Whistleblower News From The Inside — February 24, 2016

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Johnson & Johnson liable for $72 million in baby powder case – A jury made the award to the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer after using the company’s ubiquitous talcum baby powder; over 1,000 lawsuits remain to be tried.  Los Angeles Times

DOJ says it has no shortage of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases – The Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s criminal division, Leslie Caldwell, assured participants at an anti-corruption conference that her agency is actively investigating FCPA cases and is even increasing the number of attorneys working in that area.  Wall Street Journal

Florida A.G. has power to dismiss False Claims Act case despite objections of whistleblower – A Florida court of appeals held that Attorney General Pam Bondi had authority under the state’s False Claims Act to dismiss the case filed by a whistleblower in what the court said was a first-of-its-kind case.  Tampa Bay Business Journal

Whistleblower case against Teva Pharmaceuticals to continue – Judge Colleen McMahon of the Southern District of New York ordered that a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging the company engaged in a kickback scheme to encourage doctors to prescribe its drugs for Parkinson’s and MS may go forward.  Reuters

Former California attorney hit with 5-year prison term for investment fraud scheme – Joseph Micelli was also ordered to pay over $6 million in restitution and forfeiture for conspiring to promote fraudulent investments and loan instruments.  DOJ