Policy & Compliance
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September 10, 2024
42 AGs Back Call For Social Media Warning Label Law
A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general urged Congress on Tuesday to introduce warning labels on social media platforms in a bid to tackle risks posed to young people's mental health.
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September 10, 2024
2024's Top Rulings In Native American Law
The U.S. Supreme Court this year has handed down rulings with huge price tags attached — from millions in healthcare reimbursement funding required for tribes to lending Florida a win that will garner it a new revenue stream — that are expected to have large implications for Native American sovereignty. Here, Law360 takes a look at some of the biggest decisions in Native American law from the first half of 2024.
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September 10, 2024
Neb. Midwife Can't Sue For 'Hypothetical' Clients, Judge Rules
A Nebraska midwife who challenged state restrictions on the practice "barely" tried to establish grounds to sue the state over allegations that her would-be clients were being harmed, a federal judge ruled Monday, dismissing the case.
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September 10, 2024
MedStar's $11.8M ERISA Deal Gets Final OK
A Maryland federal court gave final approval to an $11.8 million settlement between hospital chain MedStar Health and workers who said the company mismanaged their retirement plan.
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September 10, 2024
Cybersecurity Co. Beats Suit Over Med Tech Data Breach
A Massachusetts federal judge declined to hold information security technology company Barracuda Networks Inc. liable over a 2018 data breach that exposed the confidential information of more than 277,000 patients of medical device maker Zoll Medical Corp.
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September 10, 2024
The Medical-Style Legal Education Model On The Rise In Calif.
A medical-school style model of legal education is expanding to a second California law school, giving law students the option of a year of hands-on training experience and a head start for post-graduation employment while providing much-needed support for nonprofits and government agencies.
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September 10, 2024
Healthcare Hires: Leech Tishman, Weil, Henry Ford Health
Full-service law firm Leech Tishman and healthcare boutique Nelson Hardiman announced plans to combine in early October, while Henry Ford Health appointed a chief legal officer to serve on the executive team overseeing its upcoming merger with Ascension Michigan. Those and other moves lead Law360's latest roundup of personnel changes in healthcare and life sciences.
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September 10, 2024
Philips Balks At Dentons' Request To Exit IP Case
Dutch health technology conglomerate Philips Medical Systems Nederland BV is balking at Dentons US LLP's request to withdraw as counsel for Transtate Equipment Co. Inc. in a wide-ranging copyright and unfair competition case, insinuating that the move is a stalling tactic to avoid a final judgment.
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September 10, 2024
Free Speech Or Bad Medicine? The Abortion 'Reversal' Battle
The marketing of abortion pill "reversal" — a treatment doubted by medical groups but touted by anti-abortion advocates — is facing increased scrutiny from state attorneys general, triggering legal skirmishes in at least four states centered on First Amendment rights and consumer protection laws.
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September 09, 2024
Colo. Justices To Weigh Excess MedMal Damage Calculations
Colorado's justices agreed Monday to consider the standard for how a trial court determines if a $1 million cap on medical malpractice damages can be exceeded, granting a hospital company's petition to review a nearly $40 million judgment.
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September 09, 2024
Baltimore Strikes $80M Opioid Settlement With Teva
Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay Baltimore $80 million to resolve claims that the company inflamed the city's opioid crisis, the city of Baltimore announced Monday ahead of a trial slated to begin next week against the remaining defendants in the Maryland state court litigation.
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September 06, 2024
Abortion Provider Says Activist Group Intercepted Patient Info
A Massachusetts reproductive health clinic says an anti-abortion group operating a "pregnancy resource center" next door is secretly intercepting messages from patients trying to schedule treatment, then taking steps to cancel appointments or divert the patients to its own offices.
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September 06, 2024
3rd Circ. Follows Corner Post In Home Care OT Change Feud
Three home care companies' challenge to an Obama-era rule expanding overtime eligibility for certain workers is back on track, the Third Circuit ruled Friday, saying that the U.S. Supreme Court's Corner Post decision mooted a Pennsylvania federal court's ruling that the entities' suit was late.
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September 05, 2024
Judge Rewrites 'Unfair' Missouri Abortion Ballot Language
A Missouri judge on Thursday found that the Republican secretary of state's language used to describe an abortion amendment set to appear on the state's November ballot is "inaccurate" and "unfair," and he must replace the language with the new statement from the court.
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September 05, 2024
Judge Orders Jury Trial Over Arbitration Bid In TCPA Fight
An Ohio federal judge declined to rule on whether a proposed Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action against a Maryland-based healthcare company should go to arbitration, ordering that a jury should decide whether the plaintiff had an applicable arbitration agreement.
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September 05, 2024
9th Circ. Says Court 'Lost The Letter' In ERISA Coverage Row
A California federal court "lost the letter" in remanded proceedings over allegations that United Behavioral Health improperly denied nearly 70,000 claims for mental health coverage, the Ninth Circuit has said in a new memorandum.
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September 05, 2024
Texas Says New HIPAA Rule Obstructs State Abortion Laws
Texas has hit the federal government with a suit challenging a new privacy rule limiting the disclosure of reproductive health information to law enforcement, arguing the rule was designed to obstruct the state's ability to enforce its own laws on abortion.
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September 05, 2024
FTC Staff Opposes Indiana Hospital Merger
Federal Trade Commission staff on Thursday urged Indiana's health department to reject Union Health's planned purchase of Terre Haute Regional Hospital LP from HCA Healthcare Inc.
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September 05, 2024
ER Doctors End Surprise Billing Battle With Harvard Pilgrim
A medical group that staffs the emergency departments at several Connecticut hospitals on Thursday dropped a lawsuit accusing Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc. of improper billing practices and agreed to pay the insurer some of the costs of the litigation that was doomed by a recent Connecticut Supreme Court opinion.
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September 05, 2024
Pharma Co. Verrica Fails To Shed Investor Suit Over FDA OK
A Pennsylvania federal judge has partially denied Verrica Phamaceuticals Inc.'s second request to throw out a proposed class action filed by investors who claim the company defrauded them by hiding obstacles it faced in obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its lead product.
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September 05, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The Fifth Circuit declined to revive a proposed global settlement related to the 2010 BP oil spill, a Hawaii federal judge determined a coverage dispute stemming from the 2023 Maui wildfires belonged in state court, and an Aon unit sought at least $140 million in damages from a Chinese bank.
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September 05, 2024
5th Circ. Pins Ex-Hospital Worker's Late Bias Charge On EEOC
The Fifth Circuit breathed new life into a former patient care assistant's lawsuit alleging a Houston hospital fired her for reporting that colleagues called her "white trash," saying she shouldn't be faulted for a tardy presuit charge when the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission caused the delay.
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September 04, 2024
Medical Cos. Must Provide Doctor Names In Fla. Qui Tam Suit
A Florida federal judge has ordered several medical companies accused of fraudulently obtaining more Medicare funding than they were owed to produce the names of doctors associated with the companies, saying the difference between employed and affiliate providers isn't relevant.
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September 04, 2024
10th Circ. Partially Nixes Insurer Win In Liposuction Death Suit
The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday revived a health provider's bad faith claim against its insurer over coverage for a $60 million judgment stemming from a woman's fatal liposuction surgery, finding the claim fell within a four-year period of limitations for insurance bad faith claims.
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September 04, 2024
UBH Wins On Parity In Family's Mental Health Benefits Fight
A Utah federal judge has handed mixed results to United Behavioral Health and a father whose child was partially denied coverage for mental health treatment at two residential treatment centers.
Expert Analysis
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4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News
Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
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Digging Into The Debate On FDA's Proposed Lab Test Rule
A proposed 10-word amendment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration represents a sea change in device regulation as it would summarily end decades of FDA enforcement discretion for laboratory developed tests, and the public comments offer some insight into the future of this long-running saga, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
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AI In Health Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023
As the use of artificial intelligence accelerated this year, Expert Analysis writers examined AI's significant impact on the healthcare sector, ranging from key compliance considerations for companies utilizing AI tools to regulators' efforts to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies.
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The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023
A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
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Inside Higher Education's New FCA Liability Challenges
As the educational sector expands its use of government funding, schools are at increased risk under the False Claims Act, but recent settlements offer valuable lessons about new theories of liability they may face and specific procedures to reduce their exposure, say James Zelenay and Jeremy Ochsenbein at Gibson Dunn.
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AI Executive Order's Life Science, Healthcare Industry Effects
The recent White House executive order to manage risks associated with artificial intelligence includes provisions specific to healthcare and life sciences that merit special attention, including transparency, human oversight of AI output, and real world performance monitoring, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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HHS Advisory Highlights Free Product Inducement Risks
A recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advisory opinion highlights concerns that valuable free products and other inducements may influence patients and providers to choose one manufacturer’s product over another, notwithstanding that such free healthcare products may be a benefit, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities
Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
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In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023
Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
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How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season
Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Top 10 Whistleblowing And Retaliation Events Of 2023
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and federal and state courts made 2023 another groundbreaking year for whistleblower litigation and retaliation developments, including the SEC’s massive whistleblower awards, which are likely to continue into 2024 and further incentivize individuals to submit tips, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.