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 | 35 min read | 10.13.25
Building Blocks of Design Law: CJEU rules on LEGO Group Modular Design Protection
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) recently issued a landmark judgment in the LEGO Group case (C-211/24) concerning the scope of EU design protection for modular systems. This recent judgment addresses fundamental questions regarding the protection and enforcement of Community designs for modular products, specifically the LEGO Group’s iconic toy building blocks and parts:
Client Alert | 3 min read | 10.13.25
Client Alert | 8 min read | 10.10.25
Client Alert | 3 min read | 10.10.25
