California FCA Strengthened to Parallel the Federal Act
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 10.23.12
On September 27, Governor Brown signed into law amendments to the California False Claims Act predominantly designed to strengthen the CFCA and conform it to the federal FCA. The new law, which takes effect on January 1, 2013, increases incentives to bring lawsuits against state and local contractors by broadening anti-retaliation provisions, raising the amount of civil penalties recoverable, facilitating whistleblower suits, and extending liability for retention of an overpayment.
Insights
Client Alert | 4 min read | 05.18.26
(Not) All’s Weld That Ends Weld: Duty Evasion Scheme Ends in Historic $549.5M FCA Settlement
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force have upped the ante by an order of magnitude in the government’s pursuit of customs fraud. On May 1, 2026—only a few months after setting its previous record-high customs-related False Claims Act (FCA) settlement of $54.4 million with Ceratizit USA, LLC—the DOJ shattered that record with a $549.5 million settlement with Perfectus Aluminum Inc., its subsidiary Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions LLC, and a set of four affiliated warehousing companies. The Perfectus settlement resolves allegations that the defendants violated the FCA by evading antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD). The settlement resolves three separate qui tam complaints filed by two individual relators and the Aluminum Extruders Council, an international industry association. Defendants were previously criminally convicted on charges related to the same scheme, and those convictions were affirmed by the Ninth Circuit in 2024.
Client Alert | 7 min read | 05.18.26
Client Alert | 6 min read | 05.18.26
Seventh Circuit Opens the Door on Loyalty Program Tax Exclusions
Client Alert | 5 min read | 05.18.26
The Hidden Ingredient Problem: PFAS Litigation and Regulation Are Reshaping the Beauty Industry
