Law Commons^™

Determining The Appropriate Reach Of Escobar's Materiality Standard: Implied And Express Certification, Jake Summerlin

Georgia State University Law Review

In 2016, the Supreme Court altered the landscape of the False Claims Act by recognizing implied certification as a viable theory of liability. Before the Court decided Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar, courts disagreed over the scope and legitimacy of the theory, arguing that it could create runaway liability if not held in check. The Court, although recognizing that implied certification expanded the reach of the False Claims Act, reassured itself and government contractors by reinforcing the common law antecedents of fraud, namely, that misrepresentations and omissions must be material to the government’s decision …