Ohio Justices Likely Split On Trans Care Restrictions

By Mark Payne

The Ohio Supreme Court appeared split Tuesday as to whether a new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors trumps a decade-old healthcare freedom provision passed by voters that says state laws can't block a patient from obtaining healthcare. 

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FTC Rejects Bids To Block Gender-Affirming Care Probe

By Mark Payne

A transgender medical care group and two healthcare trade organizations must turn over documents related to the group's claims made in their marketing and advertising for gender-affirming care for minors, the Federal Trade Commission ordered, denying the groups' motions to quash the agency's consumer protection investigation. 

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Analysis

Fraud Task Force May Boost White Collar Defense Work

By Phillip Bantz

A new federal anti-fraud task force involving at least a dozen federal agencies could soon expose more state and local governments, contractors, companies and others to compliance risks, particularly in healthcare fraud and False Claims Act cases, experts say.

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FTC To Mull Caremark Deal In PBM Insulin Pricing Case

By Matthew Perlman

Federal Trade Commission staffers have asked to let the agency's commissioners consider a potential settlement with Caremark in a case accusing pharmacy benefit managers of inflating insulin prices through rebate schemes, following a recent deal with Express Scripts.

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Immigrant Minors Seek End To Repeat Sponsor Checks

By Jared Foretek

A youth advocacy attorney nearly came to tears as she told a D.C. federal judge of immigrant children being torn from their parents Tuesday, urging the judge to block a Trump administration policy requiring that previously approved custodians reapply to sponsor "unaccompanied" children while the minors are held in government facilities.

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Judge Trims DEA's Suspension Of Fla. Pharmacy's Permits

By Sam Reisman

A D.C. federal judge has granted a Florida pharmacy's motion to partially suspend a Drug Enforcement Administration order that halted its operations, saying the agency didn't adequately explain why it revoked the pharmacy's registration in the first place.

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Trump Admin Settles Suit Over Biden Social Media Collabs

By Lauren Berg

The Trump administration on Tuesday agreed to bar three federal agencies from interfering with social media companies' content moderation, resolving a high-profile challenge to the Biden administration's efforts to combat the spread of misinformation in a case that went up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Justices Won't Review Class Cert. In Diabetes Drug Risk Case

By Mark Payne

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review whether a federal court can certify a class of third-party payors who claim drugmakers hid the cancer risks of an anti-diabetes drug.

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Fla. Judge Tosses Fired Reporter's Vaccine Suit Against PGA

By David Minsky

A Florida federal judge has ruled in favor of the PGA Tour in a lawsuit brought by a reporter who claimed she was fired for not complying with COVID-19 protocols, saying she couldn't claim a religious exemption. 

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Treating Doc Can Opine On Nurses In Texas Spine Surgery Suit

By Mike Curley

A Texas appeals panel on Tuesday found that a man's treating physician could serve as an expert witness in his suit alleging the nursing staff at the hospital where he received spinal surgery failed to see or address his cauda equina syndrome symptoms after the operation.

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Clark Hill Says No Conflict Exists In Health Noncompete Fight

By George Woolston

Clark Hill PLC urged a New Jersey federal court to deny a disqualification bid from a health consulting company in litigation against one of its former employees, arguing that there is no conflict under the Rules of Professional Conduct.

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$5.7M Cigna Ghost Network Deal Receives Final Go-Ahead

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal judge gave his final sign-off Tuesday to a $5.7 million settlement in what he called an "interesting" case accusing Cigna of improperly advertising out-of-network providers as though they're in-network for certain benefit plans it administered.

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Health Co. Escapes Workers' 401(k) Forfeiture Suit In La.

By Kellie Mejdrich

A Louisiana federal judge agreed to toss a federal benefits lawsuit against a health company from workers who alleged the company misspent forfeitures from their employee 401(k) plan, rejecting the workers' argument that funds should have gone toward defraying expenses instead of lowering employer-side contribution obligations.

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Mass General Accused Of Shaving Time From Workers' Pay

By Benjamin Morse

Boston-based healthcare system Mass General Brigham shaved as much as 14 minutes a day from employees' pay by rounding their clock-in and clock-out times, according to a proposed class and collective action filed in federal court.

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Drug Co. Atara Hit With Investor Suit Over FDA Denial

By Sydney Price

Drug company Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. has been hit with a proposed class action accusing it of harming investors by not disclosing certain manufacturing problems and research study deficiencies that made it unlikely the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would approve its new drug application.

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Biz Services Co. Faces ERISA Suit Over 'Tobacco Surcharge'

By Zak Kostro

Business services company Conduent unlawfully imposes health insurance surcharges on employees who use tobacco products, forcing them to pay more for coverage the company provides, a former employee and plan participant said in a proposed class action in New Jersey federal court.

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6 Firms Guide Gilead's $2.2B Autoimmune Drug Play

By Al Barbarino

Gilead Sciences Inc. has agreed to acquire privately held Ouro Medicines for up to $2.175 billion and is in advanced discussions with Galapagos NV on a potential research and development collaboration on the assets, according to an announcement late Monday from Gilead.

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Genesis Gets OK For $7.3M Employee Bonus Plan

By Rick Archer

A Texas bankruptcy judge Tuesday gave Genesis Healthcare permission to pay up to $7.3 million in bonuses to executives and other employees, agreeing with the nursing home chain that the workers are needed to keep the business running until its Chapter 11 sale closes.

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FDA User Fee Talks Offer Clues On Upcoming Reforms

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration undergoes the User Fee Act reauthorization process and renegotiates its user fee agreements over the next several months, the agency's consultation meetings with relevant industries can shed light on the FDA's priorities, and provides stakeholders an opportunity to participate in the reform process, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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Changes Coming To The SBIR And STTR Programs

Legislation recently approved by Congress to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs includes changes focused on national security that would improve transparency but also increase applicants' administrative burdens, slow the awards process and likely increase litigation, say attorneys at Fluet & Associates.

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Warren Grills Fed's Ex-BigLaw Supervision Chief On Conflicts

By Lauren Berg

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Wednesday asked former Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP veteran Randall Guynn, a recent addition to the Federal Reserve, to explain how he is dealing with potential conflicts of interest stemming from his previous role chairing the BigLaw firm's financial institutions group.

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Winston & Strawn Wants Hunter Biden To Respond In Fee Row

By Lynn LaRowe

Winston & Strawn LLP has asked the D.C. Superior Court to force Hunter Biden to fully respond to interrogatories in its lawsuit against the former president's son over unpaid legal bills, after Biden conducted an incomplete "hand search" of documents at issue.

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MyPillow CEO's Attys Face New Sanctions Over Latest Errors

By Lauren Berg

Two attorneys for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and his media company are in hot water once again as a Colorado federal judge on Wednesday ordered them to explain why they shouldn't be sanctioned for citation errors, after she previously sanctioned them for errors produced by generative artificial intelligence.

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Fla. Appeals Panel Turns Poetic In Warning About AI Misuse

By Madison Arnold

A Florida state appeals court on Wednesday admonished a pro se litigant for using AI-hallucinated case citations in his ultimately unsuccessful appeal of a lower court ruling enforcing a settlement agreement with an investment company, with the panel citing an AI-generated limerick to get its point across.

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Ramey, EscapeX Ask Justices To Review Sanctions Challenge

By Adam Lidgett

EscapeX IP and its attorney William Ramey III want the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Federal Circuit's decision backing $255,000 in fees and sanctions for what a California federal judge found to be a frivolous patent suit against Google.

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Analysis

ICE Builds Out Detention Centers, And The Suits Pile Up

By Grace Dixon

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's surging need for detention space — fueled by increased funding and a rapid escalation in enforcement activity — has sparked litigation from local lawmakers and advocacy groups concerned by the agency's full-throttle approach and perceived disregard for surrounding communities.

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Trade Court Nom Regrets Past Tweets Critical Of GOP Sens.

By Courtney Bublé

Kara Westercamp, associate counsel to the president, who was nominated for the U.S. Court of International Trade, said Wednesday she regretted her past social media posts critical of Republican senators.

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Official Says DOJ Watching Essential Patent Antitrust Cases

By Ryan Davis

A U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division official said Wednesday the agency is closely monitoring antitrust disputes over standard essential patents, aiming to ensure that proper analyses of market power are undertaken and that most patent suits are exempted from causing antitrust liability.

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DOJ Agrees To Settle Flynn's Fla. Suit Over False Prosecution

By David Minsky

Retired Army general Michael Flynn reached a financial settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday in his Florida federal lawsuit claiming he was wrongly prosecuted for allegedly lying to the FBI during its investigation into whether Donald Trump coordinated with Russia during the 2016 election.

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