Thoughtful Insight and Updates on Legal Issues that Matter to You

Perspectives

FDA and CMS Consider Parallel Review of Medical Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced in a Federal Register Notice that they are considering establishing a parallel review […]

Oprah And Rachel Ray Assist The Federal Trade Commission In Taking Down Allegedly Deceptive Acai Marketers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has obtained a court order against the Arizona­based marketers of Acai dietary supplements, Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc, also known as CCN. The order prohibits sales of […]

$30 Million Seized From Vatican Bank In Money Laundering Probe

Italian monetary authorities have seized $30 million from a Vatican bank account and placed the Vatican Bank’s director general, Paolo Cipriani, and its chairman, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, under investigation for possible violations of Italy’s anti-money laundering laws. Italian prosecutors have announced that the money was seized as a precaution until the investigation can be completed.

Willful Blindness Jury Instruction Upheld In Tax Conviction

On September 9, 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit held that the use of a “willful blindness” jury instruction satisfies the willfulness element of a criminal tax offense. In finding the jury instruction appropriate, the court concluded that, where warranted by the trial evidence, a willful blindness instruction “properly appl[ies] to a defendant’s knowledge of his legal duties.”

Allergan Pleads Guilty To Misbranding Charge Agrees To Pay $600 Million In Fines And Penalties

Allergan, Inc., the manufacturer of Botox ® Cosmetic, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of misbranding, a violation under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). The company […]

Forest Pharmaceuticals To Plead Guilty For Food, Drug, And Cosmetic Act Violations

On September 15, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced that Forest Pharmaceuticals (“Forest”) has agreed to plead guilty to two violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act […]

FDA Cracks Down On Nutrition And Health Claims By Green Tea Makers

The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to two large producers of green tea drinks to discontinue unauthorized and unproven health and nutrient claims on their labels and […]

Mitchell Fuerst Comments on Proposed FASB Standards

On September 14, 2010, Mitchell Fuerst of Fuerst Ittleman was interviewed by webcpa.com on the issue of why the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) proposed standards on loss contingency disclosures […]

OFAC Begins Process Of Lifting Sanctions In Post-War Iraq

On September 13, 2010, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the US Department of the Treasury announced the removal of the Iraqi Sanctions Regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 575, and added the Iraq Stabilization and Insurgency Sanctions Regulations (“ISISR”) to the Code at 31 C.F.R. Part 576. The new regulations implement Executive Order 13350 terminating the national emergency declared in Iraq by the US in 1990 in Executive Order 12722.

FDA Closer To Approving Genetically Modified Salmon

The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has moved one step closer to approving the first genetically modified animal food for human consumption, genetically modified Atlantic salmon. The impending decision has […]