Criminal Law

Edo Banach and Caroline Farrell interview Dave Lazarus, a partner specializing in False Claims Act and healthcare fraud litigation, to explore how enforcement priorities are evolving under the current administration.

The Department of Justice has charged a Nevada physician in connection with an alleged $95 million Medicare fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary wound care products and kickbacks. This prosecution marks the first case from the newly formed West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, signaling an aggressive expansion of federal enforcement targeting wound care providers, distributors, and manufacturers across the western United States.

When a business email compromise scam succeeds and funds are misdirected, determining who bears the financial loss becomes a complex legal battle. The allocation of liability depends on multiple factors including jurisdiction, payment authorization processes, bank security procedures, contract terms, and which party was realistically positioned to prevent the fraud. Understanding these legal frameworks and implementing robust verification procedures can mean the difference between recovery and permanent los