Strengthening Litigation Strategies in an Environment of Increased Government Scrutiny

April 15, 2011 - PRLog -- The Pharmaceutical Industry Now Tops all Other Industries in the Total Amount of Fraud Payments Under the False Claims Act

According to consumer watchdog Taxpayers Against Fraud, more than 80 percent of the False Claims Act cases that are now pursued by the U.S. Department of Justice are initiated by whistleblowers. Defending qui tam lawsuits requires meticulous litigation planning. American Conference Institute’s Life Sciences Qui Tam and False Claims Litigation conference, being held June 22 – 23, 2011 in New York, will feature experienced trial lawyers and litigators sharing their strategies for defending suits on behalf of the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology industries.

Since 2009, there have been many sweeping changes and standards for the False Claims Act. You need to keep up with the evolution of the amendments, and the added incentives for whistleblowers. A flood of new claims are expected, and you need to be prepared to counsel your clients.

Top Government Regulators to Address Enforcement Priorities

The state and federal governments keep an ever-watchful eye over a company’s kickbacks to providers, hospitals, doctors; concealing negative study fi ndings; poor manufacturing practices and selling contaminated products; accounting or tax fraud and insider trading; Medicare overpayments; and the illegal distribution of unapproved pharmaceutical and device products. With the increased state activity, how will federal Assistant U.S. Attorneys and state Attorneys General work together in prosecuting parallel proceedings? What can companies expect when dealing with both state and federal prosecutors in qui tam actions? And most importantly, how can companies work most effectively with both federal and state enforcers? This conference is a must-attend event to answer all of your most pressing questions.

This conference will provide you with the opportunity to hear directly from top government offi cials who are actively involved in qui tam claims share their priorities including: Jamie M. Bennett, Assistant U.S. Attorney, US Attorney’s Offi ce for the District of Maryland; Randy Chartash, Chief, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Economic Crime Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office, N.D. Georgia; Monica Hickey-Martin, Deputy Attorney General and Director, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of New York; John J. Pease, Assistant United States Attorney, Chief, Government and Healthcare Fraud, U.S. Attorney’s Office, E.D. Pennsylvania; and Raymond Charles Winter, Chief, Civil Medicaid Fraud Division, Offi ce of the Attorney General, State of Texas.

Leading In-House Counsel Give Their Perspective on Best Compliance Practices in Order to Mitigate the Risk of Whistleblower Claims

Hear from leading manufacturers on how they bolster corporate compliance programs in order to minimize the risk of internal whistleblowers. Compliance offi cers from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai Inc., Eli Lilly & Company, Medtronic, Novartis Corporation, Purdue Pharma L.P., Shire Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Strativa Pharmaceuticals will converge to offer their insights, and share specific concerns plaguing the pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology industries.Government Pricing Issues are Critical to False Claims Litigation – Get a PrimerPricing and reimbursement have become increasingly important areas for qui tam litigators. Attend our GOVERNMENT PRICING BOOT CAMP FOR HEALTH CARE LITIGATORS to learn all of the fundamentals. Your workshop leader will help you identify the crucial issues while delving deeper into pricing strategies. This added knowledge will help your clients avoid overpayments and decrease Medicare pricing fraud.

You Have Successfully Avoided Trial – Hone Up On Your Settlement Negotiation

The large majority of False Claims cases never make it to trial. One of the most critical skills needed for qui tam litigators is the ability to negotiate a settlement. THE END GAME: PRACTICAL NEGOTIATION TOOLS FOR MEETING YOUR RESOLUTION GOALS will enable attendees to participate in a mock negotiation and ask questions of defense and relator’s counsel.

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