Policy & Compliance

  • September 16, 2024

    5th Circ. Judge Chides High Court Calls in Abortion Pill Case

    U.S. Circuit Judge James C. Ho on Monday threw shade at the U.S. Supreme Court and the Biden administration over what he described as side-switching on federal conscience laws for doctors.

  • September 16, 2024

    NC High Court Snapshot: Tax Fights And A Health Care Spat

    Regulatory battles will take center stage when the North Carolina Supreme Court returns from summer break this week for a September argument lineup featuring appeals by Phillip Morris, Duke University's hospital and two Boost Mobile dealers.

  • September 16, 2024

    Nebraska Medical Cannabis Initiatives Will Be On Nov. Ballot

    Initiatives to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska will appear on the ballot come November, despite some evidence of fraud in the signature-collecting petition process, according to state election officials.

  • September 13, 2024

    The 2024 Regional Powerhouses

    The law firms on Law360's list of 2024 Regional Powerhouses reflected the local peculiarities of their states while often representing clients in deals and cases that captured national attention.

  • September 13, 2024

    Doctor Charged In DOJ Fraud Suit Gets 6 Months Probation

    One of the defendants accused in a healthcare fraud suit that ended in a mistrial in 2022 was sentenced Thursday to six months of probation after pleading guilty in June to one count of aiding and abetting the conversion of public money in connection with the alleged fraud.

  • September 13, 2024

    Neb. Court Allows Competing Abortion Measures On Ballot

    Nebraska's top court agreed on Friday to let two competing — and sharply contested — abortion initiatives on the November ballot.

  • September 13, 2024

    Mass. Justices Say Benefits Don't Accrue Under Leave Law

    Massachusetts' top court ruled Friday that the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave Act doesn't allow a group of state troopers to accrue certain benefits while on leave.

  • September 12, 2024

    ND Judge Finds 'Fundamental Right' To Abortion, Strikes Ban

    Women in North Dakota have a "fundamental right" to abortion access pre-viability, a state judge ruled Thursday in a decision overturning a near-total state ban.

  • September 11, 2024

    Gender Care Hearing Centers On Ohio Bill Of Rights

    Questions about potential conflicts between an Ohio gender care ban and a right to healthcare "freedom" enshrined in the state constitution dominated much of a Wednesday hearing in a state appellate court.

  • September 10, 2024

    Missouri High Court Puts Abortion Rights Back on Nov. Ballot

    Missourians will have a chance to vote this year on a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion access following a Tuesday ruling by the state's highest court.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Analyzing FDA Draft Guidance On Clinical Trial Diversity

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    In light of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's draft guidance on clinical trial diversity action plans, there are several important considerations for sponsors and clinical researchers to keep in mind to prevent delay in a drug or device application, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • In The CFPB Playbook: Making Good On Bold Promises

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure in the second quarter cleared the way for the bureau to resume a number of high-priority initiatives, and it appears poised to charge ahead in working toward its aggressive preelection agenda, say Andrew Arculin and Paula Vigo Marqués at Blank Rome.

  • Critical Questions Remain After High Court's Abortion Rulings

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in two major abortion-related cases this term largely preserve the status quo for now, but leave federal preemption, the Comstock Act and in vitro fertilization in limbo, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Navigating FDA Supply Rule Leeway For Small Dispensers

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    As the November compliance deadline for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new pharmaceutical distribution supply chain rules draws closer, small dispensers should understand the narrow flexibilities that are available, and the questions to consider before taking advantage of them, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • 1st Gender Care Ban Provides Context For High Court Case

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    The history of Arkansas' ban on gender-affirming medical care — the first such legislation in the U.S. — provides important insight into the far-reaching ramifications that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti next term will have on transgender healthcare, says Tyler Saenz at Baker Donelson.

  • 6 Lessons From DOJ's 1st Controlled Drug Case In Telehealth

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    Following the U.S. Department of Justice’s first-ever criminal prosecution over telehealth-prescribed controlled substances in U.S. v. Ruthia He, healthcare providers should be mindful of the risks associated with restricting the physician-patient relationship when crafting new business models, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • After Chevron: Scale Tips Favor Away From HHS Agencies

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    The loss of Chevron deference may indirectly aid parties in challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretations of regulations and could immediately influence several pending cases challenging HHS on technical questions and agency authority, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • After Chevron: FDA Regulations In The Crosshairs

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine is likely to unleash an array of challenges against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, focusing on areas of potential overreach such as the FDA's authority under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • USPTO Disclaimer Rule Would Complicate Patent Prosecution

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's proposed changes to terminal disclaimer practice could lead to a patent owner being unable to enforce a valid patent simply because it is indirectly tied to a patent in which a single claim is found anticipated or obvious in view of the prior art, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • Navigating Scrutiny Of Friendly Professional Corps. In Calif.

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    In light of ongoing scrutiny and challenges to private equity participation in the California healthcare marketplace, particularly surrounding the use of the friendly professional corporation model, management services organizations should consider implementing four best practices, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Takeaways From New HHS Substance Use Disorder Info Rules

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    A new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule continues the agency's efforts to harmonize complex rules surrounding confidentiality provisions for substance use disorder patient records, though healthcare providers will need to remain mindful of different potentially applicable requirements and changes that their compliance structures may require, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter of 2024 in California, which saw efforts to expand consumer protection legislation and enforcement actions in areas of federal focus like medical debt and student loans, demonstrated that the state's role as a trendsetter in consumer financial protection will continue for the foreseeable future, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Cannabis Rescheduling May Affect Current Operators

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    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's proposal to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III provides relief in the form of federal policy from the stigma and burdens of Schedule I, but commercial cannabis operations will remain unchanged until the federal-state cannabis policy gap is remedied by Congress, say Meital Manzuri and Alexis Lazzeri at Manzuri Law.