Government In Jurisdictional Pickle Over Reverse-False-Claims Action For Unpaid Customs Duties
Client Alert | 1 min read | 06.20.06
The U.S Court of International Trade (CIT), in U.S. v. Universal Fruits & Vegetables Corp. (May 25, 2006), has dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the government's False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit alleging that defendants who falsified country-of-origin information to avoid customs duties incurred treble damages and civil penalties by knowingly making false statements to decrease an obligation to pay money to the U.S. Because the case was at the CIT only because the Ninth Circuit had previously ruled that the forum originally chosen by the government, i.e., the federal district court for the Central District of California, lacked jurisdiction over this customs-related matter, the government now appears to be left without a forum, unless it appeals the CIT's decision to the Federal Circuit, in which case a conflict of circuits could result, with the Supreme Court eventually being asked to determine the jurisdictional fate of the government's potentially lucrative "reverse-false-claims" theory.
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 06.03.26
Important EU Court Judgment Clarifies Rules on Interest Due in Cartel Damages Cases
In a judgment that will have direct and immediate consequences, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has clarified that for all competition damages actions brought after 26 December 2014, interest runs from the date on which the harm occurred. The ruling addressed two important questions: (1) whether national provisions implementing Article 3(2) of the EU Damages Directive — which requires interest to run from the date harm occurred —apply to cases in which the harm preceded the adoption of those provisions; and (2) how the date of harm should be determined in cartel cases involving the purchase of goods at inflated prices.
Client Alert | 2 min read | 06.02.26
SBA OHA Confirms That the Submission Date for a Proposal with Pricing Controls Size Determination
Client Alert | 5 min read | 06.01.26
California Court Upholds Insurer’s Duty to Defend After Covered Claim Is Dismissed
Client Alert | 2 min read | 05.29.26
California Assembly Passes AB 1776, Sending Major Antitrust Bill to the Senate
