Whistleblower Rebuffs Counterclaim for Disclosing Confidential Information
Client Alert | 1 min read | 05.20.16
In U.S. ex rel. Cieszynski v. LifeWatch Servs. (N.D. Ill., May 9), the court dismissed the defendant’s counterclaim against a former employee and FCA whistleblower, ruling that the whistleblower’s disclosure of protected patient information fell within the public policy protections for whistleblowers. As described in a post on the Whistleblower Watch Blog, there has been an increase in recent years of FCA defendants raising counterclaims based on breaches of confidentiality agreements, and this will likely remain an active area of litigation until the courts clearly define what documents an FCA whistleblower can take from an employer and how the whistleblower can use those documents to support FCA allegations.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 12.30.25
Are All Baby Products Related? TTAB Says “No”
The United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB or Board) recently issued a refreshed opinion in the trademark dispute Naterra International, Inc. v. Samah Bensalem, where Naterra International, Inc. petitioned the TTAB to cancel Samah Bensalem’s registration for the mark BABIES' MAGIC TEA based on its own BABY MAGIC mark. On remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the TTAB reconsidered an expert’s opinion about relatedness of goods based on the concept of “umbrella branding” and found that the goods are unrelated and therefore again denied the petition for cancellation.
Client Alert | 6 min read | 12.30.25
Investor Advisory Committee Recommends SEC Disclosure Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence
Client Alert | 2 min read | 12.29.25
FYI – GAO Finds Key Person “Available” Despite Accepting Employment with a Different Company
Client Alert | 4 min read | 12.29.25
More Than Math: How Desjardins Recognizes AI Innovations as Patent-Eligible Technology
