FCA Settlement Does Not Bar Third-Party Claims
Client Alert | 1 min read | 12.03.09
In Cell Therapeutics Inc. v. Lash Group Inc. (9th Cir. Nov. 18, 2009), the Ninth Circuit ruled that an FCA settlement entered into between a drug manufacturer and the government and relator did not preclude the drug manufacturer from bringing state common law claims against an expert in Medicare reimbursement protocol for having allegedly advised that the false Medicare billings were proper. Although a company found to have violated the FCA may not shift its FCA liability to a third party, the suit was not foreclosed because, first, "independent" claims for damages were asserted; and, second, a settlement agreement without an admission of FCA liability does not constitute a finding of FCA liability, which could preclude recovery against a third party.
Insights
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.26.25
From ‘Second’ to ‘First:’ Federal Circuit Tackles Obvious Claim Errors
Patent claims must be clear and definite, as they set the boundaries of the patentee’s rights. Occasionally, however, claim language contains errors, such as typographical mistakes or incorrect numbering. Courts possess very limited authority to correct such errors. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has emphasized that judicial correction is appropriate only in rare circumstances, where (1) the error is evident from the face of the patent, and (2) the proposed correction is the sole reasonable interpretation in view of the claim language, specification, and prosecution history. See Group One, Ltd. v. Hallmark Cards, Inc., 407 F.3d 1297, 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) and Novo Indus., L.P. v. Micro Molds Corp., 350 F.3d 1348, 1357 (Fed. Cir. 2003).
Client Alert | 5 min read | 11.26.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.25.25
Brussels Court Clarifies the EU’s SPC Manufacturing Waiver Regulation Rules
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.24.25
