Mendiondo v. Centinela Hosp. Med. Ctr., 521 F.3d 1097 (9th Cir. 2008)

Marie Bernadette Mendiondo, who worked as a nurse at the medical center, alleged she was terminated in retaliation for her complaints regarding allegedly false billing and reimbursement practices and substandard patient care in violation of the Federal and California False Claims Acts. Although the district court dismissed her claims, the Ninth Circuit reversed, holding that the heightened pleading requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b) do not apply to FCA retaliation claims – instead, an FCA retaliation claim must only meet the Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(b) notice pleading requirement.