Canada has offered guidance to the U.S. on alternative healthcare systems and recently schooled us in Olympic Men’s Hockey. So it isn’t far fetched to talk about how Electronic Discovery is handled in Canada. This is a useful show for legal professionals who might litigate cases in Canada as well as legal professionals who want to hear ideas of what works from our neighbors up North. Their system is far less adverserial and yes there are more privacy laws which differ from U.S. laws. This podcast will include Susan Wortzman from Wortzman Nickle, a well known boutique law firm based in Toronto, Canada which focuses on Electronic Discovery. In addition, Judge Colin Campbell, a participant in the Sedona Conference and one of Canada’s most widely recognized speakers on electronic discovery is also a guest. Join us for this interesting show and to hear this talented panel.
Mitigating corporate fraud risks in the life sciences and healthcare sectors
Over the past 18 months, there has been a noticeable increase in enforcement activity aimed at tackling the growing issue of corporate fraud. The most striking example has been a stricter enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Furthermore, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on several occasions that it will focus its FCPA enforcement on the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Already, the DOJ has realigned its resources to enable prosecutors of FCPA violations and healthcare fraud to work together and combine their expertise.
Experts suggest there has been a visible increase in the scrutiny of pharmaceutical and biotech companies by both federal and state enforcement agencies since the start of the economic turmoil. Evidenced by the recent rise in civil settlements and criminal fines, governing bodies have been aggressively enforcing the rules and regulations that govern the sector.
“Further evidence of the federal government’s enforcement focus on the industry is illustrated by the increases in budget and personnel resources allocated to combat fraud,” says Michael Koon, a partner at Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP. “For example, the DOJ created a new interagency task force, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Team, or Heat, in 2009.” Heat was specifically formed to increase coordination and optimise criminal and civil enforcement. The DOJ has already credited Heat among other strike forces for their recent healthcare fraud recoveries.
via Mitigating corporate fraud risks in the life sciences and healthcare sectors.
