Pamela Coyle Brecht to Present at Federal Bar Association’s Qui Tam Section

2024/09/11

Partner Pamela Coyle Brecht will be presenting virtually at the Federal Bar Association’s Qui Tam Section: How Party Selection Affects a Qui Tam Action on September 11, 2024. This program will showcase who the parties to qui tam actions are, with an advanced discussion of how the inclusion or exclusion of certain parties affects qui tam cases. It will discuss the pros and cons of adding individuals as defendants, states as plaintiffs, and a deep dive into issues relating to private equity firms as defendants. You will hear from panelists and perspectives in an interactive format from counsel for Relators, the defense, and the federal government. Click here to learn more. Read More

The False Claims Act Whistleblower’s Private Claims and Early Resolution

2024/10/23

In recent years, some recoveries from whistleblowers’ private claims (which are not shared with the government) have dwarfed the typical relator share, the portion of the government’s settlement or jury verdict paid to successful whistleblowers. The prevalence of corporations, their executives, and/or associates as whistleblowers, have increased the potential damages for conventional retaliation claims pursuant to 3730(h) and various state analogs. Creativity in representing whistleblowers has also woven clear and expansive federal and state whistleblower protections with state-based statutory and tort claims, resulting in a strong, yet elastic fabric for significant, even eight-figure recoveries by injured whistleblowers. In 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recovered a total of $2.3 billion in settlements and judgments from FCA lawsuits filed by whistleblowers, for which the government paid $349 million to the whistleblowers who exposed the fraud.1 However, the average relator share received by whistleblowers the year before was just over $748,000.2 Whistleblowers are often also victims of retaliation and other injuries related to their refusal to participate in fraud. When filing qui tam actions on behalf of the government, whistleblowers are increasingly pursuing a wide range of private causes of action in the same lawsuit, filed under seal. These private causes of action by whistleblowers can result in recoveries that far exceed the average relator share. However, most defendants do not take the opportunity to resolve private causes of action in advance of the settlement with the government. In treating these private causes of action as an afterthought, defendants lose an opportunity to resolve substantial claims early and are likely exposing themselves to significant damage awards based on egregious conduct meted out against these whistleblowing heroes. Same Conduct – Different Victims with Distinct Claims and Damages The same conduct that feeds a FCA case brought for damages to government payors also acts as an accelerant to significant claims and substantial recoveries by whistleblowers. Read More

Pietragallo Elevates Two New Partners for 2024

2024/10/16

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of two lawyers to partnership: Alexander M. Owens and Mark T. Sottile in Philadelphia, PA. “We are pleased to recognize the professional excellence of our newest partners Alexander Owens and Mark Sottile. These lawyers represent the best of the long-range future of our law firm,” said William Pietragallo, Managing Partner of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP. New partners: Alexander M. Owens focuses his practice on the False Claims Act, Commercial Litigation, White Collar Litigation, and Class Action matters. He has tried multiple cases to verdict in state and federal courts. Beyond litigation, he counsels clients on regulatory issues arising under federal and state healthcare laws. Mark T. Sottile focuses his practice on Employment Litigation and Counseling and Commercial Litigation. He has tried multiple cases to verdict in Pennsylvania and New Jersey state and federal courts and obtained summary judgment victories in countless high-stakes employment and commercial litigation matters. He has litigated hundreds of employment and commercial law claims under a number of federal statutes. About Pietragallo Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and litigation law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with six offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we are able to serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

Pietragallo Expands to New Jersey

2024/09/10

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is delighted to announce the opening of our newest office in Marlton, New Jersey. Pietragallo currently has ten attorneys barred in New Jersey to serve our clients throughout the Garden State, with additional attorneys in the process of becoming members of the State bar. Their practices cover several specialties including government enforcement and white collar litigation, qui tam and False Claims Act litigation, internal investigations, employment, health care, commercial litigation, professional liability, and Title IX and sexual misconduct. Our New Jersey office will be led by Scott A. Coffina, former Burlington County Prosecutor from 2017-2022, and former Senior Deputy Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie. Scott is the co-chair of our Government Enforcement, Compliance, & White Collar Litigation practice group. Scott also has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Philadelphia and served as Associate Counsel to the President under President George W. Bush. “We are very excited to expand into New Jersey with our new Marlton office,” said Pietragallo founding partner and Chairman, William Pietragallo, II. “Our firm already serves a number of clients in New Jersey,” he added. “Although our Philadelphia office is nearby, New Jersey is a different legal market and court system, and we are confident that we and our clients will benefit from our physical presence in the Garden State.” The Marlton office is located at 50 Lake Center Drive, Suite 110, Marlton, NJ 08053.  The office’s main number is 856-817-2600. Scott can be reached at 856-817-2601 or by email at SAC@Pietragallo.com.   About Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP Pietragallo is a multi-disciplined litigation and business law firm headquartered in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with six offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and now New Jersey. Read More

26 Pietragallo Lawyers Named in 2025 The Best Lawyers In America and Ones to Watch

2024/08/15

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce that 26 lawyers have been named as 2025 The Best Lawyers in America® and Ones to Watch. In addition, Founding Partner William Pietragallo II has received “Lawyer of the Year” award for his work in Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants in Pittsburgh. He was also recognized for his work in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs, and Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants. Partner Douglas K. Rosenblum has also received “Lawyer of the Year” award for his work in Corporate Compliance Law in Philadelphia. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. The following were chosen as The Best Lawyers in America: Gaetan Alfano Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Employment Law – Individuals Employment Law – Management Litigation – Labor and Employment Charles J. Avalli Family Law Litigation – Trusts and Estates Trusts and Estates Joseph J. Bosick Construction Law Litigation – Construction Pamela Coyle Brecht Qui Tam Law Kerri Lee Cappella Family Law Mark Gordon Insurance Law Litigation – Insurance Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers Kenneth J. Horoho, Jr. Family Law David E. Lamm Product Liability Litigation – Defendants James F. Marrion Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Michael Morse Criminal Defense: White-Collar Richard J. Parks Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law Corporate Law Litigation – Real Estate William Pietragallo II Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Actions – Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants – Lawyer of the Year Francis E. Pipak, Jr. Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers Marc S. Raspanti Criminal Defense: White-Collar Health Care Law Qui Tam Law Douglas K. Read More

Douglas K. Rosenblum Appointed as a Hearing Committee Member Serving the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

2024/07/01

Partner Douglas K. Rosenblum of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP has been appointed as a Hearing Committee Member serving the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania effective July 1, 2024. This appointment is a three-year term. Mr. Rosenblum serves as the Co-Chair of the Government Enforcement, Compliance, and White Collar Litigation Practice Group. He routinely represents entities and individuals under investigation or indictment for a variety of allegations from health care fraud to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. These representations include, but are not limited to, the former Attorney General of Pennsylvania, a former CEO of an American subsidiary of a multi-billion dollar manufacturer, physicians, pharmaceutical sales representatives, and defense contractors. The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is dedicated to protecting the public, maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, and safeguarding the reputation of the courts. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania established the Disciplinary Board in 1972. Hearing Committee members serve the Board as volunteers in their respective districts to conduct hearings and act as a formal reviewing body to determine if a case might move forward in pursuit of a particular course of discipline. Read More

Physician Open Payments June 30th Data Publication to Incorporate New Final Rule Changes

2024/06/27

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) took effect in 2013. It requires medical product manufacturers to disclose to the CMS payments or transfers of value made to physicians or teaching hospitals including meals, travel reimbursement, and consulting fees.1 Payments related to research are reported through a separate reporting system.2 The act also requires manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to disclose any physician’s ownership or financial interest in those companies.3 The Process Data about payments made to covered recipients is collected by reporting entities throughout the year. Data collected during the previous calendar year is submitted to CMS between February 1 and March 31 each year. Covered recipients may review and dispute the data from April 1 until May 15. Reporting entities resolve disputes and correct data from April 1 until May 30. The disclosed data is published by CMS in a publicly searchable database by June 30th each year.4 The search tool currently has data from January 2016 until December 31, 2022. The 2023 data will be published on June 30, 2024. Between 2016 and 2022, $68.42 billion dollars have been reported through Open Payments. Penalties Penalties for failure to comply with the act are broken down into two main categories: violation of the PPSA and knowing violation of the PPSA. The penalties as adjusted annually pursuant to 45 CFR §102. Currently, violations of the PPSA are subject to a civil money penalty of not less than $1,362, but not more than $13,625, for each payment or other transfer of value or ownership or investment interest not reported as required under the act. The total amount of civil monetary penalties imposed under this subsection is limited to $204,384.5 Knowing violations are currently penalized at not less than $13,625, but not more than $136,258, for each payment or other transfer of value or ownership or investment interest not reported. Read More

Pietragallo Welcomes Joshua D. Hill

2024/06/25

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Josh Hill to the firm’s Philadelphia office. Mr. Hill has joined Pietragallo as a partner in the Government Enforcement, Compliance, & White Collar Litigation and the Qui Tam & False Claims Act Practice Groups. Mr. Hill focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, and government investigations and white collar criminal defense matters. He handles cases involving health care fraud, securities fraud, tax fraud, export violations, pharmaceutical marketing fraud, municipal corruption, defense procurement fraud, and public finance fraud. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hill was a member at a national law firm where he focused his practice on complex civil litigation, and government investigations and white collar criminal defense matters. He also spent four years as a public defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Mark Bernstein (ret.) of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Learn more about Josh here. About Pietragallo Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and commercial litigation firm headquartered in Pittsburgh with six offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

Chambers USA Recognizes Pietragallo as a 2024 Leading Law Firm in Pennsylvania

2024/06/06

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP has been recognized by Chambers and Partners USA in its 2024 Guide in the areas of False Claims Act (Band 2) in USA-Nationwide, White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2) in Pennsylvania, and General Commercial (Band 3) in Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds. Chambers ranks leading law firms and attorneys across the U.S. based on the opinion of their clients and peers, and by the quality of their work. While partners William Pietragallo II, Marc Stephen Raspanti, and Douglas Rosenblum were ranked once again, attorneys Pamela Coyle Brecht, and Peter St. Tienne Wolff joined the list of firm lawyers who have been ranked by Chambers. Our attorneys were ranked in the following practice areas and regions: William Pietragallo— Litigation: General Commercial— Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds (Band 1) Marc S. Raspanti— Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations— Pennsylvania (Band 1) & False Claims Act: Plaintiff-USA: Nationwide (Band 1) Douglas Rosenblum—Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations— Pennsylvania Pamela Coyle Brecht– False Claims Act: Plaintiff—USA: Nationwide (Band 1) Peter St. Tienne Wolff– Litigation: General Commercial— Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds   About Pietragallo Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP is a multi-disciplined business and litigation law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with five offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia from which we are able to serve our clients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More

Marc Stephen Raspanti to speak at American Bar Association’s Civil False Claims Virtual Conference

2024/06/05

Marc Stephen Raspanti will co-present “Litigation: From Seal Lift to Final Pretrial Conference –9(B), Touhy, Claims, Experts, and More” at this year’s Civil False Claims Conference held by the American Bar Association on June 5, 2024, at 11:30 am via Zoom. This panel will discuss how to effectively litigate an FCA case, whether declined or intervened, advanced perspectives on drafting a complaint, motions to dismiss, all aspects of fact, expert discovery, and pre-trial practice. This virtual conference will be held over a two-day span and will cover mediation, litigation, and trial strategy while exploring some of the most active enforcement areas like healthcare fraud, cyber fraud and pandemic relief. To register, click here.   Read More