Author: Justin Lane

On Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to settle claims that is defrauded the government when it underwrote sub-standard mortgage loans for $614 million. The lawsuit alleged that JPMorgan, for more than a decade, approved and insured loans that failed to pass eligibility requirements for insurance by the Federal Housing Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Legally, JPMorgan has had rough few years, but when you hear the allegations of their conduct that elicit these settlements, it’s pretty hard to feel bad for them,” commented Christopher Paulos an attorney with the Levin, Papantonio law firm who practice in...

A new study from the journal PLOS One found that prescription testosterone therapies may increase the risk of heart attack. Prescriptions for testosterone therapies have been rapidly increasing in recent years. This new study, in addition to one published in JAMA last year, has finally prompted the FDA to investigate the possible dangers associated with the product. “It’s a truly tragic thing to see,” commented Brandon Bogle, an attorney with the Levin, Papantonio law firm who practices in the areas of personal injury and bad drug litigation. “Pharmaceutical companies will take something as natural as aging and try to...

Standard and Poor’s has announced that it has cut Puerto Rico’s general-obligation bonds to speculative, or one step above junk. This marks the culmination of mounting concern over the territories rising debt woes. The underlying story is that about 70 percent of U.S. municipal funds hold stakes in Puerto Rican securities due to the strong tax incentives that exist there. This makes the countries products especially risky for investors but potentially appealing to advisors. “S&P’s decision to lower Puerto Rico’s rating confirms what has been known for some time,” commented Peter Mougey, a shareholder with the Levin, Papantonio law...

A new rule announced by the Obama administration on Monday will allow patients to access their lab results without have to go through their doctors. The rule is part of a broader effort on the part of the administration to give patients more control of their health care. “This new rule is part of a broader shift toward patient control over health information,” commented Bill Cash, an attorney with the Levin, Papantonio law firm who practices in the areas of personal injury and bad drug litigation. “The era where only the doctor was allowed to know anything or have...

On Friday, the Department of Justice announced that it had obtained a sentence in the case of Hoi Yat Kam, a New York based physician. Kam and his collaborators are accused of filing as much as $15 million worth of false claims for payment to Medicare. “Stealing money from taxpayers unjustly takes funds from the limited public resources available to those who truly need them,” commented Christopher Paulos an attorney with the Levin, Papantonio law firm who practices in the areas of qui tam or whistleblower and False Claims Act litigation. “It’s a form of theft from taxpayers. Plain...