So far this year, three False Claims Act defendants have challenged judgments against them based on the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment. Remarkably, two were successful, as the District of Minnesota more than halved a large award, and the Eighth Circuit vacated and remanded a much smaller award in which the penalties substantially outpaced the actual damages. In contrast, the Seventh Circuit rejected a similar challenge and questioned whether the Eighth Amendment even applies to the FCA. Together, these decisions illustrate how the Excessive Fines Clause can be an uncertain, but potentially helpful, last line of defense for FCA defendants...
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Main Contacts
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Overview
Since our establishment in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1908, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP has provided quality legal counsel to our clients enabling them to accomplish more. In recent years, our practice has grown into a national firm that services clients from coast-to-coast, as well as internationally. Today's full-service practice, with more than 750 attorneys, continues the standards established by our founding partners over a decade ago, which are efficient, cost-effective and comprehensive solutions for clients.
Our firm's commitment to quality service extends from our highly-skilled attorneys to our experienced professional staff. By establishing relationships based on trust, communication and responsiveness, we tailor our service to ensure our clients' current needs are met while also anticipating future ones.
Year Law Firm was Founded: 1908
Lawyers Worldwide: 782
Areas of Practice
Professionals
Partners
Matthew M. Adolay
PartnerSeth V. Alhadeff
PartnerClifford H. Ashburner
PartnerMark M. Barber
PartnerMatthew W. Barszcz
PartnerDavid D. Black
PartnerMark L. Boos
PartnerJames M. Boyers
PartnerAlex P. Brackett
PartnerKent M. Broach
PartnerMatthew J. Brown
PartnerBradley A. Case
PartnerJames E. Cole
PartnerTony C. Coleman
PartnerEdward T. Depp
PartnerLauren E. Dimmitt
PartnerThomas W. Dinwiddie
PartnerMichelle L. Duncan
PartnerMary A. Edenfield
PartnerRobert H. Eichenberger
PartnerKathryn L. Ender
PartnerDavid L. Evans
PartnerJenna Fischman
PartnerJavier F. Flores
PartnerMark S. Franklin
PartnerChristopher M. George
PartnerAllison N. Griswold
PartnerAnne K. Guillory
PartnerMatthew P. Gunn
PartnerJohn W. Hamilton
PartnerThomas R. Harbert
PartnerSamantha R. Hargitt
PartnerR. Brooks Herrick
PartnerTimothy J. Hightower
PartnerJerrad T. Howard
PartnerAndrew N. Howe
PartnerRobert F. Inselberg
PartnerLira A. Johnson
PartnerNoel F. Johnson
PartnerDaniel R. Kelley
PartnerDouglas B. King
PartnerDavid T. Klapheke
PartnerAlina Klimkina
PartnerE. Joseph Kremp
PartnerChristopher D. Lee
PartnerPhilip M. Longmeyer
PartnerJames R. Lussier
PartnerRavika R. Marcadis
PartnerPeter J. Mastan
PartnerSarah S. Mattingly
PartnerStephen J. Mattingly
PartnerRachel L. McClintock
PartnerSarah M. McKenna
PartnerBarbara W. Menefee
PartnerR. Kenyon Meyer
PartnerPatrick W. Michael
PartnerIlya “Ian” Minkin
PartnerJennifer Orr Mitchell
PartnerBrent D. Mosby
PartnerRichard A. O'Halloran
PartnerMichael A. Paasch
PartnerDonna King Perry
PartnerStefanie R. Phillips
PartnerFrancis E. Pierce
PartnerFrancis E. Pierce
PartnerKathryn A. Quesenberry
PartnerMichael "Misha" Rabinowitch
PartnerMichael B. Reichert
PartnerRobert C. Rives, IV
PartnerJeremy S. Rogers
PartnerLovee Sarenas
PartnerDavid T. Schaefer
PartnerRobert S. Schein
PartnerKelsey E. Scherr
PartnerShaka A. Scott
PartnerJohn E. Selent
PartnerRobert E. Sickles
PartnerEric V. Skelly
PartnerJay W. Small
PartnerSarah R. Smith
PartnerTravis R. Smith
PartnerM. Trent Spurlock
PartnerDavid A. Talbot
PartnerMary Ross Terry
PartnerKurt E. Thalwitzer
PartnerDaniel D. Trachtman
PartnerJoseph N. Tucker
PartnerMichael A. Valinetz
PartnerFrancisco Victoria-Andreu
PartnerBrian L. Wagner
PartnerJohn D. Waller
PartnerJ. Tanner Watkins
PartnerWayne F. Wilson
PartnerJeffrey R. Witham
PartnerD. Craig York
PartnerAssociates
Lorena Alfonso
AssociateRobert L. Binz
AssociateJohn-William Parker Blessing
AssociateJohn-William "Parker" Blessing
AssociateMatthew W. Blubaugh
AssociateJesse I. Bogacz
AssociateDevin King Bolger
AssociateColleen C. Booth
AssociateEllen R. Braden
AssociateTrevor J. Brown
AssociateMatthew H. Burnett
AssociateAmanda L. Catalani
AssociatePhilip E. Cecil
AssociateJasmine R. Chenault-Diehlmann
AssociateBryan L. Cockroft
AssociateLaura S. Cordell
AssociateAshley R. Courtney
AssociateEmily (Emmy) A. Daunhauer
AssociateDaniel G. DeLuca
AssociateEaston B. Depp
AssociateAnkoor D. Desai
AssociateAndrew Dettmer
AssociateLexie Elder
AssociateRudy J. Ellis
AssociateNatalie L. Engel
AssociateLeslie A. Evans
AssociateJoseph K. Fabbi
AssociateBrian M. Fane
AssociateAntonio R. Fernandez
AssociateQuinn P. Gardner
AssociateJameson L. Gay
AssociateJohn T. Gordon
AssociateArielle I. Goren
AssociateM. Grant Grissom
AssociateNathan Hall
AssociateMegan D. Hedrick
AssociateArianna N. Hernandez
AssociateBryan P. Hernandez
AssociateLuca L. Hickman
AssociateNoah T. Holloway
AssociateBrandon T. Holmes
AssociatePaige E. Hornback
AssociateK. Justin Hornbuckle
AssociateAlia Hussain
AssociateMcKenzie E. Hutchinson
AssociateRhiannon Jones
AssociateBrittany Kelly
AssociateHenna O. Khan
AssociateCallie A. King
AssociateCrystal D. King
AssociateGina Kripotos
AssociateBriana J. Kutinsky
AssociateJohn D.A. Lavanga
AssociateJessica M. Lavin
AssociateAlex W. Layton
AssociateAdriana A. Libutti
AssociateYesica S. Liposky
AssociateJanice Lopez
AssociateSuzanne M. Marino
AssociateLissett V. Martinez
AssociateQuiyarra McCahey
AssociateNicole Melrose
AssociateBlaire A. Mikesell
AssociateRebekah S. Mintzer
AssociateTyler J. Mitchell
AssociateAnne Annie S. Myers
AssociateAnnie Stewart Myers
AssociateDaniel S. O'Neill
AssociateDavid W. Patton
AssociateSarah D. Reddick
AssociateBreeze "Bre" Robinson
AssociateAudriana Rodriguez
AssociateTimothy D. Schuster
AssociateJonathan Serrano
AssociateAdam H. Settle
AssociateSaige C. Shaw
AssociateChip R. Skambis
AssociateJonathon "Yogi" Snider
AssociateJessica R. Stillwell
AssociateMatthew J. Stockl
AssociateSarah D. Sullivan
AssociateSarah D. Sullivan
AssociateTrent A. Taylor
AssociateHannah D. Thompson
AssociateHannah D. Thompson
AssociateKathryn E. Tomey
AssociateEmily H. Vessels
AssociateEgle Vinickaite
AssociateAustin Westergom
AssociateJuels M. White
AssociateEmily R. White
AssociateBrian J. Wood
AssociateChristopher S. Zelli
AssociateCraig E. Zyburo
AssociateOf Counsel
Steven R. Bechtel
Partner Of CounselBrian W. Blaesser
Of CounselRichard H.C. Clay
Of CounselHarris W. Davidson
Of CounselFrank P. Doheny
Of CounselDale W. Eikenberry
Of CounselC. Claire Engle
Of CounselDenise M. Everett
Of CounselEric G. Farris
Partner Of CounselW. Scott Gabrielson
Partner Of CounselSamuel W. Gieryn
Of CounselAlex M. Greenberg
Of CounselAllison Wells Gritton
Partner Of CounselWilliam D. Grubbs
Of CounselRobert L. Hallenberg
Partner Of CounselMichael M. Hirn
Of CounselD. Matthew Kannady
Of CounselDavid M. Landis
Partner Of CounselJames A. Marx
Of CounselBrian M. Metcalf
Of CounselDavid R. Monohan [Inactive]
Of CounselKathiejane "K.J." Oehler
Of CounselAlexander "Alec" Ombres
Partner Of CounselJames P. Panico
Partner Of CounselOlivia B. Perry
Partner Of CounselJames Provenzale
Of CounselJim Provenzale
Of CounselRonald G. Salatich
Of CounselAlan Sanders
Of CounselSusan E. Sewell
Partner Of CounselJames K. Sinton
Of CounselJennifer W. Thomson
Of CounselAnnie M. Turner
Of CounselHolly C. Wallace
Of CounselOther
Francesca D. Berkovich
Law ClerkKristen R. De La Garza
Law ClerkKristen Howard
Senior Media Relations ManagerChase E. Ketcham
Law ClerkDominick A. Tuccio
Patent AgentJessica Ward
Events SpecialistNatalie L. Whitt
Law ClerkArticles
Contested DOL Rule on Tip Credit Invalidated by Fifth Circuit
Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision on the Department of Labor's (DOL) rule concerning tipped employees. This final rule, introduced in 2021, addresses the amount of time a tipped employee can spend on "tip-producing work" versus "non-tip-producing work. Generally, the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) allows employers of tipped employees to take a “tip credit” equal to the difference between the direct wage, the cash wage it pays directly to the tipped employee and the federal minimum wage...
Press
250+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers ®, Ones to Watch
More than 250 Dinsmore attorneys were recognized as Best Lawyers or Ones to Watch in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Five Dinsmore attorneys made the Best Lawyers list for the first time, and seven new attorneys were added to the Ones to Watch list. Best Lawyers’ list of outstanding lawyers is compiled by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. If the votes for a lawyer are positive enough for recognition by Best Lawyers, that lawyer must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain in each edition...
Five-Attorney Team Led by Esteemed Healthcare Litigator Bobbie Sprader Joins Dinsmore
Respected across Ohio for her incredible success defending physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice, wrongful death actions and personal injury cases, Dinsmore and Shohl LLP announces today the addition of Bobbie Sprader to the Firm’s national Healthcare practice. In the move to Dinsmore, Bobbie brings a dynamic team of experienced litigators, including Karen Clouse, Terri Gregori, Zachary Hoover and Karin Long, adding additional depth to Dinsmore’s formidable Tort group. In her three decades of practicing law, Bobbie has developed deep experience conducting jury trials and presenting arguments before various appellate courts...