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
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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.
Areas of Practice
Professionals
Partners
Alan H. Abes
PartnerMark G. Arnzen
PartnerCharles E. Baverman III
PartnerTravis M. Bayer
PartnerGary E. Becker
PartnerChristopher A. Benintendi
PartnerApril L. Besl
PartnerDavid D. Black
PartnerNathan H. Blaske
PartnerNicolas A. Brentlinger
PartnerJ. David Brittingham
PartnerMichael J. Bronson
PartnerSarah B. Cameron
PartnerHarry W. Cappel
PartnerYongsok Choi
PartnerHarvey Jay Cohen
PartnerEric K. Combs
PartnerThomas M. Connor
PartnerMarci L. Morgan Cox
PartnerKara A. Czanik
PartnerMichael G. Dailey
PartnerAllan R. Daily
PartnerHelana A. Darrow
PartnerGovinda M. Davis
PartnerMichael T. Dean
PartnerPeter A. Draugelis
PartnerMartiné "Marty" R. Dunn
PartnerChristopher W. Elswick
PartnerDouglas J. Feichtner
PartnerLauren L. Fletcher
PartnerLauren L. Fletcher
PartnerKaren K. Gaunt
PartnerJean Geoppinger McCoy
PartnerLindsay K. Gerdes
PartnerMaxwell W. Gerwin
PartnerR. Samuel Gilley
PartnerAllison L. Goico
PartnerPatrick M. Hagan
PartnerJoe W. Harper
PartnerMichael W. Hawkins
PartnerKelli L. Hayes
PartnerJason W. Hilliard
PartnerJeffrey P. Hinebaugh
PartnerKurt R. Hunt
PartnerMegan C. Hymore
PartnerCory J. Ingle
PartnerKatie P. Jacob
PartnerAnthony "T.J." Jagoditz
PartnerChristopher M. Jones
PartnerOleg Khariton
PartnerAllison G. Knerr
PartnerAndrew R. Kwiatkowski
PartnerBethany R. Lahmann
PartnerKristin M. Lenhart
PartnerColleen P. Lewis
PartnerJennifer L. Livingston
PartnerJoshua A. Lorentz
Managing Partner & ChairmanJohn D. Luken
PartnerMichael B. Mattingly
PartnerJohn C. Merchant
PartnerJennifer Orr Mitchell
PartnerNicole Sigurdson Nan
PartnerCraig E. Neiheisel
PartnerGeoffrey L. Oberhaus
PartnerJaci L. Overmann
PartnerBryan E. Pacheco
PartnerSujyot S. Patel
PartnerBrian P. Perry
PartnerKelly E. Pitcher
PartnerRichard D. Porotsky
PartnerMary-Jo Pullen
PartnerKatherine A. Rasmussen
PartnerNatalie H. Rauf
PartnerJ. Andrew Recker
PartnerBrett M. Renzenbrink
PartnerNicholaus R. Rericha
PartnerColleen M. Reynolds
Partner at DSD Advisors, LLCAlexandra C. Rock
PartnerBradley N. Ruwe
PartnerJill M. Scherff
PartnerH. Toby Schisler
PartnerJulie A. Schoepf
PartnerElizabeth M. Shaffer
PartnerJason B. Sims
PartnerRitu Singh
PartnerReginald L. Staples, Jr.
PartnerLee M. Stautberg
PartnerNoah J. Stern
PartnerBrian S. Sullivan
PartnerBrian A. Tent
PartnerTimothy A. Tepe
PartnerRichard B. Tranter
PartnerLona J. Valentine
PartnerJoan M. Verchot
PartnerGeorge H. Vincent
PartnerBrenda A. Wehmer
PartnerBen F. Wells
PartnerFaith C. Whittaker
PartnerBryan C. Wisecup
PartnerLaurie A. Witek
PartnerAssociates
J. Riley Able
AssociateE. Mackie Anderson
AssociateNicole S. Barba
AssociateJared M. Bruce
AssociateDaniel K. Byrne
AssociateAnnalese Cahill (Non-Attorney)
Government Relations Associate, DSD Advisors, LLCJesse A. Campbell
AssociateJennifer L. Campbell
AssociateChelsea J. Chalk
AssociateRebecca D. Conrad
AssociateTanner C. Dowdy
AssociateAshley E. Durner
AssociateR. Elizabeth (Betsy) Emmert
AssociateJustin B. Foster
AssociateLauren E. Getgey
AssociateKeeley B. Gogul
AssociateJohn D. Grasty
AssociateLouise M. Griffin
AssociateLeon A. Hampton
AssociateJazmin E. Harris
AssociateAlex S. Havlin
AssociateBrooke E. Hewlett
AssociateBrian D. Hills
AssociateAndrew D. Hilton
AssociateZelong "Derrick" Hou
AssociateMichael A. Huber
AssociateLauren M. Johnson
AssociateJulia D Hemecourt Julia D`Hemecourt
AssociateAndrew S. Kanel
AssociateJonathan M. Kelly
AssociateBreia L. Lassiter
AssociateBrandi E. Liebing
AssociateJacqueline I. McCloskey
AssociateKatie E. McDonald
AssociateSamuel J. Otis
AssociateJacqueline I. Painter
AssociateMadeline R. Pinto
AssociateBrooke F. Poling
AssociateGarrett K. Rethman
AssociateLiane H. Rousseau
AssociateFuxing “Amber” Sai
AssociateMeghan L. Savercool
AssociateBrian E. Schultz
AssociateSarah E. Sessler
AssociateJulia d'Hemecourt Sherburne
AssociateBradley J. Steffen
AssociateS. Joseph Stephens
AssociateCourtney N. Strickland
AssociateNicholas G. Strogen
AssociateSpencer W. Telford
AssociateSheng Tong
AssociateGabriella A. Wirasakti
AssociateGregory T. Wuennenberg
AssociateJenée "Jen" N. Zweidinger
AssociateOf Counsel
Sarah E. Abbott
Of CounselGregory P. Adams
Of CounselJohn E. Barnes
Of CounselKathryn W. Bayer
Of CounselMark C. Bissinger
Of CounselEdward J. Boll
Of CounselCalvin D. Buford
Of CounselBonnie G. Camden
Of CounselKathleen A. Carnes
Of CounselPablo J. Davis
Of CounselBranson D. Dunlop
Of CounselMichael D. Eagen
Of CounselShannon O’Connell Egan
Of CounselKatrina Z. Farley
Partner Of CounselCynthia M. Fischer
Of CounselWilliam M. Freedman
Of CounselHarold S. Freeman [Inactive]
Of CounselMichael G. Frey
Of CounselGregory A. Harrison
Of CounselMary J. Healy
Of CounselCharles F. Hertlein
Of CounselM. Gabrielle Hils
Of CounselKevin M. Hudspeth
Of CounselDavid P. Kamp
Partner Of CounselJohn "Skip" M. Kunst
Of CounselLawrence H. Kyte
Partner Of CounselNancy A. Lawson
Of CounselDoloris F. Learmonth
Of CounselDeborah R. Lydon
Of CounselJames A. Marx
Of CounselPaul R. Mattingly
Of CounselMatthew I. McKelvey
Of CounselCharles M. Meyer
Partner Of CounselDwight D. Myfelt
Of CounselRobert W. Olson
Of CounselWilliam L. Purtell
Of CounselWilliam L. Purtell
Of CounselClifford A. Roe
Of CounselCharles M. Roesch
Of CounselLynda E. Roesch
Of CounselJerry S. Sallee
Of CounselJoseph "Jay" L. Sallee
Of CounselSteven H. Schreiber
Of CounselWilliam J. Seitz, III
Partner Of CounselThomas J. Sherman
Of CounselJames K. Sinton
Of CounselJeremy D. Smith
Of CounselJason A. Snyder
Of CounselVincent B. Stamp [Inactive]
Of CounselMary W. Sullivan
Partner Of CounselAlex M. Triantafilou
Partner Of CounselMark A. Vander Laan
Of CounselThomas J. Westerfield
Partner Of CounselGeorge B. Wilkinson
Of CounselRoss A. Wilson
Of CounselKevin S. Woodard
Partner Of CounselFrank C. Woodside
Of CounselOther
Andrew J. Armstrong
Vice President, Dinsmore Compliance ServicesVictoria E. Bonds
Law ClerkMegan E. Bowling
Law ClerkHannah K. Burnau
Law ClerkJeff Chapman
Executive Vice President, Dinsmore Compliance ServicesStephen D. Cordle
Law ClerkJohnny F. Davis
Compliance OfficerMatthew J. Davis
President, DSD Advisors, LLCWinifred Fries
President of Mercantile Title Agency, IncJames R. Hadaway
Vice President and Compliance Officer, Dinsmore Compliance ServicesMadeline E. Hedges
Vice President and Compliance Officer, Dinsmore Compliance ServicesLuke A. Henderson, Ph.D. (Non-attorney)
Patent AgentJay G. Kasting
Vice President and Compliance Officer, Dinsmore Compliance ServicesKevin (Sung) M. Kim
Compliance OfficerKevin (Sung) M. Kim
Compliance OfficerJ. Caroline King
Law ClerkNathan L. Landrum
Law ClerkMichelle A. McCarthy
Senior Compliance OfficerLibby O'Neal (Non-Attorney)
Government Relations Manager, DSD Advisors, LLCTyler J. M. Parrish
Law ClerkIvanna M. Sabino (Non-Attorney)
Compliance OfficerAndy S. Warning
Vice President and Compliance Officer, Dinsmore Compliance ServicesArticles
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...