The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) recently filed its first civil action. The agency, formed by the Dodd-Frank Act with the mission of regulating the consumer finance industry, sued and effectively stopped a Los Angeles firm that was charging homeowners for loan modifications that never happened. The CFPB charged that […]
Details Emerge from Glaxo Whistleblower Suit
New details have emerged regarding GlaxoSmithKline’s acts of misconduct which led to a $3 billion qui tam (“whistleblower”) suit. GlaxoSmithKline (“Glaxo” or “GSK”) recently agreed to pay $3 billion to resolve claims that the drug giant unlawfully engaged in off-label marketing of nine prescription drugs. The Glaxo employees who became […]
J&J Settles Illegal Marketing Claims Involving Risperdal
In a recent regulatory filing, Johnson & Johnson revealed that it had reached an “agreement in principle” with the federal Department of Justice and a number of states involving marketing practices for Risperdal. Specifically, drug maker Johnson & Johnson reported that it had reached a settlement of three pending False […]
Mayo Clinic Settles Whistleblower False-Billing Suit
The Mayo Clinic has agreed to pay $1.26 million to settle a federal whistleblower lawsuit arising from false billing claims. In the qui tam (“whistleblower” lawsuit), four whistleblowers and the Department of Justice accused the Mayo Clinic of knowingly submitting false claims for nonexistent pathology tests from 1999 to 2007. […]
Whistleblowers Awarded $46.5 Million in National Foreclosure Settlement
Six whistleblowers received substantial awards for their part in exposing fraud committed by the nation’s largest mortgage lenders. In a settlement announced by the Justice Department in April 2012, the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders – Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, CitiGroup, and Ally Financial – agreed […]
CFPB Recovers $210 Million in First Enforcement Action
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) recently announced that Capital One Financial Corp. (“Capital One”) will pay a total of $200 million to settle charges related to deceptive marketing of credit card “add-on” products such as payment protection and credit monitoring. This was the first enforcement action brought by the […]
NextCare Agrees to Pay $10 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations
NextCare Inc. which operates urgent care facilities with locations in North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Ohio, and Virginia, recently agreed to pay $10 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations. The settlement was announced by the Justice Department in early July 2012. The settlement resolved allegations that NextCare submitted false […]
CFPB Announces Plans to Simplify and Clarify Mortgage Disclosure Forms
As it approaches its one-year anniversary, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) announced plans for overhauling the home mortgage market as a first step toward improving its fairness and clarity. The CFPB was created through the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act with a mission of helping ensure clarity and fairness in the […]
Abbott Laboratories to Pay $1.6 Billion to Settle Deceptive Marketing Claims
Abbott Laboratories (“Abbott”) recently announced that it will pay $1.6 billion to settle various federal and state claims that it improperly marketed the prescription drug Depakote for off-label uses. Abbott will pay $800 million to resolve civil claims brought by the federal government and states, $700 million in criminal penalties, […]
Joint Policy Committee Calls for Asbestos Ban
The Joint Policy Committee of the Societies of Epidemiology has issued a statement calling for a complete ban on the mining, export and use of asbestos. More than one hundred scientific, epidemiology and public health organizations have endorsed the statement. Unfortunately, despite the overwhelming knowledge in the medical and scientific […]