Unanimous Supreme Court Holds that Implied Certification Can be Basis for FCA Liability
Client Alert | 1 min read | 06.16.16
On June 16, 2016, the Supreme Court handed down Universal Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar, holding unanimously that the “implied certification” theory can be a basis for False Claims Act (FCA) liability when a defendant submitting a claim makes specific representations about the goods or services provided, and fails to disclose noncompliance with material statutory, regulatory, or contractual requirements, thereby making those representations misleading. Although the Court rejected the First Circuit’s broad materiality standard (that any legal noncompliance is material so long as the defendant knows that the government would be entitled to refuse payment were it aware of the violation), it made clear that the underlying statutory, regulatory, or contractual requirement need not be an explicit condition of payment to trigger liability under the implied certification theory; rather, the test is whether the representation would likely influence government payment, a determination that may be made using both objective and subjective standards.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.25.26
Twin Executive Orders Seek to Spur Quantum Leap in Technology and Cybersecurity
On June 22, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders, “Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks” (Quantum Security EO) and “Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation” (Quantum Innovation EO), marking the most significant federal action on quantum technology since the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act of 2022, which directed agencies to harden their information systems against quantum-enabled hacking. The orders seek to speed the development of quantum computers, which are advanced processors that can calculate multiple possibilities simultaneously and thus solve problems exponentially faster than traditional computers. At the same time, the orders look to protect against the danger that quantum technology can “break” traditional encryption by easily decoding it. Of particular note for government contractors, the Quantum Security EO directs agencies to update federal acquisition regulations to require contractors by 2031 to adopt information processing standards that resist quantum-enabled codebreaking.
Client Alert | 7 min read | 06.24.26
Client Alert | 3 min read | 06.24.26
Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.23.26
EPA Hands Over AI Data Center Regulation to States and Communities to Develop Best Practices
