Category: Litigation

Government Brings First Cryptocurrency Insider Trading Charges

In a series of parallel actions announced on July 21, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated criminal and civil charges against three defendants in the first cryptocurrency insider trading case.

According to the criminal indictment, DOJ alleges that a former employee of a prominent cryptocurrency exchange used his position at the exchange to obtain confidential information about at least 25 future cryptocurrency listings, then tipped his brother and a friend who traded the digital assets in advance of the listing announcements, realizing gains of approximately $1.5 million. The indictment further alleges that the trio used various means to conceal their trading, and that one defendant attempted to flee the United States when their trading was discovered. The Government charged the three with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy. Notably, and like the Government’s recently announced case involving insider trading in nonfungible tokens, criminal prosecutors did not charge the defendants with securities or commodities fraud.

In its press release announcing the charges, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said: “Today’s charges are a further reminder that Web3 is not a law-free zone. Just last month, I announced the first ever insider trading case involving NFTs, and today I announce the first ever insider trading case involving cryptocurrency markets. Our message with these charges is clear: fraud is fraud is fraud, whether it occurs on the blockchain or on Wall Street. And the Southern District of New York will continue to be relentless in bringing fraudsters to justice, wherever we may find them.”

Based on these facts, the SEC also announced charges against the three men in a civil complaint alleging securities fraud. In order to assert jurisdiction over the matter, the SEC alleges that at least nine of the cryptocurrencies involved in the alleged insider trading were securities, and the compliant traces through the Howey analysis for each. The SEC has not announced charges against the exchange itself, though in the past it has charged at least one cryptocurrency exchange that listed securities tokens for failure to register as a securities exchange. Perhaps coincidentally, on July 21 the exchange involved in the latest DOJ and SEC cases filed a rulemaking petition with the SEC urging it to “propose and adopt rules to govern the regulation of securities that are offered and traded via digitally native methods, including potential rules to identify which digital assets are securities.”

In an unusual move, Commissioner Caroline Pham of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) released a public statement criticizing the charges. Citing the Federalist Papers, Commissioner Pham described the cases as “a striking example of ‘regulation by enforcement.’” She noted that “the SEC’s allegations could have broad implications beyond this single case, underscoring how critical and urgent it is that regulators work together.” Commissioner Pham continued, “Major questions are best addressed through a transparent process that engages the public to develop appropriate policy with expert input—through notice-and-comment rulemaking pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.” She concluded by stating that, “Regulatory clarity comes from being out in the open, not in the dark.” The CFTC is not directly involved in either case, and it is atypical for a regulator to chide a sister agency on an enforcement matter in this fashion. On the same day, another CFTC Commissioner, Kristin Johnson, issued her own carefully-worded statement that seemed to support the Government’s actions.

Article By Scott H. Kimpel of Hunton Andrews Kurth

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Copyright © 2022, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. All Rights Reserved.

Supreme Court Signals Move Away from Judicial Deference to Administrative Agencies

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In a unanimous decision on June 15, 2022, the Court in American Hospital Association v. Becerra[2] examined a Medicare reimbursement formula reduction that affected certain hospitals. While rejecting the DHHS agency interpretation of the reimbursement statute, the Court made no mention of Chevron deference even though the parties extensively briefed this doctrine. Instead, the Court focused solely on the relevant language of the statute. In particular, the Court held that the “text and structure” of the statute demonstrated that the Medicare reimbursement cut was not consistent with the statute.

In a 5-4 decision a few weeks later, the Court in Becerra v. Empire Health Foundation[3] again made no mention of Chevron deference even though the majority noted that the underlying statute’s “ordinary meaning … [did] not exactly leap off the page.” Despite its initial conclusion that the ordinary meaning of the statutory language was unclear, the Court continued its recent pattern of (a) choosing to not apply Chevron deference directly and (b) instead performing textural and structural analysis of its own. Based on this statutory analysis, the Court in Empire Health concluded that the statute was “surprisingly clear” if read as technical provisions for specialists and that the language of the statute supported the agency’s implementing regulation.

Finally, in West Virginia v. EPA,[4] the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision again refused to give any deference to the EPA’s interpretation of a Clean Air Act provision which the EPA claimed as the statutory basis to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by power plants. The Court concluded that the EPA had violated the “Major Questions” Doctrine when the EPA used this provision to regulate carbon emissions. Under the “Major Questions” Doctrine, an agency cannot make decisions of vast economic and political significance without Congress expressly giving the agency the power to do so. Since the EPA’s effort to regulate greenhouse gases by making industry-wide changes was a decision of “vast economic and political significance,” the Court concluded that the EPA lacked the authority to do so in light of the overall nature and structure of the statute. Thus, even though there was some textual support for the EPA’s position, the Court again refused to defer to the agency and its interpretation of a statute.

Read together, these three decisions show an increased skepticism by the Court of agency interpretations of statutes and signal that going forward, the federal courts will more closely scrutinize administrative agency decisions in general. Businesses that have, to date, relied on an administrative agency interpretation may need to reassess their reliance if the interpretation relies on a broad or strained reading of a statute. Conversely, businesses currently restrained by agency interpretations which were shown deference by courts may now have an opening to challenge those interpretations.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984).

[2] Am. Hosp. Ass’n v. Becerra, 142 S. Ct. 1896 (2022).

[3] Becerra v. Empire Health Found., for Valley Hosp. Med. Ctr., 142 S. Ct. 2354 (2022).

[4] W. Virginia v. Env’t Prot. Agency, 142 S. Ct. 2587 (2022).

Article By Andrew T. Blum, Matthew J. Greenberg, and Larry J. Saylor of Miller Canfield

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© 2022 Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC

The FTC Seemingly Thumbs Its Nose at the Supreme Court

Despite the Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 ruling in West Virginia v. EPA that regulatory agencies must have “clear congressional authorization” to make rules pertaining to “major questions” that are of “great political significance” and would affect “a significant portion of the American economy,” and the import of that ruling to the area of noncompete regulation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced yesterday that they are teaming up to address certain issues affecting the labor market, including the regulation of noncompetes.

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) issued on July 19, 2022, the FTC and NRLB shared their shared view that:

continued and enhanced coordination and cooperation concerning issues of common regulatory interest will help to protect workers against unfair methods of competition, unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and unfair labor practices. Issues of common regulatory interest include labor market developments relating to the “gig economy” and other alternative work arrangements; claims and disclosures about earnings and costs associated with gig and other work; the imposition of one-sided and restrictive contract provisions, such as noncompete and nondisclosure provisions; the extent and impact of labor market concentration; the impact of algorithmic decision making on workers; the ability of workers to act collectively; and the classification and treatment of workers. (Emphasis added.)

Accordingly, the purpose of the MOU is “to facilitate (a) information sharing and cross-agency consultations on an ad hoc basis for official law enforcement purposes, in a manner consistent with and permitted by the laws and regulations that govern the [FTC and NLRB], (b) cross-agency training to educate each [agency] about the laws and regulations enforced by the other [agency], and (c) coordinated outreach and education as appropriate.”

This follows the Biden Administration’s July 9, 2021 Executive Order in which it “encourage[d]” the FTC to “consider” exercising its statutory rulemaking authority under the FTC Act “to curtail the unfair use of non-compete clauses and other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility.” Nothing concrete has yet come of that Executive Order, although the MOU perhaps represents the next stage of the FTC’s “consider[ation]” of the issue. As we previously reported, FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan recently told the Wall Street Journal that regulating noncompetes “falls squarely in [the FTC’s] wheelhouse,” and she has never been shy about sharing her view that noncompetes should be banned nationwide and that the FTC has the authority to do so. This view does not appear to have changed despite the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA.

Only time will tell what, if any, action the FTC takes with respect to regulating noncompetes, but if it does take steps to ban or otherwise limit noncompetes nationwide under Section 5 of the FTC Act, there will no doubt be litigation challenging those regulations. And you can bet that the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA will be front and center in any such challenge. Indeed, according to Law360, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley said that the MOU shows Chairwoman Khan’s vision for the FTC “goes well beyond what is provided in law and what was envisioned by Congress.” Chairwoman Khan does not seem too perturbed by the prospect of challenges to the FTC’s authority in this regard, however, and seems intent on moving forward despite the Supreme Court’s admonition.

Article By Erik W. Weibust and Stuart M. Gerson of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.

For more antitrust legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

©2022 Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. All rights reserved.

CareDx v. Natera – The Broad Road to Patent Ineligibility

In CareDx v Natera, Appeal No. 2022-1027, (Fed. Cir., July 18, 2022), a three judge panel of Judges Lourie, Bryson and Hughes, affirmed the district court’s finding that the claims of U. S. patent nos. 8703652, 9845497 and 10329607 are invalid for failing to survive the Alice/Mayo test for patent eligibility. I subtitled this post using Mathew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road, that leads to destruction.” The appeal to the Federal Circuit, which I wrote about on October 15, 2021, never got on the narrow road that leads to viable diagnostic claims. It may not have been possible to overcome the obstacles that blocked the road, but CareDx managed to hit them all, and ended up with three invalid patents on natural phenomena.

The claims were directed to a method for detecting transplant rejection or organ failure by isolating and genotyping a sample from the subject who received the donation, quantifying the cfDNA, and diagnosing the transplant status for an increase in donor cfDNA over time. An increase indicates possible transplant failure.

Judge Lourie summarized the claims, some of which are more than a page long, this way:

“Here, as in Ariosa, the claims boil down to collecting a bodily sample, analyzing the cfDNA  using conventional techniques, including PCR, identifying naturally occurring DNA from the donor organ, and then using the natural correlation between heightened cfDNA levels and transplant health, to identify a potential rejection, none of which was inventive. The claims here are equally as ineligible as those in Ariosa.”

Let’s take a quick look at how CareDx got onto the broad road. CareRx hoped to avoid Ariosa by arguing that it was doing more than just measuring a biomarker correlated to an existing phenomenon. Problem 1 is that CareDx did not discover the correlation; it just improved on it (or did it?). Louie writes:

“CareDx argues that the patents’ claims are directed not to natural phenomena, but to improved laboratory techniques. CareDx contends that the ‘claimed advance’ is an ‘improved, human-designed method for measuring increases in donor cfDNA in a recipient’s body to identify organ rejection.’ … In particular, CareDx identifies the use of digital PCR, NGS, and selective amplification to more accurately measure the donor SNPs of cfDNA transplant recipients. However, CareDx does not actually claim any improvements in laboratory techniques … Furthermore the specification admits that the laboratory techniques disclosed in the claims require only conventional techniques and off-the-shelf technology.”

In fact, CareDx had at least one claim in the ‘497 patent that recites that the assay detects the donor-specific circulating cfDNA from the organ transplant when the donor-specific circulating cfDNA [makes] up at least 0.3% of the total circulating cfDNA in the biological sample. I presume that this claim limitation was put into the claim so that “improvement”  could be argued, but the limitation is not mentioned in the opinion.

Let’s look at a few other things CareDx encountered on its broad road to legal destruction. The panel looked at every step of the method in isolation. In other words, once CareDx argued “improvement” it was forced to admit that the specification disclosed that all those analytical techniques, such as PCR, NGS and “selective amplification”, would be considered as conventional in the art. CareDx might have relied on some of the decisions finding patent eligibility where physical equipment was necessarily involved, such as XL LLC v. Trans Ova Genetics or Illumina v Ariosa.

The finding of conventionality of individual steps permitted the court and the panel to effectively rule that the method was directed to a natural product, since the devices used to carry it out were given no weight. Therefore, the patents failed to pass Step 1 of Mayo/Alice. Could it have been argued, if that was the case, that the equipment used to carry out the method was arranged in a novel sequence? (Also, is someone going to argue that PCR involves replicating small amounts of DNA to afford useful amounts? – This is accomplished by the hand of man.)

These are minor thoughts, CareDX should left the word “diagnostic” out of the claims and the specification. This is certainly no more of a diagnostic test than the Mayo range-finding step was. It is presently clear that in the life sciences, recognition of the utility of a naturally occurring correlation is not enough to avoid patent ineligibility. Of course, and this is cold comfort to CareDx, would it have helped to get this method into the safe harbor of methods of medical treatment? In other words, the first step could recite the actual transplantation step and/or the final step of the process could recite some sort of medical intervention. Narrower claims might have returned CareDx to the narrow path of patent life.

Article By Warren Woessner of Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.

For more intellectual property legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

© 2022 Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A. All Rights Reserved.

July 2022 Legal Industry News and Highlights: Law Firm Hiring, Industry Recognition, and the Latest in Diversity and Inclusion

Thank you for reading the National Law Review’s latest in legal industry news – read on below for updates on law firm hiring and expansion, industry awards and recognition, and diversity and inclusion initiatives! We hope you are staying safe, happy, and healthy.

Law Firm Hiring and Expansion

Womble Bond Dickinson has announced its upcoming merger with Cooper, White & Cooper LLP, a multi-practice law firm based in San Francisco. Effective on September 1, 2002, the expansion will strengthen Womble’s presence in the Bay Area, with more than two dozen legal professionals operating out of the San Francisco area.

“California is home to some of the world’s key business and technology hubs, with San Francisco chief among them,” said Betty Temple, CEO and Chair of Womble Bond Dickinson (US). “The state – and indeed the entire West Coast – is strategically important to Womble, and we are thrilled to anchor our presence in the market through a firm that is well-known for its robust litigation and transactional skills. We look forward to continuing the growth of our services and footprint on the West Coast and in other key markets to provide greater value to our clients.”

“We have been impressed by Womble’s transatlantic platform and stellar reputation for advising companies on complex, high-stakes issues,” said Jed Solomon, a partner at Cooper, White & Cooper. “Combined with our cultural compatibility and shared commitment to exceptional client service, this was an ideal opportunity to expand our services to our collective client base.”

James W. Cox, MS, an experienced biologist and risk assessor, has joined Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and The Acta Group as Senior Scientist. Mr. Cox, who has formerly served as an Acting Lead Biologist in Risk Assessment in the EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics and as a Biologist at the Department of Defense, has reviewed hundreds of biological agents, nanomaterials, industrial chemicals, and more to determine risks to human health and the environment. At the firm, he will continue to provide regulatory process guidance for products subject to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and other notable regulatory programs.

“James’s contributions to our practice areas come at a crucial time, given the considerable uptick in the need for risk assessment skills,” said Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell and President of Acta. “We are so pleased James has joined our team and look forward to introducing him to our clients.”

Varnum LLP has expanded its office in Birmingham, Michigan. With growing client demand and ongoing hiring, the firm has nearly doubled the size of its operations in the area in the last three years, featuring noteworthy practices in the fields of banking, finance, corporate law, M&A, intellectual property, and more.

“Since opening our doors in Birmingham three years ago, we have been thrilled with the reception from clients, legal talent and the community alike,” said Firm Chair Ron DeWaard. “Our newly expanded office will allow us to continue our growth trajectory with first-class space for clients and talent.”

Industry Awards and Recognition

Nick Welle, Partner at Foley and Lardner LLP, has received a 2022 Philanthropic 5 Award from the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. Created by the organization’s Emerging Leaders Council, the award recognizes five notable leaders in the community, particularly ones that have made significant contributions of mentoring, volunteer work, or leadership to nonprofit organizations in the area.

Mr. Welle is the Chair of the firm’s Health Benefits Practice Group, as well as the co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee based in Milwaukee. Both at the firm and through community volunteer work, Mr. Welle has managed projects such as camp clean-ups, backpack drives, and clothing fundraisers in the area, dedicating hundreds of hours to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee. Additionally, he assists in running the Milwaukee Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, which aids high school students from diverse backgrounds in researching potential legal professions.

At the 40 at 50 Judicial Pro Bono Recognition Breakfast, Barnes & Thornburg LLP was honored by the Judicial Conference of the District of Columbia Circuit’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services for its ongoing commitment to pro bono legal services. More than 40 percent of the firm’s Washington D.C.-based attorneys performed more than 50 hours pro bono work in the last year, and as such, the firm was made eligible for the recognition.

In addition, the organization recognized Barnes & Thornburg for being one of only six firms in which at least 40 percent of its partners in the Washington D.C. office reached the 50-hour marker.

Tycko & Zavareei LLP’s Sabita J. Soneji has been nominated to the Public Justice Board of Directors for a term that will last three years. Working against unchecked corporate power, ongoing pollution, unjust employers, punitive credit card companies, and more, Public Justice engages in impactful legislation to take on notable systemic threats to justice in the United States. Ms. Soneji, a Partner at Tycko & Zavareei, has nearly 20 years of experience in litigation and legal policy, fighting consumer fraud at both the federal and state level.

“I’m genuinely honored to be nominated to serve on the Board of an organization that tirelessly works to promote justice, diversity, and fairness,” said Ms. Soneji. “I’m even more excited to get to do that work with such an incredible group of devoted attorneys.”

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Brittainy Joyner, attorney at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, has been accepted into the 2022 cohort for the Nonprofit Leadership Center’s Advancing Racial Equity on Nonprofit Boards (ARENB) Fellowship. Broken into six separate sessions, the ARENB program helps to advance the racial and ethnic diversity of nonprofit boards throughout the Tampa Bay area, ensuring these organizations are prepared and committed to fostering more inclusive cultures and environments. Ms. Joyner, a member of Shumaker’s Litigation and Disputes Service Line, focuses her practice on litigation and disputes for homeowners associations, as well as arbitration, mediation, and negotiation.

“We are proud that Brittainy got accepted into Advancing Racial Equity on Nonprofit Board Fellowship,” said Maria Del Carmen Ramos, Shumaker Partner and Diversity and Inclusion Committee Co-Chair. “At Shumaker, we understand the importance of promoting racial equity. We are happy to see our attorneys, like Brittainy, being committed to doing something about it. We know Brittainy will be a valued fellow.”

In celebration of 2022’s Pride Month, New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dr. Eric Cervini joined Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP attorneys for a virtual conversation about the history of LGBTQ+ politics in the United States, as well as the continued battle for LGBTQ+ rights. The event was moderated by firm Partner J Matthew W. Haws, who is a member of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association.

With more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed this year across the country, Mr. Cervini acknowledged the community’s ongoing struggle. However, he noted “As I remind people, we have been through much worse. We have survived the inquisition, the Lavender Scare, the AIDS crisis, and Anita Bryant […] We can certainly get through this. But we need to be studying up, how we were successful and how we failed in the past and then also be recruiting new allies, just as Frank Kameny recruited the ACLU, we need to be recruiting new allies today.”

Darrell S. Gay, partner at ArentFox Schiff LLP, has been named one of Crain New York Businesses’ 2022 Notable Diverse Leaders in Law. Selected for his contributions to local counseling, pro bono work, and community service and philanthropy, as well as his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Mr. Gay is an experienced attorney, focusing his practice on the field of labor and employment. He assists in guiding clients through employee relations issues, as well as internal investigations and traditional labor matters.

In addition, Mr. Gay is a longtime leader in the private bar and the business community. He served for three years as the Commissioner for the New York State Civil Service Commission, and additionally played a central role in founding and leading the firm’s Center for Racial Equality.

Article By Chandler Ford of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC

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Copyright ©2022 National Law Forum, LLC

PFAS GenX Health Advisories Challenged In Court

On June 15, 2022, the EPA issued Health Advisories (HAs) for five specific PFAS, including GenX PFAS chemicals. The PFAS GenX health advisories set levels at 10ppt for this chemical group. On July 13, 2022, The Chemours Co. filed a petition in the Third Circuit challenging the validity of the EPA’s GenX HA. The company alleges that the EPA acted outside of its bounds of authority, as well as arbitrarily and capriciously, among other arguments. Other industries that will be impacted by upcoming EPA PFAS regulations will closely follow the lawsuit as it makes its way through court, as it may provide predictive indicators of arguments that will unfold as the EPA’s PFAS regulations increase.

PFAS GenX Health Advisories

In October 2021, the EPA released its PFAS Roadmap, which stated explicit goals and deadlines for over twenty action items specific to PFAS. As part of the Roadmap, the EPA pledged to re-assess the existing Health Advisories (HAs) for PFOA and PFOS, as well as establish HAs for PFBS and GenX chemicals. In June 2022, the EPA fulfilled its promise on all fronts when it set HAs for PFOA (interim), PFOS (interim), PFBS (final) and GenX (final). While not enforceable levels for PFAS in drinking water, the EPA’s PFAS Health Advisories are nevertheless incredibly significant for a variety of reasons, including influence on future federal and state drinking water limits, as well as potential impacts on future PFAS litigation.

The levels set by the EPA’s PFAS Health Advisories were as follows:

PFOA .004 ppt
PFOS .02 ppt
GenX 10 ppt
PFBS 2,000 ppt

Chemours Challenge To GenX Health Advisories

Chemours is challenging the EPA’s PFAS GenX Health Advisories primarily on the grounds that the HAs are “arbitrary and capricious.” The company alleges that the HAs are arbitrary and capricious because (1) they incorporated toxicity assumptions that deviate from the EPA’s own standard methods; and (2) “EPA incorporated grossly incorrect and overstated exposure assumptions―in essence, EPA used the wrong chemical when making its exposure assumptions, thereby resulting in a significantly less tolerant health advisory for [GenX] than is warranted by the data. In addition, Chemours argues that the EPA failed to go through the necessary public comment period before issuing its final GenX HA, and that in creating the GenX HA, the EPA exceeded its authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Conclusion

Now more than ever, the EPA is clearly on a path to regulate PFAS contamination in the country’s water, land and air. The EPA has also for the first time publicly stated when they expect such regulations to be enacted. These regulations will require states to act, as well (and some states may still enact stronger regulations than the EPA). Both the federal and the state level regulations will impact businesses and industries of many kinds, even if their contribution to drinking water contamination issues may seem on the surface to be de minimus. In states that already have PFAS drinking water standards enacted, businesses and property owners have already seen local environmental agencies scrutinize possible sources of PFAS pollution much more closely than ever before, which has resulted in unexpected costs. Beyond drinking water, though, the EPA PFAS Roadmap shows the EPA’s desire to take regulatory action well beyond just drinking water, and companies absolutely must begin preparing now for regulatory actions that will have significant financial impacts down the road.

Article By John Gardella of CMBG3 Law

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©2022 CMBG3 Law, LLC. All rights reserved.

Patent Infringement Verdict Nixed over Judge’s Stock Ownership

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a district court’s opinions and orders and remanded the case for further proceedings before a different district court judge because the original judge had failed to divest all financial interests in the case. Centripetal Networks, Inc. v. Cisco Systems, Inc., Case No. 21-1888 (Fed. Cir. June 23, 2022) (Dyk, Taranto, Cunningham, JJ.)

Centripetal sued Cisco for patent infringement. The original district court judge presided over a 22-day bench trial, which included a more than 3,500-page record, 26 witnesses and more than 300 exhibits. The court heard final arguments on June 25, 2020. While the case was still pending before the district court, the judge learned that his wife owned Cisco stock, valued at $4,687.99. The district court judge notified the parties on August 12, 2020, that he had discovered that his wife owned 100 shares of Cisco stock. He stated that his wife purchased the stock in October 2019 and had no independent recollection of the purchase. He explained that at the time he learned of the stock, he had already drafted a 130-page draft of his opinion on the bench trial, and virtually every issue had been decided. He further stated that the stock did not—and could not have—influenced his opinion on any of the issues in the case. Instead of selling the stock, which might have implied insider trading given his knowledge of the forthcoming order, the judge placed it in a blind trust. Under the terms of the trust, the judge was to be notified when the trust assets had been completely disposed of or when their value became less than $1,000.

Centripetal had no objections. Cisco, however, filed a motion for recusal under 28 U.S.C. § 455(a) and (b)(4). The judge ordered Centripetal to file a response. On October 2, 2020, the court denied Cisco’s motion for recusal. On October 5, 2020, the court issued a 167-page opinion and order containing the judge’s findings that Cisco willfully infringed the asserted claims of the patents-at-issue and awarded Centripetal damages of more than $755 million, pre-judgment interest of more than $13 million and a running royalty of 10%. Cisco moved for amended findings and judgment under Rule 52(b) or a new trial under Rule 59(a)(2). The court denied both motions. Cisco appealed the district court’s findings and asserted that the judge was required to recuse himself under 28 U.S.C. § 455(b) absent divestiture under § 455(f) (the only exception to the bright line rule that a federal judge is disqualified based on a known financial interest in a party).

On appeal, the Federal Circuit addressed two issues: whether the district court judge was relieved of his duty to recuse under § 455(b)(4) because his wife had divested herself of her interest in Cisco under § 455(f), and, if the requirements of § 455(f) were not satisfied, a determination as to the proper remedy.

The Federal Circuit analyzed whether placement of the stock in a blind trust satisfied the divesture requirement of § 455(f). The Court explained that a blind trust is “an arrangement whereby a person, in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest, places certain personal assets under the control of an independent trustee with the provision that the person is to have no knowledge of how those assets are managed.” Centripetal admitted that there are no cases holding that placement of stock in a blind trust constitutes divestment. The Court next turned to the intent of Congress when it drafted the statute. The Court reasoned that to “divest” was understood at the time to mean “dispossess or deprive,” which is only possible when an interest is sold or given away. The Court also noted that Congress used the present tense—that a judge should not sit when he or she has a financial interest in a party. The Court concluded that while placing the stock in a blind trust removed the judge’s wife from control over the stock, it did not eliminate her beneficial interest in Cisco. The Court also found that the Judicial Conference’s Committee on Codes of Conduct had previously ruled that a judge’s use of a blind trust does not obviate the judge’s recusal obligations. Accordingly, the Court found that placing assets in a blind trust is not divestment under § 455(f) and, thus, the district court judge was disqualified from further proceedings in the case.

As for the appropriate remedy, the Federal Circuit considered whether rulings made after August 11, 2020, when the district court judge became aware of his wife’s financial interest in Cisco, should be vacated as a remedy for his failure to recuse. The Court determined that the risk of injustice to the parties weighed against a finding of harmless error and in favor of vacatur. The Court reversed the district court’s opinion and order denying Cisco’s motion for recusal; vacated the opinion and order regarding infringement, damages and post-judgment motions and remanded for further proceedings before a new judge.

Article By Jodi Benassi of McDermott Will & Emery

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© 2022 McDermott Will & Emery

A Rule 37 Refresher – As Applied to a Ransomware Attack

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(e) (“Rule 37”) was completely rewritten in the 2015 amendments.  Before the 2015 amendments, the standard was that a party could not generally be sanctioned for data loss as a result of the routine, good faith operation of its system. That rule didn’t really capture the reality of all of the potential scenarios related to data issues nor did it provide the requisite guidance to attorneys and parties.

The new rule added a dimension of reasonableness to preservation and a roadmap for analysis.  The first guidepost is whether the information should have been preserved. This rule is based upon the common law duty to preserve when litigation is likely. The next guidepost is whether the data loss resulted from a failure to take reasonable steps to preserve. The final guidepost is whether or not the lost data can be restored or replaced through additional discovery.  If there is data that should have been preserved, that was lost because of failure to preserve, and that can’t be replicated, then the court has two additional decisions to make: (1) was there prejudice to another party from the loss OR (2) was there an intent to deprive another party of the information.  If the former, the court may only impose measures “no greater than necessary” to cure the prejudice.  If the latter, the court may take a variety of extreme measures, including dismissal of the action. An important distinction was created in the rule between negligence and intention.

So how does a ransomware attack fit into the new analytical framework? A Special Master in MasterObjects, Inc. v. Amazon.com (U.S. Dist. Court, Northern District of California, March 13, 2022) analyzed Rule 37 in the context of a ransomware attack. MasterObjects was the victim of a well-documented ransomware attack, which precluded the companies access to data prior to 2016. The Special Master considered the declaration from MasterObjects which explained that, despite using state of the art cybersecurity protections, the firm was attacked by hackers in December 2020.  The hack rendered all the files/mailboxes inaccessible without a recovery key set by the attackers.  The hackers demanded a ransom and the company contacted the FBI.  Both the FBI and insurer advised them not to pay the ransom. Despite spending hundreds of hours attempting to restore the data, everything prior to 2016 was inaccessible.

Applying Rule 37, the Special Master stated that, at the outset, there is no evidence that any electronically stored information was “lost.”  The data still exists and, while access has been blocked, it can be accessed in the future if a key is provided or a technological work-around is discovered.

Even if a denial of access is construed to be a “loss,” the Special Master found no evidence in this record that the loss occurred because MasterObjects failed to take reasonable steps to preserve it. This step of the analysis, “failure to take reasonable steps to preserve,” is a “critical, basic element” to prove spoliation.

On the issue of prejudice, Amazon argued that “we can’t know what we don’t know” (related to missing documents).  The Special Master did not find Amazon’s argument persuasive. The Special Master concluded that Amazon’s argument cannot survive the adoption of Rule 37(e). “The rule requires affirmative proof of prejudice in the specific destruction at issue.”

Takeaways:

  1. If you are in a spoliation dispute, make sure you have the experts and evidence to prove or defend your case.

  2. When you are trying to prove spoliation, know the new test and apply it in your analysis (the Special Master noted that Amazon did not reference Rule 37 in its briefing).

  3. As a business owner, when it comes to cybersecurity, you must take reasonable and defensible efforts to protect your data.

Article By Gretchen E. Moore of Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky

For more cybersecurity and media legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

©2022 Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky

Gerber Argues FDA Preemption in Baby Food Lawsuit

  • In February 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy released a report on the levels of heavy metals found in baby foods and the respective manufacturers. The report findings described “significant levels of toxic heavy metals” based on internal documents and test results submitted by baby food companies.  Lawsuits quickly followed, including many actions against Gerber Products Co., that allege Gerber falsely and deceptively failed to disclose the presence of unsafe levels of heavy metals in their baby foods.
  • Gerber argues in a recent motion to dismiss  that the primary jurisdiction doctrine should control. For background, the primary jurisdiction doctrine is a judicial doctrine used when courts and an agency have concurrent jurisdiction, but the court favors administrative discretion and expertise in deciding the issue.   In this case, Gerber argues that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in a better position to decide “acceptable levels of heavy metals in baby foods” because of the need for expertise in issues of infant nutrition.
  • Gerber further alleges that Plaintiff’s claims are preempted by the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Gerber argues that Plaintiff’s demand for mandatory disclosures on packaging is preempted by FDA because it is the Agency’s role to establish national policy on food safety and labeling.  Finally, Gerber says the Plaintiffs fail to plead deception, pointing to a lack of misleading statements on their packaging and no legal requirement to disclose heavy metals on a product label.
  • Keller and Heckman will continue to monitor and report on this litigation and any responsive regulatory actions or developments.

Article By Food and Drug Law Practice Group at Keller and Heckman LLP

For more biotech, food, and drug law legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

© 2022 Keller and Heckman LLP

Wegmans Settles With NYAG for $400,000 Over Data Incident

The New York Attorney General recently announced a data security-related settlement with Wegmans Food Markets. The issue arose in April 2021 regarding a cloud-based incident. At that time a security researcher notified Wegmans that the company had an Azure cloud storage container that was unsecured. Upon investigation, the company determined that the container had been misconfigured and that three million customer records had been publicly accessible since 2018. The records included email addresses and account passwords.

Of concern for the AG, among other things, were that the passwords were salted and hashed using SHA-1 hashing, rather than PBKDF2. Similarly, the AG found concerning the fact that the company did not have an asset inventory of what it maintained in the cloud. As a result, no security assessments were conducted of its cloud-based databases. The NYAG also took issue with the company’s lack of long-term logging: logs for its Azure assets were kept for only 30 days. Finally, the company kept checksums derived from customer driver’s license information, something for which the NYAG did not feel the company had a “reasonable business purpose” to collect or maintain.

The NYAG argued that these practices were both deceptive and unlawful in light of the promises Wegman’s made in its privacy policy. It also felt that the practices were a violation of the state’s data security law. As part of the settlement, Wegmans agreed to pay $400,000. It also agreed to implement a written information security program that addresses, among other things:

  1. asset management that covers cloud assets and identifies several items about the asset, including its owner, version, location, and criticality;
  1. access controls for all cloud assets;
  1. penetration testing that takes into account cloud assets, and includes at least one annual test of the cloud environment;
  1. central logging and monitoring for cloud assets, including keeping cloud logs readily accessible for 90 days (and further stored for a year from logged activity);
  1. customer password management that includes hashing algorithms and a salting policy that is at least commensurate with NIST standards and “reasonably anticipated security risks;” and
  1. policies and procedures around data collection and deletion.

Wegmans agreed to have the program assessed within a year of the settlement, with a written report by the third-party assessor provided to the NYAG. It will also conduct at-least-annual reviews of the program. As part of that review it will determine if any changes are needed to better protect and secure personal data.

Putting It Into Practice: This case is a reminder for companies to think not only about assets on its network, but its cloud assets, when designing a security program. Part of these efforts include clearly identifying locations that house personal information (as defined under security and breach laws) and evaluating the security practices and controls in place to protect that information. The security program elements the NYAG has asked for in this settlement signal its expectations of what constitutes a reasonable information security program.

Article By Kari M. Rollins and Liisa M. Thomas of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

For more data privacy legal news, click here to visit the National Law Review.

Copyright © 2022, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.