Welcome to the second online edition of Gray Plant Mooty's In-House Litigator, a newsletter aimed at keeping you ahead of the curve on litigation trends and developments.
This edition of In-House Litigator focuses on government investigations, a topic that in-house counsel have had to deal with in greater frequency in recent years.
Author | Article |
Carl Crosby Lehmann
&
Meghann Kantke |
Getting to the Bottom of Workplace Investigations Eventually, every workplace faces the need to investigate some sort of employment issue. Be it resolving a dispute between coworkers or addressing unethical or unlawful behavior and preventing its reoccurrence, workplace investigations are an important and delicate exercise. In order to protect the company and the employees involved, confidentiality is crucial and objectivity is key. In this article, we share some tips for effective workplace investigations. Read the article |
Eric Yaffe |
FCPA: Good Compliance and Monitoring Will Keep the Government at BayThe United States government has enforced the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) with increasing vigor in recent years. The number of FCPA actions and settlements has risen dramatically—and in-house counsel responsible for ensuring that a company’s overseas operations are handled appropriately need to pay close attention to the strictures of the FCPA and to the development of a comprehensive FCPA compliance program. Read the article |
Katie Bergstrom
&
Jesse Berg |
The Brave New World of Health Care Fraud and Abuse: New Civil Fraud Unit Reflects National Trends On January 18, 2011, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota announced the formation of a new Civil Fraud Unit in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The Unit’s proposed activities reflects the broad range of civil enforcement remedies available under anti-fraud laws, including civil money penalties, treble damages, and equitable and injunctive relief. These remedies are not available in most criminal actions and the Unit can take advantage of the lower burden of proof available in civil litigation. Read the article |
GPM Welcomes Susan Gaertner to its Litigation Practice Group
On February 15, 2011, Gray Plant Mooty welcomed Susan Gaertner, who recently completed 16 years of service as Ramsey County's top prosecutor, to the firm. Gaertner will be part of a growing team of attorneys who have vast experience trying criminal and civil cases, as well as handling appeals in federal and state courts--both in private practice and as government prosecutors. Gaertner's practice will focus on litigation, complex investigations, and white collar defense. Among other matters, she will represent clients in government investigations by local, state, and federal agencies.
Read the press release for more information
Government Investigations:
The Tricks, Traps, and Technicalities
Roundtable Presented By
Gray Plant Mooty’s Litigation Practice Group
Federal and state governments have become increasingly aggressive in their enforcement efforts, forcing corporations to ensure that their compliance programs are up to date and that their employees are strictly following all laws and regulations. Even the most vigilant of corporations, however, can suddenly find itself the subject of a government investigation of its conduct. Come listen to the current head of the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Fraud Unit, along with former prosecutors (now GPM lawyers), as they discuss tips, tactics, and techniques that corporations need to be aware of when dealing with government investigations. Topics will include:
- The government’s perspective on investigations of corporate conduct
- Handling and structuring the internal investigation
- Key legal issues to consider
- Working with the government to resolve your matter
Panelists:
Gerald Wilhelm, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office
Katie Bergstrom, Chair, Gray Plant Mooty Litigation practice group
Susan Gaertner, Principal, Gray Plant Mooty Litigation practice group
Tom Johnson, Principal, Gray Plant Mooty Litigation practice group
Eric Yaffe, Chair, Gray Plant Mooty White Collar Defense team
CLE credit has been applied for. The program will be followed by a reception.
When: Thursday, April 14, 2011
Where: Windows on Minnesota
4:00 – 4:15 p.m. Registration IDS Center—50th Floor
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. Program 80 South Eighth Street
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Reception Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Kindly RSVP by April 11, 2011 by email to events@gpmlaw.com
or by phone to 612.632.3170.
There is no registration fee for this program. Parking will be validated for the Marquette/IDS Ramp.
Special Patent Litigation Report
An unprecedented grant of patents occurred in 2010. Up significantly from 2009, the USPTO issued approximately 220,000 utility patents in 2010. This represents a 31% increase in patent grants (an all-time record) and contrasts sharply with the years between 2003 and 2009, where there was relatively little variance in Annual Patent Grants for utility patents.
What does the number of patent grants mean for you?
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