of making false claims in connection with the installation of highway guardrails. See Trinity Industries Whistleblower Awarded $175 Million in Guardrail Suit, The Wall Street Journal, http://on.wsj.com/1LX9g24. With the potential for trebled damages, attorneys' fees, and penalties under the FCA, that figure could increase.
The prevalence of FCA claims against companies is compounded by the fact that private persons ' called “relators” ' are able to file FCA suits on behalf of the government as qui tam plaintiffs (as derived from the Latin phrase ” qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur,” meaning “he who sues in this matter for the king as well as for himself”). The FCA entitles relators to receive up to 30% of the amount recovered by the government through qui tam actions. 31 U.S.C. ' 3730(d). Companies face additional liability under the FCA for retaliating against purported whistleblowers. In recent years, the FCA has been further bolstered by amendments that provide additional inducements and protections to qui tam plaintiffs.
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs
A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.
Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners
Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?
Coverage Issues Stemming from Dry Cleaner Contamination Suits
In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.