Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced Wednesday he appointed eight new members to a vaccine advisory panel, just two days after he removed 17 existing members of the panel, which provides advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Law360
Health
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

RFK Jr. Picks Vaccine Critics As Part Of CDC Panel Overhaul

By Hannah Albarazi

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced Wednesday he appointed eight new members to a vaccine advisory panel, just two days after he removed 17 existing members of the panel, which provides advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ga. Hospice Provider Pays $9.2M To End Kickback Case

By Mark Payne

A Georgia hospice care provider and its CEO forked over $9.2 million to settle claims that they violated federal fraud laws by participating in a kickback scheme with medical directors who referred hospice patients to the group, prosecutors announced Wedesnday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

VA Contractor To Pay $4.3M To Resolve Overbilling Claims

By Tom Lotshaw

Healthcare technology company Omnicell Inc. has agreed to pay more than $4.3 million to settle allegations it fraudulently overcharged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for medical products and software, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

UNC Hospital System Must Face Ex-Resident's Bias Suit

By Emily Brill

The University of North Carolina's hospital system must face a discrimination lawsuit filed by a fired surgical resident, a North Carolina federal judge ruled Wednesday, tossing the system's motion to dismiss claims that the discharge decision was motivated by bias against the resident's mental health conditions.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LITIGATION

Conn. Orthopedic Practice Faces Data Breach Class Claims

By Aaron Keller

A March 2 data breach at a Connecticut orthopedic practice exposed the personal information and health data of an unknown number of patients to online hackers, a patient alleged in a proposed class action.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Health Network Strikes Deal In Retirement Plan Forfeiture Suit

By Grace Elletson

A Pennsylvania health system has settled a suit claiming it failed to tamp down on unnecessary expenses in its $1.1 billion retirement plan and used forfeited funds to cover its own contributions to the plan instead of using the abandoned cash to reduce fees.

Report attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

PTAB Issues Mixed Group Of Discretionary Denial Decisions

By Dani Kass

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.

7 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Seattle Hospital Hit With Class Suit Over 'Diverted' Pain Meds

By Rachel Riley

A Seattle-based hospital system has been slapped with a proposed class action in Washington state court over claims that hundreds of patients suffered unwarranted pain and risk of infection because a staff member may have been pocketing painkillers.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Cigna Accused Of Misusing $17M In 401(k) Forfeitures

By Matthew Santoni

Retirement plan participants and beneficiaries at Cigna say the company violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by using up to $17 million given up by participants who quit early to reduce the company's matching contributions, rather than using it to pay for the plan's administrative costs.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Aetna Resolves Lipedema Patients' Coverage Class Action

By Patrick Hoff

Aetna has agreed to end a class action alleging it unlawfully refused to cover liposuction as a treatment for over two dozen patients afflicted with a rare chronic condition called lipedema, according to a Wednesday filing in California federal court.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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

By Jonathan Capriel

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.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Oklahoma Pot Agency Wants Claims Tossed In Retaliation Suit

By Mike Curley

The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is urging a federal court to throw out Title VII and Age Discrimination in Employment Act claims in a suit by a former contract monitor who alleges she was fired for whistleblowing.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

PepGen Faces Investor Suit Over Muscular Dystrophy Drug

By Sydney Price

Clinical-stage biotech company PepGen Inc. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging it misled investors about the efficacy and commercial prospects of its muscular dystrophy drug, causing share price declines as investors learned of the drug's clinical trials' shortcomings.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Children's Healthcare Nonprofit Settles Retirement Fee Suit

By Kellie Mejdrich

A Florida-based nonprofit children's healthcare network and ex-workers who alleged their employee retirement savings were dragged down by excessive fees told a Florida federal court Wednesday they'd worked out a class action settlement of the dispute after mediation.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Walmart Pharmacist Says Age, Disability Bias Led To Firing

By Julie Manganis

A former pharmacy manager at a Massachusetts Walmart said he suffered age and disability discrimination following a stroke, then was wrongfully fired after more than 20 years with the retailer.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

BANKRUPTCY

IP, Health Law Scholars Object To 23andMe Ch. 11 Data Sale

By Emlyn Cameron

A number of university scholars urged a Missouri bankruptcy judge to require that DNA testing company 23andMe Holding Co.'s asset sale be contingent on the final buyer maintaining policies that benefit biomedical researchers.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EXPERT ANALYSIS

Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Appreciating Civil Procedure

If you’re like me, law school’s often complex and theoretical approach to teaching civil procedure may have contributed to an early struggle with the topic, but when seen from a practical perspective, new lawyers may find they enjoy mastering these rules, says Chloe Villagomez at Foster Garvey.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LEGAL INDUSTRY

Analysis

These Firms Are Landing The Most Patent Litigation Work

By Dani Kass

Rabicoff Law LLC reclaimed its status as the most active firm for patent plaintiffs, having filed more than twice as many cases in 2024 as it did in 2023, according to a new report from Lex Machina.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Says Newsom Can't Ask Court To Halt Guard Deployment

By Jared Foretek

The Trump administration is telling a California federal judge its decision to federalize the National Guard is unreviewable in court, calling California Gov. Gavin Newsom's effort to stop the takeover "a crass political stunt" in a new filing Wednesday.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Copyright Leader Says Firing Risks 'Inoperable' Agency

By Ivan Moreno

The fired leader of the U.S. Copyright Office has asked a D.C. federal judge to block the Trump administration's action while she challenges her termination, arguing that significant functions of the government agency could be rendered "inoperable" without judicial intervention.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Legal Policy Chief, Adviser On Judge Selections, Resigns

By Courtney Bublé

Aaron Reitz, a top U.S. Department of Justice official who works on judicial nominations, announced Wednesday he's resigning after being confirmed for the role on March 26.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DC Circ. Pauses Habeas Order In Alien Enemies Act Case

By Ali Sullivan

The D.C. Circuit has agreed to briefly pause a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to give due process to Venezuelan immigrants deported from the U.S. to a Salvadoran prison under the Alien Enemies Act.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

New Patent Cases Rebound As EDTX Seals Top Venue Spot

By Ryan Davis

The number of new patent suits filed in 2024 increased 22.2% over 2023, bouncing back from a historically slow year, and the Eastern District of Texas further cemented its status as the most popular patent venue after a rule change made another Texas district less attractive to plaintiffs.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

DOJ's Focus On Cartels Raises Compliance Risks For US Cos.

By Phillip Bantz

U.S. corporations with business interests south of the border are increasingly worried about exposure to terrorism-related criminal charges under the Trump administration for inadvertently working with cartels linked to major business sectors throughout Mexico, from energy and manufacturing to financial services, compliance experts tell Law360.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

JC Penney Blasts Jackson Walker Bid To Escape Fee Dispute

By Lynn LaRowe

J.C. Penney has called on a Texas bankruptcy court to knock down Jackson Walker LLP's bid to escape a fee suit prompted by a yearslong secret romance between a former firm partner and a onetime bankruptcy judge, saying the firm's dismissal bid is "riddled with implausibility, excuse and contradiction."

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Justices OK More Bar Exam Proposals After Fiasco

By Craig Clough

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday approved more measures to address the widespread problems that arose during the administration of the February bar exam, which includes a provisional license program for applicants who failed or withdrew from the exam. 

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

J&J's Beasley Allen DQ Bid Based On 'Innuendo,' Court Told

By Ryan Harroff

A California couple ripped Johnson & Johnson's renewed bid to block two Beasley Allen Law Firm attorneys from representing them in their suit accusing the company of selling carcinogenic talc-based baby powder, arguing the company's opposition is based largely on "innuendo" rather than proof of misconduct by the lawyers.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Queens Defenders Ex-Director Charged With Embezzling

By Gina Kim

A former executive director of Queens Defenders and her husband are charged with embezzling $60,000 from the organization and spending it on personal expenses including rent for a penthouse apartment, luxury goods, vacations and teeth-whitening procedures, prosecutors say in an indictment unsealed Wednesday in New York federal court.

Indictment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Judges Urge High Court To Protect Right To Counsel

By Cara Salvatore

A group of six high-profile retired judges urged the Supreme Court to protect criminal defendants' right to consult with counsel during overnight trial recesses, saying a current "patchwork" of practices in this area is bad for judges as well as defendants.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Presses 2nd Circ. To Federalize Hush Money Appeal

By Stewart Bishop

Counsel for President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged the Second Circuit to take over the appeal of his New York state hush money conviction post-trial, saying a federal judge in Manhattan wrongly denied removal, and the landscape has now changed in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark presidential immunity decision.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Atty Wants 6th Circ. To Vacate Tenn. 'Gag Order' Rule Decision

By Jack Karp

If the Sixth Circuit does not undo a decision that a Nashville attorney didn't have standing to challenge a since-rescinded Middle District of Tennessee rule concerning lawyers' "extrajudicial statements," it could "be all but impossible" for lawyers to challenge similar court rules in the future, the attorney said Wednesday.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Promo that reads Law360 400 Promo that reads 2025 Law360 Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

23andMe Inc.

Aetna Inc.

Amazon.com Inc.

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Civil Liberties Union

American Federation of Government Employees

American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations

American Medical Association Inc.

Dell Technologies Inc.

Democracy Forward Foundation

George Washington University

Harvard University

Homestead Hospice Inc.

Icebreaker Health Inc.

Institute for Justice

J.C. Penney Co. Inc.

Johnson & Johnson

Kubota Corporation

LafargeHolcim Ltd.

Lehigh Valley Health Network Inc.

Lex Machina Inc.

LexisNexis Legal & Professional

LinkedIn Corp.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Nemours Foundation

Nike Inc.

North Carolina Medical Board

Omnicell Inc.

RELX PLC

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Skechers USA Inc.

The Cigna Group

Twitter Inc.

UCLA School of Law

UNC Health Care

United Auto Workers

Virginia Mason Medical Center

Walmart Inc.

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Ahdoot & Wolfson

ArentFox Schiff LLP

Armstrong Teasdale

Arnold & Porter

Baker Botts

Barnes & Thornburg

Beasley Allen

Bracewell LLP

Bryan Cave

Capozzi Adler PC

Carmody MacDonald

Crowell & Moring

DLA Piper

Dorsey & Whitney

Finnegan

Fish & Richardson

Foster Garvey

Garteiser Honea

Gianelli & Morris

Gibson Dunn

Gillam Smith

Haynes Boone

Herbert Smith Freehills

Holland & Knight

Irell & Manella

Jackson Lewis PC

Jackson Walker LLP

James A. Kobe PC

Jenner & Block

Lathrop GPM

Leon Law Firm PC

McNaul Ebel

Miller & Chevalier

Morgan & Morgan

Morgan Lewis

Morris Nichols

Munger Tolles

Norton Rose

Patterson Belknap

Paul & Perkins

Paul Hastings

Paul Weiss

Perkins Coie

Pomerantz LLP

Price Armstrong

Quinn Emanuel

Rabicoff Law

Ramey LLP

Rusty Hardin & Associates

Shamis & Gentile

Sharman Law Firm

Siri & Glimstad

Skadden Arps

Squire Patton

Streusand Landon

Sullivan & Cromwell

Wachtell Lipton

Wenzel Fenton

Womble Bond

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Arizona Supreme Court

California Attorney General's Office

California Supreme Court

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

City and County of San Francisco, California

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Election Commission

Federal Judicial Center

Federal Trade Commission

Food and Drug Administration

Georgia Attorney General's Office

Library of Congress

Manhattan District Attorney's Office

New Jersey Court

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Oklahoma Attorney General's Office

Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

U.S. Copyright Office

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma