Discovery Ruling in District of Minnesota May Have Far-Reaching Implications for FCA Defendants

In a concise, six-page discovery order, a federal judge in Minneapolis may have just started the proverbial shifting of tectonic plates undergirding routine defense procedures in False Claims Act (FCA) litigation by requiring a defendant in an FCA lawsuit to produce the information provided to the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the DOJ’s process of determining whether to pursue the matter.

The FCA creates liability for persons or entities found to have knowingly submitted false claims to the government or having caused others to do so. Like some other federal laws, the FCA creates a private right of action; under the act, a private party—a whistleblower or “relator”—may bring a qui tam action on behalf of the government. When initially filed, the court seals the complaint pending the government’s investigation of the case. If the government chooses, it may intervene and pursue the matter. If not, the relator may pursue the case on its own. (In either case, the relator is entitled to a percentage of the government’s recovery.)

View the full Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

Duane Morris’ Michael E. Clark to Present at ABA’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Mock Trial Institute

Duane Morris special counsel Michael E. Clark, who is this event’s co-chair, will also present during several sessions at the American Bar Association’s (ABA) First Annual Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Mock Trial Institute, to be held on November 16–17, 2016, in Houston, Texas.

On Wednesday, November 16, Mr. Clark will participate in the following sessions: “Jury Selection and Voir Dire,” at 8:30 a.m.; “Initial Jury Charge and Opening Statements” at 10:00 a.m.; “Government Witness Two: FBI Agent” at 10:45 a.m.; and “Defense Witness One – Henry Hornsby” at 2:00 p.m. On Thursday, November 17, Mr. Clark will be a panelist on the topic, “Session One: Discussion of Key Strategies, Issues and Themes in the FCPA Trial,” at 8:30 a.m.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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