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  • John R. Fleder

    • Must FDA-Regulated Companies “Allow” FDA To Conduct Warrantless Inspections?June 30th, 2015

      By John R. Fleder – Although there are many areas where practitioners and others disagree regarding the FDC Act, there is at least one subject that seems to generate universal agreement: FDA has the authority to issue a Form 482 to a companies subject to inspection …

    • The Government Taketh and then Giveth BackJune 16th, 2015

      By John R. Fleder – When companies and individuals are “asked” (or told by a court) to pay money to FDA/DOJ as part of a resolution of a civil case, the sting of making the payment can be severe.  A question many ask is, “Can we …

    • D.C. Circuit Squeezes the Juice Out of POM Wonderful; Denies POM’s Challenges to FTC Order Except for the Two-RCT Substantiation RequirementFebruary 1st, 2015

      By John R. Fleder & Riëtte van Laack – On Friday, January 30, almost nine months after the oral argument, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its Opinion in POM Wonderful Inc. v. FTC.  We have previously blogged on this case (see …

    • Is Anyone Safe From an FCA Whistleblower Suit?January 14th, 2015

      By John R. Fleder – Lawyers are often asked if a client can be sued if the client does something.  Almost without exception, the answer is yes.  It does not take much for a person to file a lawsuit in court without much or any evidence, …

    • FTC Tells the NAD: “Thanks for Nothing”June 6th, 2014

      By John R. Fleder – The National Advertising Division (“NAD”) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has administered an industry sponsored, self-regulatory program for many years in which national advertisers can complain about their competitors’ advertising.   NAD reviews the advertising and issues public decisions regarding …

    • Is the Government Entitled to Deference in FDA Criminal Cases?February 27th, 2014

      By John R. Fleder – In litigation brought by or against FDA, the agency frequently seeks to avoid a “jump-ball” by arguing that FDA’s position is entitled to deference by the court.  That argument is consistently made in civil cases and has been made in some …

    • An Old Fashioned Park Criminal Prosecution With Some Twists – Part IIJanuary 30th, 2014

      By John R. Fleder – On October 2, 2013, HP&M posted the following on this blog: On September 26, 2013, the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announced that he had filed a six count criminal Information against Eric and Ryan Jensen.  The government alleges …

    • First Circuit Skirts the Issue of the Scope of the False Claims Act Regarding FDC Act ViolationsDecember 9th, 2013

      By John R. Fleder – On August 8, 2013, we reported on a brief filed by the Department of Justice in United States ex rel. Ge v. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.  The case involves the defendants’ alleged failure to timely report to FDA adverse drug events …

    • An Old Fashioned Park Criminal Prosecution With Some TwistsOctober 2nd, 2013

      By John R. Fleder – On September 26, 2013, the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announced that he had filed a six count criminal Information against Eric and Ryan Jensen.  The government alleges that the defendants violated the FDC Act by introducing adulterated …

    • The Worm Turns: the Government Stakes Out a Standard that May Foreclose Many Federal False Claims Act Cases Based on Certain Alleged FDCA ViolationsAugust 8th, 2013

      By John R. Fleder – For many years, FDA has taken the public position that nongovernmental entities cannot enforce the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  That position has not deterred lawsuits against businesses under statutes other than the FDCA, arguing that the defendants’ conduct violated …

    • COPPA at 16June 25th, 2013

      By John R. Fleder – The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) will celebrate its super, sweet 16 next year.  The FTC handles most COPPA enforcement and will no doubt mark the occasion with not-so-super or sweet enforcement.  The FTC has issued an amended COPPA rule, …

    • FTC Hammers POM Wonderful: Now On to the World SeriesJanuary 17th, 2013

      By John R. Fleder & Riëtte van Laack – On January 16th, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued the long-anticipated Decision and Final Order in the FTC’s administrative case filed in 2010 against POM Wonderful LLC, Roll Global LLC, Stewart A. Resnick, Lynda Rae Resnick, and …

    • The Prosecution of Gary D. Osborn—An Old School “Park” Prosecution?January 1st, 2013

      By John R. Fleder – We have extensively written about the “Park Doctrine” (see, e.g., here and here)  In United States v. Park, 421 U.S. 658 (1975), the Supreme Court authorized the government to criminally prosecute individuals for violations of the FDCA even if a corporate …

    • In a FSMA First, FDA Suspends a Food Facility’s RegistrationNovember 29th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal & John R. Fleder – On November 26th, Commissioner Hamburg issued an order suspending the registration of the Sunland Inc. food manufacturing facility alleged to be at the heart of the ongoing recall of peanut products potentially contaminated with Salmonella.  Until the order …

    • The POM Wonderful Case Enters the PlayoffsAugust 24th, 2012

      By John R. Fleder – We have previously reported about the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) case against POM Wonderful, the maker of pomegranate juice (here, here, here, and here). In the world of FTC advertising cases, this litigation is certainly “big league” litigation. On September 27, 2010, the …