Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. New Mexico, ex rel. Balderas

Issue: (1) Whether the federal government or a state government, as the real party in interest in a qui tam action brought in its name and litigated to judgment with its full knowledge, is bound by a final judgment on the merits when that government has declined to intervene; and (2) whether a state court may establish a novel "public policy" exception to the res judicata effect of a concededly final federal judgment when that exception runs to the exclusive benefit of a single party, the government.