FOIA Release Is FCA 'Public Disclosure'
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 11.30.09
In U.S. ex rel. Ondis v. City of Woonsocket (1st Cir. Nov.18, 2009), the First Circuit concluded that, under the False Claims Act's public disclosure bar, courts lack subject-matter jurisdiction over qui tam actions when the relator's allegations are based upon information released through Freedom of Information Act requests, finding that FOIA releases of "substantially similar" information which include the essential elements of the alleged fraud qualify as public disclosures. The court noted that it was joining the majority view, adopted by every circuit to consider the issue except the Fourth, taking into account the recent shift by the Seventh Circuit to the majority.
Insights
Client Alert | 13 min read | 10.30.25
Federal and State Regulators Target AI Chatbots and Intimate Imagery
In the first few years following the public launch of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the autumn of 2022, litigation related to AI focused primarily on claims of copyright infringement. Suits revolved around allegations that the data on which AI models train, and/or the output they produce, infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others. (While some of these cases have settled or reached preliminary judgments, many remain ongoing.)
Client Alert | 3 min read | 10.30.25
Is Course Hero Heading to Summer School After Summary Judgment Loss?
Client Alert | 6 min read | 10.29.25
Enhancing UK cyber security resilience and leadership engagement
Client Alert | 9 min read | 10.28.25
Key Takeaways from a Consequential Month of Russia-Related Sanctions
