Stephen Piepgrass, co-leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group, was interviewed in the February 17, 2025 CasinoReviews.net article, “Sweepstakes Casinos: Thriving in an Ever-Changing Industry – Interview with Attorney Stephen C. Piepgrass.”
In the article, Stephen provides valuable insights into the legal hurdles sweepstakes casinos are up
On February 4, a Vermont Superior Court judge entered a judgment of over $2.7 million against Phoenix Counseling & Wellness, PLC (Phoenix), and the company’s owner for alleged violations of the Vermont False Claims Act (VFCA). Vermont Attorney General (AG) Charity Clark and her office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) received complaints regarding the quality of care and maintenance of patient treatment records by Phoenix.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and 18 state attorneys general (AG) announced a settlement with Boston-based QOL Medical, LLC (QOL) and its CEO, Frederick Cooper, to resolve allegations that the company provided unlawful kickbacks to health care providers. Under the terms of the settlement, QOL and Cooper agreed to pay $47 million to resolve allegations that QOL manipulated health care providers into prescribing a drug called Sucraid — an FDA-approved therapy for a rare genetic disorder, Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID). Regulators alleged that QOL and Cooper violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and federal and state False Claims Acts.
Last year, we wrote about the former Missouri governor’s efforts to curb the availability of intoxicating hemp products to Missouri consumers by executive order. There are now several proposed bills in the Missouri legislature that seek to regulate hemp-derived consumable products in the state, a few of which we summarize below. In general, the proposed legislation addresses issues related to youth access, licensing, taxation, advertising and marketing, testing, and labeling. This type of proposed legislation is worth monitoring in Missouri, and other states, as states take more aggressive action to prohibit or regulate the availability of such products to consumers in the absence of a coherent, federal regulatory framework.
In what appear to be the first restrictions of their kind, the state of California and the city and county of Denver have adopted bans on flavored tobacco products that cover not only products containing tobacco and nicotine, but also nicotinic alkaloids and nicotine analogs.
Government Contracting and Cyber/Privacy Attorneys at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP discuss the U.S. Justice Department’s efforts to combat cybersecurity fraud and some best practices for government contractors seeking to mitigate noncompliance risks.
In late January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew its proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and all characterizing flavors in cigars. Although either proposal could be revived under a future administration, the withdrawal ends both of the current rulemaking processes. The move also strongly indicates shifting FDA priorities under the second Trump administration. Amid these changes, industry may find the agency more receptive to its arguments — particularly those submitted in comments to proposed rulemaking.
On January 22, lawmakers in Colorado introduced SB25-076, (the act) which aims to address concerns surrounding the availability of intoxicating products (including regulated cannabis products) within the state, especially to children and young adults. To address these concerns, the act would impose new requirements on licensed businesses related to serving sizes and labeling requirements and would restrict sales of certain products to adults under 26 years old. While the intent behind the act is to mitigate potential risks associated with high-potency cannabis, the approach taken is arguably too extreme and places excessive burdens on the industry. A more nuanced strategy is needed to balance public health concerns with the operational realities of licensed cannabis businesses.
Given the future uncertainty of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to regulate bank overdraft fees, New York’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) has stepped in to fill a perceived gap. The DFS announced proposed regulations to tackle what it perceives as unfair overdraft fees. The proposed regulations will “ensure consumers will no longer be burdened with overdraft fees for minor transactions and require banks to provide timely notifications to consumers about overdraft fees to improve transparency.”
In this episode of Regulatory Oversight, Chuck Slemp is joined by New Hampshire Attorney General (AG) John Formella to discuss his journey to becoming New Hampshire’s AG. Formella highlights his career in private practice, his role as legal counsel to Governor Chris Sununu, and his eventual appointment as AG in 2021. As the new president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), Formella outlines his initiative to combat substance abuse and drug trafficking, emphasizing bipartisan collaboration and support for law enforcement. He also addresses emerging issues such as elder abuse, data privacy, civil rights, and mental health.