Health Law
November 15, 2025
The Burwell v. Hobby case was a civil case, meaning it involved a non-criminal dispute between parties over legal rights and obligations. The goal of civil cases is to find a fair remedy, such as compensation or a court order, rather than to punish the defendant for a crime. In Burwell v. Hobby, the plaintiffs were Hobby Lobby Stores and other closely held for-profit corporations whose owners objected on religious grounds to providing contraceptives in their employee health insurance plans. The defendant was Sylvia Burwell, the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The case arose when the HHS regulations required employers to include coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive methods under the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate.
October 15, 2025
In March 2019, the state of New York initiated an extensive lawsuit against multi-billion-dollar corporation Purdue Pharma L.P, as well as several members of the Sackler Family- the original owners and majority stakeholders of Purdue Pharma. New York State Attorney Letita James claims that New York constituents were being disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic, suggesting that the corporation engaged in deceptive marketing tactics to downplay the addictive nature of its flagship opioid, Oxycontin. In a more recent development in June 2025, however, she announced an expansion of the lawsuit, stating that all fifty U.S. states have now joined and will receive financial compensation for the damage the ongoing epidemic caused.
August 15, 2025
In recent years, non-compete agreements– contracts that restrict where and when someone can work after leaving a job–have come under increased scrutiny in the healthcare industry, particularly in how they limit worker mobility and how they affect patients' access to care. In a major move, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1318 (SB 1318) into law on June 20, 2025. Starting September 1, 2025, this new law places tighter limits on non-compete agreements, affecting how healthcare workers are hired and retained in Texas.