More Healthcare Coverage

  • June 16, 2025

    Doctor Will Admit Dealing Ketamine That Killed Matthew Perry

    A physician has agreed to plead guilty to helping supply the ketamine that killed "Friends" star Matthew Perry, according to a plea agreement filed in California federal court Monday.

  • June 16, 2025

    Nurse Lost Job Over Co.'s Belief He Was Trans, Suit Says

    A medical staffing agency misidentified a gay nurse as transgender and unlawfully revoked his job assignment because of his sexual orientation before forcing him out of the company, the worker claimed Monday in North Carolina federal court.

  • June 13, 2025

    7th Circ. Won't Revive RICO Claims Against Blood Test Co.

    A group of pilots and other people required to undergo alcohol screening for their employment cannot pursue their Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act claims against a drug testing company, the Seventh Circuit ruled Friday after finding that the complaint doesn't adequately tie the plaintiffs' injuries to the alleged fraudulent scheme.

  • June 12, 2025

    WWE Accuser's Firm Blames PACER For Late Response

    Counsel for the law firm representing a former World Wrestling Entertainment staffer on sex trafficking and abuse claims has objected to a motion for default in a related defamation suit, said he couldn't appear in the case earlier in part because of difficulty accessing the federal judiciary's electronic docket system, but he said he would have asked for more time to respond anyway.

  • June 12, 2025

    Bristol-Myers Promotes Attorney To Lead Corporate Affairs

    Pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb continued to shuffle its legal department with the recent promotion of an in-house attorney to lead its corporate affairs, filling in a role left vacant when her predecessor was named general counsel last month.

  • June 11, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Says VA Worker Must Submit To Random Drug Tests

    The Federal Circuit has upheld an arbitration decision requiring a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee, allegedly caught using marijuana on the job, to release her medical records and submit to random drug testing as part of a slate of conditions for her to return to work, finding the arbitrator's award acceptable.

  • June 11, 2025

    PTAB Issues Mixed Group Of Discretionary Denial Decisions

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has invoked its discretion to free Nike Inc. and Cleveland Medical Devices from having their patents scrutinized, but refused to do so for Vermeer Manufacturing Co.

  • June 10, 2025

    Stewart's Newest Discretionary Denial Has Attys On Edge

    The acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director's decision on Friday to reject patent challenges due to the petitioner's long-standing knowledge of a patent has many attorneys bracing for either a massive rise or dip in Patent Trial and Appeal Board filings.

  • June 09, 2025

    Aetna Inks $3.4M Deal In Suit Over Cancer Treatment Denials

    Aetna has agreed to pay at least $3.4 million to resolve a proposed class action claiming it shirked federal benefits law by mischaracterizing a proton beam cancer radiation treatment as experimental to deny claims, according to a Florida federal court filing.

  • June 09, 2025

    Doc Says WWE Accuser's Firm Ignored Defamation Suit

    A celebrity doctor and his practice are seeking a default win in Connecticut federal court Monday against an allegedly nonresponsive law firm over comments a partner made amid a discovery dispute connected to the sexual abuse case a former World Wrestling Entertainment legal staffer is pursuing against the company and its co-founder.

  • June 06, 2025

    Patent Office Leader Rejects IPRs Based On 12-Year Wait

    Acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Coke Morgan Stewart on Friday turned away a series of challenges to Welch Allyn Inc.'s heart monitor patents, determining petitioner iRhythm Technologies Inc. should have disputed them much earlier.

  • June 06, 2025

    Texas Court Says Doctor Can Be Sued For Service Dog Mauling

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday greenlit a suit accusing a gynecologist of negligently giving a patient a note stating that she required a service dog which later mauled a toddler, saying the alleged negligence is not a malpractice claim, therefore the plaintiffs did not need a medical expert's opinion.

  • June 06, 2025

    Wash. Panel Grills Ambulance Co. On Crash Immunity Defense

    Washington appellate judges expressed skepticism on Friday regarding an ambulance company's stance that qualified immunity shielded it from a patient estate's $2.3 million jury verdict over a mid-transport crash, while also casting doubt on the family's contention that the defendant had forfeited its appeal rights.

  • June 06, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Weighs Purview Over Acorda's $17M Arbitral Award

    A Federal Circuit panel on Friday wrestled with its authority to consider arbitration appeals dealing with patent law, with at least one judge appearing skeptical that it could consider Acorda Therapeutics Inc.'s bid to increase a $16.6 million award in a fight with Alkermes PLC over a multiple sclerosis drug.

  • June 06, 2025

    Free Speech Shields Rehab From Permit Suit, Court Says

    A Connecticut drug treatment facility does not have to face claims, including unfair trade practices, lodged by a prospective competitor amid a contentious permit battle, a state appellate panel ruled Friday, finding that the state's anti-SLAPP statute is fatal to the case.

  • June 06, 2025

    NJ Firm Says It Has No Business Being Sued In Louisiana

    New Jersey-based Porzio Bromberg & Newman PC asked a Louisiana federal judge to dismiss a doctor's suit accusing the firm of driving him into bankruptcy, arguing that there's no jurisdiction that would justify continued litigation in the state.

  • June 05, 2025

    Med Mal Juror Misconduct Claim Won't Mean New Trial

    An Indiana state appeals court Thursday upheld a defense win in a medical malpractice trial despite a juror's post-verdict revelation that she had previously heard of a defense expert witness.

  • June 04, 2025

    4th Circ. Invokes Rooker-Feldman In Hospitalization Case

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday found that a woman could not challenge a consent order she signed to be released from an involuntary hospital commitment, marking the first opinion of its kind from the court in two decades invoking the Rooker-Feldman doctrine.

  • June 03, 2025

    Patent Deals Accelerate Access To Generics, Drug Group Says

    Deals between the makers of brand name drugs and the companies behind their generic versions have led to billions of dollars in healthcare cost savings and faster access to cheaper medicines, according to a new report.

  • June 03, 2025

    MultiPlan Must Face Reimbursement Pricing Antitrust MDL

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday largely rejected a bid by MultiPlan to ditch multidistrict litigation accusing the company of illegally fixing out-of-network reimbursement rates, trimming only unjust enrichment claims while allowing antitrust claims to move forward.

  • June 03, 2025

    Adidas, UChicago Failed To Protect Data In Hacks, Suits Say

    Adidas' American arm and the University of Chicago Medical Center have been sued for allegedly failing to keep sensitive identifying information safe from hackers who stole it through certain third-party vendors.

  • May 30, 2025

    Mich. Workers Get Final OK For Boot-Up Suit Settlement

    A Michigan federal court greenlighted an $86,000 settlement resolving an insurance specialist's collective action accusing a home healthcare company of failing to pay employees for the time they spent booting up their computers.

  • May 30, 2025

    Temple U., Cancer Center Can't Dodge Prof's Sex Bias Claims

    Temple University and its cancer research center can't shut down the bulk of a researcher's suit claiming her supervisor refused to support her after she complained about his unwanted advances, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled, finding she plausibly alleged harassment interfered with her job.

  • May 29, 2025

    Express Scripts Says Arkansas Can't Ban PBM Pharmacies

    Pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts sued the state of Arkansas in federal court Thursday, alleging that the state's recently enacted law banning PBMs from owning pharmacies in the state violated the U.S. Constitution and ran afoul of federal law governing military employee benefits.

  • May 28, 2025

    3rd Circ. Pauses J&J Unit Appeal In Talc Study Libel Case

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday granted a bid by Johnson & Johnson's talc liability unit to stay briefing in its appeal seeking to revive a libel case over a scientific article linking talcum power to mesothelioma.

Expert Analysis

  • Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • Compliance Lessons From Warby Parker's HIPAA Fine

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil money penalty against Warby Parker highlights the emerging challenges that consumer-facing brands encounter when expanding into healthcare-adjacent sectors, with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance being a potential focus of regulatory attention, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • J&J's Failed 3rd Try Casts Doubt On Use Of 'Texas Two-Step'

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    A Texas bankruptcy court recently rejected Johnson & Johnson's third attempt to use Chapter 11 to resolve liabilities from allegations of injuries from using talcum powder, suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court's limitations on nondebtor releases, from 2024's Purdue Pharma ruling, may prove difficult to evade, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

  • Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals

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    If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.

  • 10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks

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    The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • Notable Q1 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    The first quarter of 2025 was filled with the refinement of old theories in the property and casualty space, including in vehicle valuation, time to seek appraisal and materials depreciation, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • Power To The Paralegals: The Value Of Unified State Licensing

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    Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.

  • GC Nominee Likely Has Employer-Friendly NLRB Priorities

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    President Donald Trump’s nomination of Crystal Carey as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board indicates the administration's intent to revive precedents favorable to employers, including expansion of permissible employer speech and reinstatement of procedural steps needed for employees to achieve unionization, say attorneys at Vorys.

  • 10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master

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    As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.

  • An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future

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    Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.

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