More Healthcare Coverage
-
November 04, 2024
DOD Trans Healthcare Denial Discriminates, Judge Rules
A Maine federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. Department of Defense's denial of healthcare coverage for two transgender women's gender-confirmation surgeries violates the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause, finding that the way the department applied a statutory exclusion discriminated based on sex and transgender status.
-
November 04, 2024
VA Accused Of Choosing 'Pass-Through' Co. For $257M Deal
A veteran-owned small business has challenged a $256.8 million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs telehealth program support contract, saying the VA wrongly chose a small business joint venture that effectively served as a pass-through for a larger company.
-
November 04, 2024
Sandoz Wins $70M In Antitrust Suit Over Hypertension Drug
A New Jersey federal court awarded Sandoz Inc. just over $70 million in damages in a case accusing biopharmaceutical firm United Therapeutics Corp. of blocking the sale of a generic version of a hypertension medication, according to a Friday order.
-
November 04, 2024
Hospital Can't Undo Widow's $5M Win Over Husband's Suicide
An Illinois state appeals court won't upend a $5 million verdict awarded to a widow against a Cook County hospital in a suit over her husband's death by suicide, finding that the widow's expert testimony was enough for a jury to conclude that the doctor's negligence led to the death.
-
November 01, 2024
UChicago Must Face Student's Disability Discrimination Claim
A University of Chicago medical student who was dismissed for creating a fake email account to send an instructor evaluations can pursue his claim that the university illegally tied his multiple mental and physical disabilities to his dismissal, but he must drop his claim that the university failed to accommodate those disabilities, an Illinois federal judge said Thursday.
-
November 01, 2024
SC Hospital Settles Ex-Worker's Wage, Retaliation Suit
A South Carolina hospital reached a $15,000 deal with a former employee alleging she was forced to work through unpaid meal breaks and then fired shortly after filing a lawsuit, according to a joint settlement motion filed in federal court.
-
October 31, 2024
Ill. Judge Doubts Hillrom's Bid For Rival's Communications
An Illinois federal judge signaled hesitation Thursday over hospital-bed maker Hillrom's bid for a rival's communications it asserts will show that the rival lodged untimely antitrust claims, saying the company may be "skipping a step" by asserting their importance.
-
October 31, 2024
The 2024 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard
Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms made the list of leaders in all-around excellence this year.
-
October 31, 2024
Firms' Hiring Strategies Are Evolving In Fight For Top Spot
Competition for top talent among elite law firms shows no signs of slowing down, even amid economic uncertainty, with financially strong firms deploying aggressive strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals to solidify their market position.
-
October 30, 2024
Ga. Health Commish 'Overstepped' In Hospital Turf War
The Georgia Court of Appeals has tossed a ruling from the state's Commissioner for the Department of Community Health that would have allowed a metro Atlanta hospital system to open a new radiology center, saying Tuesday that the commissioner overstepped his review powers.
-
October 29, 2024
NY Judge Tosses $14B Decongestant MDL
A New York federal judge threw out a streamlined complaint in a multidistrict litigation accusing companies such as Target and Bayer of making and selling ineffective over-the-counter decongestants, finding Tuesday the state claims are expressly preempted, and the proposed class lacks standing on a federal racketeering claim as indirect purchasers.
-
October 28, 2024
Gov't Says No Duty To Pay $69M In COVID Testing Claims
The Health Resources and Services Administration has urged the Court of Federal Claims to toss a lawsuit alleging the agency owes a laboratory $69 million in unpaid claims under a COVID-19 program for the uninsured, saying there was no contractual duty to pay.
-
October 28, 2024
2nd Circ. Says Medical Fellow Can't Get New Harassment Trial
The Second Circuit said Monday that a former cancer center fellow can't get a new trial in her suit claiming her supervisor promised to advance her career if she gave in to his sexual advances, ruling the compensatory damages award she received on a battery claim was fair.
-
October 28, 2024
Transgender Inmate's Suit Meets Skeptical 2nd Circ. Judge
A Second Circuit judge pressed counsel for a transgender inmate Monday to explain how prison officials in Connecticut were supposed to know that their failure to refer the inmate to specific gender dysphoria treatment would constitute cruel and unusual punishment, noting that relevant case law may not have put them on notice.
-
October 25, 2024
DC Circ. Could Nix OK Of $8M Equatorial Guinea Award
The D.C. Circuit on Friday appeared willing to consider nixing enforcement of an $8 million arbitral award against Equatorial Guinea issued in a dispute over an ill-fated hospital operating contract, even as the panel spent much of a hearing focusing on the impact of a decade-old U.S. Supreme Court decision.
-
October 25, 2024
NJ Ethics Board Faces Contempt Bid In Retaliation Fight
Counsel for a New Jersey health official who claimed his firing during the COVID-19 pandemic was retaliatory asked a court to hold the State Ethics Commission in contempt for stalling discovery under the guise that the state health regulator initiated the termination, despite "well documented" evidence that it was the commission and Gov. Phil Murphy.
-
October 23, 2024
Court Denies Fees In 'Objectively Specious' Trade Secrets Suit
A Seattle federal judge has agreed that a dental health insurer litigated an "objectively specious" trade secrets lawsuit against two of its former company officials, but ruled that not enough showed it was pursuing the case "in bad faith."
-
October 23, 2024
ICE, Nonprofits End FOIA Row Over Alleged Sterilization Docs
Three nonprofits dismissed their Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeking records related to unnecessary and "nonconsensual" gynecological procedures performed on immigrant detainees at an ICE detention center in Georgia, according to a notice filed Wednesday in D.C. federal court.
-
October 23, 2024
NC Justices Scrutinize Scope Of Liability Shield In COVID Law
An attorney for a doctor accused of medical malpractice faced sharp questioning Wednesday as North Carolina justices pushed him to define how much protection from liability was granted by an emergency law enacted to safeguard the state's healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
October 22, 2024
IQVIA, Veeva Blast Summary Judgment Bids In Secrets Suit
Life sciences data giant IQVIA Inc. and competitor Veeva Systems Inc. slammed each other's summary judgment bids made public Tuesday in a trade secrets lawsuit in New Jersey federal court, with Veeva arguing that IQVIA's purported trade secrets are hardly confidential and IQVIA saying Veeva's assertions are "a last-ditch effort to avoid liability."
-
October 22, 2024
Patent Office Finds Public Engagement Leader
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has tapped a former U.S. Small Business Administration program specialist to head the patent office's recently created section meant to bolster its outreach and communication efforts.
-
October 21, 2024
9th Circ. Judge Slams 'Reprehensible' Policy In Jail Death
A Ninth Circuit judge on Monday blasted a healthcare contractor's policy that denied hospital treatment for a woman in a Washington jail who died from a ruptured intestine, but nevertheless questioned if a $24 million punitive damage jury award was excessive.
-
October 21, 2024
Weight Loss Clinic Denied Quick Relief In TM Suit
A North Carolina hospital and healthcare provider don't have to stop using the trademarks targeted in a weight loss clinic's infringement suit, a federal judge ruled Monday, finding that the clinic will not suffer significant consequences absent the immediate relief.
-
October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms
The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
-
October 18, 2024
Ill. Justices Find Broad COVID Immunity For Health Facilities
The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday read broad immunity into an emergency order that immunized healthcare facilities aiding the state's COVID-19 response, saying the order shields those facilities from ordinary negligence claims during that time, not just ones directly relating to their pandemic care.
Expert Analysis
-
The FTC Needs To Challenge The Novo-Catalent Deal
Novo's acquisition of Catalent threatens to substantially lessen competition in the manufacturing and marketing of GLP-1 diabetes and obesity drugs, and the Federal Trade Commission should challenge it under a vertical theory of harm, as it aligns with last year's merger guidelines and the Fifth Circuit decision in Illumina, says attorney David Balto.
-
Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
-
Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
-
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
-
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
-
A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
-
A Look At Acquisition Trends For Radiopharmaceuticals
As radiopharmaceutical drugs are increasingly used for the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases, interest from Big Pharma entities is following suit, despite some questions around the drugs' capacity to expand beyond their limited niche, says Adrian Toutoungi at Taylor Wessing.
-
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
-
How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.
-
How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts
As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
-
Calif. Ruling Heightens Medical Product Maker Liability
The California Supreme Court's decision in Himes v. Somatics last month articulates a new causation standard for medical product manufacturer liability that may lead to stronger product disclosures nationwide and greater friction between manufacturers and physicians, say attorneys at Cooley.
-
Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.
-
3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.