In a major victory for the meat industry, a unanimous Supreme Court decided Monday that the federal law governing the operation of slaughterhouses pre-empts efforts by California and other states to require humane treatment of “downer” or nonambulatory pigs.

A split 9th Circuit panel has decertified a nationwide false advertising class action against Honda’s U.S. subsidiary, ruling that California’s consumer protection law is too different from those in other states to permit class litigation.

Drug maker Actavis has agreed to pay $118.6 million to settle allegations that it caused the federal government and four states to pay oversized Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for generic drugs. The settlement comes on the heels of a separate settlement between Actavis and Texas for $84 million.

After 16 years and more than $2.5 billion in recoveries, Ven-A-Care’s qui tam assault on the pharmaceuticals industry is still going strong. Novartis generics unit Sandoz has agreed to pay $150 million to settle suits brought on behalf of the federal government and the states of Florida and California.

Goliath defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton removed to federal court a breach of contract case filed by Blackbird Technologies in September in Virginia state court.