The U.S. Department of Justice’s unusual decision to intervene in a False Claims Act lawsuit against a private equity firm as the majority owner of a pharmacy allegedly involved in a fraudulent scheme should grab the attention of general counsel at such firms, a legal expert said.

But it is too early to tell whether the case represents a new health care fraud enforcement trend for the federal government, or is just a one-off based on the circumstances of the alleged conduct, the expert said.