Federal Employees as Relators OK'ed
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 08.07.12
In Little v. Shell Exploration & Production Co., the Fifth Circuit joined the Tenth and Eleventh Circuits in holding that federal employees, like private citizens, can bring whistleblower suits under the False Claims Act--even when those employees are auditors whose job is to investigate fraud. The Sixth and Ninth Circuits have also implicitly held that federal employees are not barred from acting as relators, while the First Circuit has held that at least some federal employees may not be qui tam plaintiffs.
Insights
Client Alert | 4 min read | 08.25.26
DOJ Signals Increased Antitrust Scrutiny of Algorithmic Pricing in Willow Bridge Decision
Algorithmic pricing tools commonly used by businesses to increase efficiency and profits are under increasing antitrust scrutiny. This summer, federal regulators, state attorneys general, and state legislatures grappled with competing businesses providing nonpublic, competitively sensitive data to common algorithmic platforms. The Third Circuit deepened an emerging circuit split with the Ninth Circuit on algorithmic pricing liability, reviving antitrust claims against Atlantic City casino-hotels in a decision with direct implications for any company that uses a common pricing platform. See Crowell’s recent client alert. And New Jersey enacted two landmark laws—the FAIR Act and the Fair Price Protection Act—directly regulating algorithmic rent-setting and surveillance pricing. See Crowell’s recent client alert.
Client Alert | 4 min read | 08.25.26
Recent Court Decision Highlights Effectiveness of “Second Bite” Protests
Client Alert | 5 min read | 08.21.26
FTC Proposes Enforcement Policy Statement on Personalized Pricing: What Businesses Need to Know
