United States Tenth Circuit

Summary judgment for defendant-employer in a reverse false claims action plaintiff brought against his former employer Conagra, and its related corporations, is vacated where a USDA requirement that defendant obtain replacement certificates and pay an accompanying fee was sufficient to constitute an "obligation" under 31 U.S.C. section 3729(a)(7), and the court was not persuaded by alternate arguments for affirmance.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/13/2006
• Published 10/13/2006

Judges

• HENRY, Circuit Judge., Before HENRY, McKAY, and TYMKOVICH, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• G. Bryan Ulmer, III, The Spence Law Firm, LLC, Jackson, WY (George Harold Parker, Jr., Dedolph & Parker, LLC, Fort Collins, CO, with him on the briefs), for the Plaintiff-Appellant., Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General, Douglas N. Letter, Appellate Litigation Counsel, Michael D. Granston and Alan E. Kleinburd, Attorneys, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for amicus curiae, the United States of America.


• For Appellees:
  
• Darrel G. Waas, Otten, Johnson, Robinson, Neff & Ragonetti, P.C., Denver, CO (Patricia C. Campbell, Otten, Johnson, Robinson, Neff & Ragonetti, P.C.;  Edward G. Warin, McGrath, North, Mullin, & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O., Omaha, NE;  and Carol C. Payne, Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P, Dallas, TX, with him on the brief), for the Defendants-Appellees.