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Gov't Scrutiny of Higher Education Institutions Continues

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 09.12.12

On September 5, following a string of recent cases involving government scrutiny of academic institutions, the Second Circuit affirmed that Cornell University and a professor at the school had violated the FCA by submitting false claims in applications for federal grants. In a decision that should raise eyebrows in the higher education community, the court held that, because the research grant at issue "did not produce a tangible benefit" to the government and because "the government has entirely lost its opportunity to award the grant money to a recipient who would have used the money as the government intended," the proper measure of damages is the full amount of the grant.


Insights

Client Alert | 5 min read | 06.01.26

California Court Upholds Insurer’s Duty to Defend After Covered Claim Is Dismissed

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a significant ruling in an insurance coverage dispute between a commercial general liability insurer and its policyholder. The decision addresses several critical issues in insurance law, including the scope and continuity of the duty to defend and the standard for insurer reimbursement of defense costs in mixed-claim actions. The court ruled largely in favor of the insured, SVO Building One, LLC ("SVO"), and the matter now heads toward settlement or trial on SVO's remaining counterclaims....