admin, Author at Brown & Fortunato

567 Leal v. Cuanto Antes Mejor LLC No. 04-14-00694-CV, 2015 WL 3999034 (Tex. App.—San Antonio July 1, 2015, no pet.)

Richard F. Brown The following is not a legal opinion. You should consult your attorney if the case may be of significance to you. Leal v. Cuanto Antes Mejor LLC No. 04-14-00694-CV, 2015 WL 3999034 (Tex. App.—San Antonio July 1, 2015, no pet.) (mem. op.) (Fixed or floating royalty) held that a deed conveyed a […] More...

559 Plains Expl. & Prod. Co. v. Torch Energy Advisors Inc., 473 S.W.3d 296 (Tex. 2015)

Richard F. Brown The following is not a legal opinion. You should consult your attorney if the case may be of significance to you. Plains Expl. & Prod. Co. v. Torch Energy Advisors Inc., 473 S.W.3d 296 (Tex. 2015) (Excluded Assets clause in PSA) construes the Excluded Assets clause in a typical Purchase and Sale […] More...

532 Petrohawk Properties, L.P. v. Jones 455 S.W.3d 753 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2015, pet. dism’d)

Richard F. Brown The following is not a legal opinion. You should consult your attorney if the case may be of significance to you. Petrohawk Properties, L.P. v. Jones 455 S.W.3d 753 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2015, pet. dism’d) (Oral amendment extending agreement to lease) held that breach of contract claims under oral modifications that extended the […] More...

Should You Hire An Independent Review Organization (IRO)?

No matter the kind of business you run, you will definitely face competition. How you compare with your competitors when it comes to things like the quality of service you offer is something you may question. This competition is why you should consider hiring an independent review organization (IRO). An independent review organization (IRO) is […] More...

Understanding When The Stark Law Applies To Your Healthcare Practice

Physicians have been confused about Stark Law and how it applies to them. Some believe the law applies to all fraud and abuse violations, but it is only relevant when it comes to particular healthcare services and Medicare beneficiaries. The law also applies indirectly to referrals of Medicaid beneficiaries, but for simplicity, we will only […] More...

Getting The Most Out Of Your IRO

There are many advantages to sending your medical reviews to an Independent Review Organization (IRO), from faster turnaround times to accessing more specialty knowledge. Once you have made the decision to use an IRO, it is important to have an understanding of how to get the best results. The following tips can help you get […] More...

What Is An IRO?

IRO stands for independent review organization. This type of organization is present in many industries, providing peer review and judgement of a person’s work, production, performance, or related behavior. The use of IROs has become a leading practice in the healthcare industry in the past few years. Using an IRO is a great way to […] More...

5 Steps That Can Help You Avoid A Qui Tam Lawsuit

The False Claims Act allows the government to recover losses from private entities that overcharge the government for services. The Obama Administration placed a high priority on fighting healthcare fraud, which has led to numerous investigations and large recoveries against the healthcare industry. In 2015, the administration recovered over 3.5 billion dollars. Qui tam is […] More...

5 Steps To Help Your Healthcare Practice Stay HIPAA Compliant

Instituting a HIPAA compliance program is only the beginning. Staying HIPAA compliant takes time and commitment. It is critical to review the various departments in your practice and make sure that your policies remain up to date. You may be surprised at how quickly technology evolves and leaves your policies outdated. You may also be […] More...

625 Hardwick v. Smith Energy Co. , 500 S.W.3d 474 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2016, pet. filed)

Richard F. Brown The following is not a legal opinion. You should consult your attorney if the case may be of significance to you. Hardwick v. Smith Energy Co. , 500 S.W.3d 474 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2016, pet. filed) (Statute of Frauds and prospect agreement)held that a landman’s contract violated the Statute of Frauds by failing […] More...