David T. Fischer

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Firm/Organization: Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Blogs: False Claims Act Defense, Healthcare Law Blog

Latest Articles

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released its annual statistical report on recoveries and new matters under the False Claims Act (FCA). The aggregate reported recovery of $2.8 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2018 is the lowest such total since FY 2009 and is 17% lower than last year’s total and less than half of FY 2014’s all-time high recovery of over $6.1 billion. As the table below shows, however, DOJ’s and private qui tam…
The False Claims Act’s statute of limitations is, easily, the most confusing portion of the False Claims Act. On November 16, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in case that has the potential to bring some clarity to the FCA’s statute of limitations. The FCA has two statute of limitations. Normally, a case must be brought within 6 years of “the date on which the violation of [the False Claims Act] is committed.” 31 U.S.C. § …
And it is even more difficult still if the defendant had – and acted in accordance with – a reasonable interpretation of the vague or ambiguous statute, regulation or contract provision. A concurring opinion in a Supreme Court decision issued this week indicates that civil liability in such situations may also be Constitutionally suspect.…
The DOJ is empowered under the FCA to seek dismissal of unmeritorious qui tam suits brought in its name. The DOJ has historically used this power sparingly. We are happy to report, however, that more dismissals may be on the horizon. On January 10, 2018, Michael Granston, Director of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice circulated an internal memorandum that was published last week in the legal press. The…
A judge recently unsealed portions of the Department of Justice’s criminal discovery manual that provides Department policy for investigating and prosecuting criminal cases. As the DC Circuit explained two years ago, “[i]t contains information and advice for prosecutors about conducting discovery in their cases, including guidance about the government’s various obligations to provide discovery to defendant.” It was developed in large part in response to the horribly flawed prosecution of the late Sen. Ted Stevens –…
A Memorandum dated January 10, 2018 and authored by Michael Granston, Director of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, was published on January 24, 2018 (the “Memorandum”). The Memorandum, addressed to DOJ attorneys, describes the factors that government attorneys should consider in deciding whether the government should voluntarily dismiss unmeritorious qui tam suits pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A). This policy guidance, which was picked up by …
An early report from the Health Care Compliance Association’s Health Care Enforcement Compliance Institute states that DOJ will be moving to dismiss False Claims Act cases that it concludes lack merit. DOJ has not yet posted the speech on its website but RACmonitor, an online news and information source for healthcare providers, reports that: In announcing a significant policy change, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said that when it concludes that a qui…
An early report from the Health Care Compliance Association’s Health Care Enforcement Compliance Institute states that DOJ will be moving to dismiss False Claims Act cases that it concludes lack merit. DOJ has not yet posted the speech on its website but RACmonitor, an online news and information source for healthcare providers, reports that: In announcing a significant policy change, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said that when it concludes that a qui…
The DC Circuit recently issued a decision in U.S. ex rel. McBride v. Halliburton — F.3d —-, 2017 WL 655439 (D.C. Cir. Feb. 17, 2017), in which it applied Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar, 136 S. Ct. 1989 (2016) to a government contracts False Claims Act matter.  It found that the government’s failure to seek repayment after investigating a relator’s claim was “very strong evidence” that the false statement…
On December 6, 2016 the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) issued two final rules relating to the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP).  These rules affect a wide variety of health care companies and also impact False Claims Act investigations and litigation.…