Earlier Complaint Fails 9(b), But Bars FCA Suit
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.08.11
Addressing a question of first impression for it, the D.C. Circuit in U.S. ex rel Batiste v. SLM Corp. held that the FCA’s “first-to-file” rule deprives the district courts of subject matter jurisdiction when a complaint filed earlier alleges “the same material elements of a fraudulent scheme,” even if the earlier complaint did not meet the heightened standard of Rule 9(b). In so holding, the D.C. Circuit disagreed with the Sixth Circuit in Walburn v. Lockheed Martin Corp., noting that nothing in the FCA incorporates Rule 9(b)’s particularity requirement into the first-to-file rule and that the earlier complaint was sufficient to allow the government to investigate the fraudulent scheme.
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.13.24
New FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule Amendments
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently announced that it approved final amendments to its Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”), broadening the rule’s coverage to inbound calls for technical support (“Tech Support”) services. For example, if a Tech Support company presents a pop-up alert (such as one that claims consumers’ computers or other devices are infected with malware or other problems) or uses a direct mail solicitation to induce consumers to call about Tech Support services, that conduct would violate the amended TSR.
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.10.24
Fast Lane to the Future: FCC Greenlights Smarter, Safer Cars
Client Alert | 6 min read | 12.09.24
Eleven States Sue Asset Managers Alleging ESG Conspiracy to Restrict Coal Production
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.09.24
New York Department of Labor Issues Guidance Regarding Paid Prenatal Leave, Taking Effect January 1
