Skip to content

Case Detail

[Subscribe to updates]
Case TitleHOLLAND LAW FIRM v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES et al
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2024cv01190
Date Filed2024-04-23
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Tanya S. Chutkan
PlaintiffHOLLAND LAW FIRM
Case DescriptionHolland Law Firm submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Health and Human Services for records concerning communications between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Benefits Coordination and Recovery Center regarding the talcum powder mass tort litigation against Johnson & Johnson. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request and asked Holland Law Firm who they believed at CMS might have responsive records for searching purposes. Holland Law Firm replied that it thought the request was reasonably described for search purposes. After hearing nothing further from the agency, Holland Law Firm filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DefendantCENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Complaint attachment 7
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2024-04-231COMPLAINT against All Defendants United States Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number BDCDC-10846041) filed by HOLLAND LAW FIRM. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Civil Cover Sheet, # 4 Summons for Attorney General of the United States, # 5 Summons for CMS, # 6 Summons for HHS, # 7 Summons for U.S. Attorney's Office)(Lang, Aaron) (Attachment 3 replaced on 4/24/2024) (znmw). (Entered: 04/23/2024)
2024-04-232LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by HOLLAND LAW FIRM (Lang, Aaron) (Entered: 04/23/2024)
2024-04-24Case Assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. (znmw) (Entered: 04/24/2024)
2024-04-243SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 04/24/2024)
2024-05-074RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General on April 29, 2024. (Lang, Aaron) (Entered: 05/07/2024)
2024-05-075RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 4/29/2024. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 5/29/2024. (Lang, Aaron) (Entered: 05/07/2024)
2024-05-076RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES served on 5/6/2024 (Lang, Aaron) (Entered: 05/07/2024)
2024-05-077RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES served on 5/1/2024 (Lang, Aaron) (Entered: 05/07/2024)
2024-05-168NOTICE of Appearance by James Woodside Orth, I on behalf of HOLLAND LAW FIRM (Orth, James) (Entered: 05/16/2024)
2024-05-299NOTICE of Appearance by Douglas C. Dreier on behalf of CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (Dreier, Douglas) (Entered: 05/29/2024)
2024-05-2910ANSWER to Complaint by CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.(Dreier, Douglas) (Entered: 05/29/2024)
2024-05-31MINUTE ORDER: Before the court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. The requirements of LCvR 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil procedure appear to be inapplicable. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and propose a schedule for proceeding in this matter. The schedule shall address the status of Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated number of documents responsive to Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated date(s) for release of the documents requested by Plaintiff, whether a motion for an Open America stay is likely in this case, whether a Vaughn index will be required in this case, whether and when either party anticipates filing a dispositive motion, and any other pertinent issues. The parties shall file a joint status report that addresses these issues no later than 7/2/2024. The joint status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 05/31/2024. (lcd) (Entered: 05/31/2024)
2024-06-03Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/2/2024. (zcll) (Entered: 06/03/2024)
2024-07-0211Joint STATUS REPORT by CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Dreier, Douglas) (Entered: 07/02/2024)
2024-07-07MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file another Joint Status Report on or before October 10, 2024, and every 90 days thereafter. To the extent the parties request a change in the status quo, the status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 07/07/2024. (lcd) (Entered: 07/07/2024)
Hide Docket Events
by FOIA Project Staff
Skip to toolbar