Thomas Mooney v. Douglas Fife

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

THOMAS MOONEY, Nos. 22-16328 23-15158 Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. v. 2:17-cv-02191-

JCM-EJY

DOUGLAS FIFE, M.D.; HEATHER

FIFE; FIFE DERMATOLOGY, PC,

DBA Surgical Dermatology & Laser OPINION Center, DBA Vivida Dermatology,

Defendants-Appellees,

and

ALAN ARNOLD, M.D.; VICTORIA

FARLEY, M.D.; ELIZABETH

LANGFORD, D.O.; MAC MACHAN,

M.D.,

Defendants.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada James C. Mahan, District Judge, Presiding Argued and Submitted March 5, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada

Filed September 30, 2024

Before: Milan D. Smith, Jr., Mark J. Bennett, and Daniel P. Collins, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Bennett; Partial Concurrence by Judge Collins

SUMMARY*

False Claims Act

The panel reversed the district court’s summary judgment in favor of the defendants in a qui tam action under the False Claims Act and remanded for further proceedings. Plaintiff Thomas Mooney was employed as chief operating officer for Dr. Douglas Fife, his wife Heather Fife, and Fife Dermatology, PC, d/b/a…