Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-00091/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-00091-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 375
Nature of Suit: False Claims Act
Cause of Action: 31:3729 False Claims Act

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STIPULATION AND REQUEST 

FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME AND PARTIAL LIFT OF SEAL; PROPOSED ORDER 

C 15-0091 EDL 

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BENJAMIN C. MIZER 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

MELINDA HAAG (CSBN 132612) 

United States Attorney 

ALEX G. TSE (CSBN 152348) 

Chief, Civil Division 

MELANIE L. PROCTOR (CSBN 228971) 

Assistant United States Attorney 

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36055 

San Francisco, California 94102 

Telephone: (415) 436-6730 

Fax: (415) 436-6748 

e-mail: melanie.proctor@usdoj.gov

MICHAEL D. GRANSTON 

TRACY L. HILMER 

AMY D. KOSSAK 

Attorneys, Civil Division 

United States Department of Justice 

 Ben Franklin Station, Box 261 

 Washington, D.C. 20044 

 Telephone: (202) 616-2856 

 Fax: (202) 305-7797 

 e-mail: Amy.D.Kossak@usdoj.gov 

Attorneys for the United States of America 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al. ex 

rel. 

BROOKE HALLAM, 

 Plaintiff, 

 v. 

EV3 Endovascular, Inc.., a corporation, et al., 

 Defendants. 

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CASE NO. C 15-0091 EDL 

STIPULATION AND REQUEST FOR 

ENLARGEMENT OF TIME AND 

AMENDMENT TO PARTIAL LIFT 

ORDER; PROPOSED ORDER 

FILED UNDER SEAL

)

The United States of America, the State of California (on behalf of, and with the consent 

of, the other States named as plaintiffs in this qui tam action), and BROOKE HALLAM, as 

Relator, through their undersigned counsel of record, hereby stipulate and request that the Court 

Case 3:15-cv-00091-VC Document 6 Filed 06/03/15 Page 1 of 6
STIPULATION AND REQUEST 

FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME AND PARTIAL LIFT OF SEAL; PROPOSED ORDER 

C 15-0091 EDL 

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enlarge until December 4, 2015, the period during which the United States may elect to intervene 

in the above-captioned False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 qui tam action or 

notify the Court that it declines to do so, during which period the complaint and other filings 

shall remain under seal and not be served on the defendant. 

1. This request is being filed ex parte pursuant to Civ. L.R. 7-10 and the FCA. It is 

not being served on Defendants, as the case is under seal and Defendants have not yet been 

served in this case. This filing is being served on Relator. To avoid a multiplicity of motions, 

the United States is authorized to seek an extension of the intervention deadlines on behalf of the 

States and the District of Columbia, each of whose statutes are invoked in the complaint under 

their respective False Claims Acts. 

2. This action was filed on October 23, 2014, in the Northern District of Illinois, 

under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. Among other things, these provisions authorize private 

parties (known as relators) to file lawsuits alleging FCA violations on behalf of the United 

States. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b). The action was transferred to this District on December 17, 2014. 

3. In this action, Relator alleges, inter alia, that Defendants engaged in unlawful 

kickback schemes. 

4. Under the FCA, the qui tam relator is required to file the complaint under seal and 

serve it on the United States, but not on the defendant, so that the government may investigate 

the allegations in the complaint and make an informed decision whether to intervene in the 

action before the defendant is made aware of the case. The FCA provides that the complaint 

“shall remain under seal for at least 60 days, and shall not be served on the defendant until the 

court so orders.” 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(2). The qui tam provisions of the FCA expressly 

contemplate that motions for extensions of the 60-day period will be permitted upon a showing 

of “good cause.” 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(2) and (3). 

5. In the present case, Relator completed service of her written disclosure of material 

evidence and the Complaint on the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in 

October 2014. The seal currently expires on June 4, 2015. 

Case 3:15-cv-00091-VC Document 6 Filed 06/03/15 Page 2 of 6
STIPULATION AND REQUEST 

FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME AND PARTIAL LIFT OF SEAL; PROPOSED ORDER 

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6. The United States and California are actively investigating this case. Since the 

Complaint was transferred, the United States and California have assembled a team of 

investigators and attorneys, interviewed the relator, served a subpoena upon Defendant, and have 

begun to receive documents from Defendant in response to that subpoena. Defendant’s 

production of responsive documents, and the government’s review of those documents, is 

ongoing. The United States has determined that additional time will be necessary to complete 

its investigation and make an intervention decision. 

7. This is the first request for an extension of the seal and intervention deadlines in 

this case in this District. During the extension period, if granted, the Government will continue 

to diligently investigate Relator’s allegations. 

8. Due to Civil L.R. 79-5, which provides that sealed documents are automatically 

unsealed ten years from the date the case is closed, the United States is reluctant to provide more 

specific information about its investigation in writing. If the Court so requests, the undersigned 

government counsel will provide oral information about the government’s investigation in 

camera, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(3). 

9. The seal has been partially lifted to allow the United States to share the complaint 

with certain state entities, other relators and their counsel, and United States District Courts 

presiding over any other qui tam complaints asserting the same or similar allegations against 

Defendant and/or its corporate family members. The United States has now determined that, to 

more expeditiously investigate the allegations, it must have a full and open dialogue with 

Defendant regarding the allegations. Accordingly, the United States requests that the partial 

lifting of the seal in this case be expanded to include Defendant. Partial lifting of the seal will 

permit the United States, at its option, to disclose the existence of the qui tam suit, as well as the 

Relators’ complaint and evidence, to Defendant. The United States asks that the case remain 

under seal for all other purposes. 

DATED: May 27, 2015 BENJAMIN C. MIZER 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

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STIPULATION AND REQUEST 

FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME AND PARTIAL LIFT OF SEAL; PROPOSED ORDER 

C 15-0091 EDL 

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MELINDA HAAG 

 United States Attorney 

 /s/Melanie L. Proctor_______ 

 MELANIE L. PROCTOR 

 Assistant United States Attorney 

MICHAEL GRANSTON 

TRACY L. HILMER 

AMY D. KOSSAK 

Attorneys, Civil Division 

United States Department of Justice 

 Ben Franklin Station, Box 261 

 Washington, D.C. 20044 

 Telephone: (202) 616-2856 

 Fax: (202) 305-7797 

 e-mail: Amy.D.Kossak@usdoj.gov 

Attorneys for the United States of America 

DATED: May 21, 2015 KAMALA HARRIS 

 Attorney General for the State of California 

/s/Siobhan Franklin__ 

SIOBHAN FRANKLIN

Deputy Attorney General

California Attorney General’s Office

Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse

1455 Frazee Road, Suite 315

San Diego, CA 92108

Telephone: 619-688-6071

Siobhan.Franklin@doj.ca.gov

 Attorneys for the State of California 

 

DATED: May 26, 2015 /s/Susan M. Coler______ 

 SUSAN M. COLER 

 Halunen & Associates 

 1650 IDS Center 

 80 South Eighth Street 

 Minneapolis, MN 55402 

 Attorneys for Relator 

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[PROPOSED] ORDER 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 

1. The United States and the plaintiff-States shall have up to and including 

December 4, 2015, to inform the Court of their decisions whether to intervene in this matter. 

2. The United States is permitted to disclose, in its discretion, in whole or in part, 

this order, the Complaint (and any amended complaints that relator(s) may file in this case), and 

the allegations or nature of the claims asserted in the Complaint (and any amended complaints 

that relator(s) may file in this case) to Defendant and its counsel 

3. This matter shall otherwise remain under seal until further order of the Court. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: June 3, 2015 ______________________________ 

 ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE 

 United States Magistrate Judge 

Case 3:15-cv-00091-VC Document 6 Filed 06/03/15 Page 5 of 6
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al. ex

rel.

BROOKE HALLAM,

Plaintiff,

 v.

EV3 ENDOVASCULAR, INC., a corporation,

et al.,

Defendants. /

Case No. C 15-00091 EDL 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on June 3, 2015, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached order, by placing

said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office

delivery receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Melanie L. Proctor

Assistant United States Attorney

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36055

San Francisco, California 94102

Siobhan Franklin 

California Attorney General’s Office

Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse

1455 Frazee Road, Suite 315

San Diego, CA 92108

(GOVERNMENT’S COUNSEL TO SERVE APPROPRIATE PARTIES NOT LISTED

ON THIS CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE.)

Dated: June 3, 2015

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: _____________________ 

Stephen Ybarra, Deputy Clerk

Case 3:15-cv-00091-VC Document 6 Filed 06/03/15 Page 6 of 6