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Southern District of Florida Dismisses Amended Complaint Alleging Google Purposefully Engaged in Scheme to Defraud Plaintiff by Suppressing Conservative Viewpoints

Plaintiff, DJ Lincoln Enterprises, Inc., is a Florida publishing/marketing/sales company (“Plaintiff”). According to the Amended Complaint, through communications between the parties, Google induced Plaintiff to make changes to its website to conform with Google’s standards to optimize the number of visits to the website, which Plaintiff did at great cost and expense. Plaintiff contends it reasonably relied on Google’s promise that the changes to its website would improve the search results. According to Plaintiff, Google blacklisted Plaintiff and intentionally manipulated Google Search’s algorithms in a… Read More »Southern District of Florida Dismisses Amended Complaint Alleging Google Purposefully Engaged in Scheme to Defraud Plaintiff by Suppressing Conservative Viewpoints

Relator’s Qui Tam Suit Asserting False Claims Act Violations Dismissed with Prejudice

Relator brought qui tam suit against Chicago Vein Institute and its founding physicians, claiming violations of the False Claims Act (“FCA”), including a violation of the FCA’s anti-retaliation provision. More specifically, Relator alleged: (1) defendants knowingly presented false or fraudulent claims for payment; (2) knowingly made, used or caused to be made or used, false records or statements material to a false or fraudulent claim; and (3) knowingly concealed or knowingly and improperly avoided obligations to pay the government. Additionally, Relator alleged Defendants offered and… Read More »Relator’s Qui Tam Suit Asserting False Claims Act Violations Dismissed with Prejudice

SEC Charges Deutsche Bank With FCPA Violations Related to Third-Party Intermediaries

SEC Press Release – “Washington D.C., Jan. 8, 2021 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Deutsche Bank AG for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).  As part of coordinated resolutions with the SEC and the Department of Justice, Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay more than $120 million, which includes more than $43 million to settle the SEC’s charges.”

Eleventh Circuit Revives False Claims Act Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Florida Mortgage Company

Fourteen years ago, Relators filed this qui tam action under the FCA against the now defunct Mortgage Investors Corporation (“MIC”), to recover monies the VA had paid when MIC allegedly added unlawful fees to VA-backed loans. Among other things, the district court granted MIC’s motion for summary judgment on the FCA claim holding no reasonable jury could find MIC’s alleged fraud was material. The Relators appealed. On January 15, 2021, the 11th Circuit concluded the summary judgment was improper on Relators’ FCA claim because genuine… Read More »Eleventh Circuit Revives False Claims Act Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Florida Mortgage Company

Justice Department Recovers Over $2.2 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2020

On January 14, 2021, the DOJ announced it had obtained more than $2.2 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2020. Of the more than $2.2 billion in settlements and judgments recovered by the Department of Justice this past fiscal year, over $1.8 billion relates to matters that involved the health care industry, including drug and medical device manufacturers, managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, laboratories, and physicians.… Read More »Justice Department Recovers Over $2.2 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2020