Bass, Berry & Sims was recently recognized among leading False Claims Act (FCA) defense firms based on the number of FCA lawsuits in which the firm appeared on behalf of clients during the time period of 2016 through 2020. The third-party report was based on a review of federal court docket entries in FCA lawsuits throughout the country and listed firms based on the number of lawsuits and number of judicial districts in which the firms had appeared.

“We are pleased to be recognized as among the leading defense firms handling False Claims Act litigation,” said Brian Roark, who chairs the firm’s Healthcare Fraud Task Force. “We believe it speaks to the confidence clients have in our False Claims Act and government enforcement practices that we have been engaged to defend healthcare providers and government contractors in significant government investigations and litigation throughout the country.”

Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law in March 2010, there has been a significant proliferation of FCA litigation, particularly involving healthcare providers. During that time, Bass, Berry & Sims has represented clients in more than 50 FCA investigations and related FCA lawsuits in judicial districts across more than 25 states. These cases have resulted in some of the leading FCA appellate decisions, including key decisions by the U.S. Courts of Appeal in the Fourth, Sixth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits, and numerous district court opinions throughout the country in which the firm has successfully convinced district courts to dismiss FCA lawsuits against firm clients.

“The cases in which the firm has represented clients involving potential False Claims Act liability have considered some of the most important legal and factual issues facing healthcare providers and government contractors,” commented Matt Curley, a member of the firm’s Healthcare Fraud Task Force. “We see these issues time and again in False Claims Act cases and have made great headway in convincing trial and appellate courts throughout the country to take a closer look at these issues. Even if a False Claims Act complaint survives that sort of challenge, it can result in a sharpening of the remaining issues to be litigated and more focused discovery, which can be a real benefit to clients.”

The Bass, Berry & Sims Healthcare Fraud Task Force is an interdisciplinary group of attorneys within the firm who focus their practice on representing healthcare providers and government contractors in civil and criminal government investigations and related litigation. It is comprised of more than 30 attorneys, many of whom have significant government experience with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). More information about the Bass, Berry & Sims Healthcare Fraud Task Force and our experience in defending FCA litigation can be found on our website.