Attorneys with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are sanctioned $2 million for withholding evidence and discovery abuse in a recently settled False Claims Act suit against health software company eClinicalWorks LLC.
The law firms are paying that amount to promote instruction on ethics and professionalism in Georgia’s accredited law schools, Judge Marc T. Treadwell of the US District Court for the Middle District of Georgia said in a Sept. 2 order.
The order referred to Treadwell’s June 3 opinion, which said the court had twice sanctioned eCW for withholding evidence in this case. The court repeatedly told eCW and its attorneys that claims of “mistakes and forgetfulness” didn’t excuse discovery abuse, the previous opinion said.
Treadwell’s Sept. 2 order also said the parties said they reached a complete and final settlement during trial. Counsel for the parties didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment; terms of the settlement weren’t made available.
Whistleblowers Alex Permenter, Eric Rodighiero, and Chris Wheeler alleged that eCW fraudulently obtained federal certification of its electronic health record software, which caused healthcare providers to submit false claims to the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The court in 2025 partially granted eCW summary judgment, but said the whistleblowers could move forward with their fraudulent inducement claim.
The whistleblowers filed Aug. 17 a stipulation of...
The disciplinary committee of Quebec’s Chambre de l'assurance fined Johanne Tessier (certificate No. 158067), a damage insurance representative, $4,000 for providing false information to L'Unique ...