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Expert Analysis

• NYC Office Tower Ch. 11 Shines Light On Blocking Provisions

  

  PMW Management's Chapter 11 filing, which recently received extra time to submit a restructuring plan, highlights courts' increasing skepticism of bankruptcy blocking provisions and favoritism toward leaving bankruptcy restructuring plans in the hands of the debtor, say Jeff Marwil and Ashley Weringa at Proskauer.

• What's At Stake In Justices' FCA Qui Tam Dismissal Review

  

  The Supreme Court's decision next term in U.S. v. Executive Health Resources could hold that the government cannot dismiss a qui tam action in which it initially declined intervention, which would mean the government must expend more resources vetting False Claims Act cases and give relators free rein as prosecutors of their cases, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• How To Avert Unlawful Poaching Amid Rising Antitrust Risks

  

  Despite the uptick in labor market antitrust enforcement actions, no-poach agreements can be helpful in preventing unfair competition resulting from misuse of confidential or competitively sensitive information — when tailored appropriately and used with best practices to reduce risk, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• Skinny Labels' Future May Hinge On Teva Petitioning Justices

  

  Generic-drug makers may get much-needed clarity on their use of so-called skinny labels, which only seek approval for unpatented uses, if Teva Pharmaceuticals petitions for certiorari in the GlaxoSmithKline Coreg case by its July 11 deadline, says Paul Kalish at Fox Rothschild.

• 6th Circ. ERISA Ruling Shows Scope Of Fiduciary Liability

  

  The Sixth Circuit's recent partial revival of a widow's lawsuit alleging Walmart violated federal benefits laws serves as a stark reminder of how those who are only supposed to perform ministerial functions can inadvertently expose themselves to fiduciary liability by undertaking fiduciary actions, say Samantha Kopacz and Nhan Ho at Miller Canfield.

• And Now A Word From The Panel: MDL Travel

  

  The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation’s return to in-person proceedings, as well as a recent petition in an insurance-related MDL, highlight an important question about whether the panel will continue to consider travel convenience as a relevant factor in venue decisions after two years of virtual hearings, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

• Employer Travel Benefits Options For Abortion Care Post-Roe

  

  Given the likelihood that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, and with the proliferation of state legislation restricting abortion access, employers may want to consider the legal implications of several options to expand travel reimbursement benefits for employees who seek abortion services, say Danita Merlau and Ben Conley at Seyfarth.

• ERISA Ruling Shows Lax Enrollment Practices Can Be Costly

  

  The Eighth Circuit’s recent decision in Skelton v. Reliance Standard, finding that a life insurance company breached its Employee Retirement Income Security Act fiduciary duties by accepting premiums without approving coverage, admonishes insurers to communicate with employers and to maintain clear records of eligible enrolled participants, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Sherman.

• Lessons For Gov't Contractors Amid Increased Antitrust Risk

  

  A review of recently ramped-up Procurement Collusion Strike Force enforcement yields important lessons for government procurement companies, which are particularly susceptible to anti-competitive risks, on corporate antitrust awareness and robust compliance, say Rachel Guy and James McGinnis at Sheppard Mullin.

• Private Insurers Must Watch Out For Medical Equipment Fraud

  

  Recent trends indicate that it is extremely rare for the government to prosecute those involved in health care fraud against private insurers, especially in cases involving durable medical equipment, so private insurers must take steps to investigate and detect fraudulent schemes, says Michael Vanunu at Rivkin Radler.

• 4th Circ. ERISA Ruling Shows Plan Discretion Is Not Limitless

  

  The Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Garner v. Central States, holding that a benefit plan had abused its discretion in denying a claim for surgery, clarifies that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's review standard is not a rubber stamp of plan determinations, and shows where the outer limits of discretion end, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Sherman.

• Clients' Diversity Mandates For Law Firms Are Necessary

  

  Coca-Cola recently scrapped its proposed diversity staffing requirements for outside counsel, and other companies may be reassessing their mandates due to external pressures, but it is important to remember the myriad factors supporting these policies and why they are more important now than ever before, says David Hopkins at Benesch Friedlander.

• 5 Questions That Can Help Law Firms Win RFPs

  

  As the volume of matter-specific requests for proposals continues to increase in the legal market, law firms can take some new steps to fine-tune their RFP response-drafting process and strategy, says Matthew Prinn at RFP Advisory Group.