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Whistleblower's FCA Claims Fail Public Disclosure and First-to-File Bars

Client Alert | 1 min read | 04.01.13

In U.S. ex rel. Beauchamp v. Academi Training Center, Inc. (E.D. Va. Mar. 21, 2013), in which C&M represented the defendant, the court dismissed all claims that Academi had violated the False Claims Act by allegedly falsifying its labor invoices and failing to qualify Afghanistan-based security personnel on certain weapons properly. The court held that public disclosure barred both claims because they either had been publicly disclosed in the media or in an earlier qui tam action brought against Academi (resulting in a judgment in favor of Academi with C&M defending), but also that the labor claim was precluded by the first-to-file bar because it was based on the underlying facts in a related and earlier-filed qui tam suit that was pending when the Beauchamp complaint was filed.


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Client Alert | 5 min read | 08.21.26

FTC Proposes Enforcement Policy Statement on Personalized Pricing: What Businesses Need to Know

On August 19, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a proposed Enforcement Policy Statement on personalized pricing — the practice of companies using consumers’ personal data to set individualized prices, discounts, coupons, or other incentives. The proposed statement, which is open for public comment for 30 days following publication in the Federal Register, marks a major step up in the FTC’s focus on data-driven pricing strategies and puts businesses across industries on notice that undisclosed or inadequately disclosed personalized pricing will not be tolerated. Importantly, while the proposed statement is not a binding legal requirement and does not create new legal obligations, it serves as an enforcement warning that the FTC is prepared to use its existing enforcement authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act (Section 5) and is also a potential harbinger of rulemaking. Businesses that engage in — or are considering — personalized pricing should carefully assess their disclosure practices and data collection procedures against the standards articulated in this statement....

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