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Compliance
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August 27, 2024
CFTC Fines TOTSA $48M Over Market Manipulation Attempts
Swiss energy trader TOTSA will pay $48 million for allegedly trying to manipulate the market for futures contracts linked to a type of refined gas mainly used in automobiles in Europe, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Tuesday, with one commissioner dissenting over "flimsy evidence that is speculative and circumstantial."
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August 27, 2024
SEC Cites Amazon's FTC Loss In Coinbase Document Dispute
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday told a New York federal judge that a recent ruling denying Amazon's request to review internal documents from the Federal Trade Commission bolsters its own bid to shield internal communications in its enforcement suit against crypto exchange Coinbase.
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August 27, 2024
Bank Seeks To End Claims It Mismanaged Treasury Program
A bank is seeking to permanently dismiss a suit accusing it of misleading an investor about its oversight of a U.S. Department of Treasury contract, saying despite amending its case three times, the investor hasn't connected any sustained stock loss to contract issues.
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August 27, 2024
2nd Circ. Urged To Reject Preemption Defense In BofA Row
The Second Circuit should join fellow federal courts in finding that a New York statute requiring all banks to pay at least 2% interest on mortgage-escrow accounts isn't preempted, a former Bank of America mortgage customer has told the appeals court following the U.S. Supreme Court's remand of the matter.
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August 27, 2024
SEC Says Adviser Touted AI Project, Phony IPO To Fleece $6M
The U.S. Securities and Exchange is accusing a China-based asset management firm of absconding with $6 million in client funds after making a rash of false claims about investing the money with the aid of artificial intelligence and after attempting to drum up interest in an initial public offering that never materialized.
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August 27, 2024
CPSC Suit 'Makes A Mockery' Of Standing, SG Tells Justices
The federal government is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pass on a "highly artificial suit" that seeks to unravel removal protections for commissioners on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying the groups behind the suit have no standing to pursue the legal challenge.
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August 27, 2024
NY Fines Nordea Bank $35M In Panama Papers-Linked Action
New York's Department of Financial Services announced Tuesday that Nordea Bank Abp will pay $35 million to settle allegations of "significant" anti-money laundering compliance failures, including helping customers set up offshore accounts for tax-sheltered companies tied to the Panama Papers.
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August 27, 2024
OSHA Hits Chicago Countertop Maker With $1M In Penalties
A Chicago-based countertop manufacturer was hit with nearly $1 million in potential fines for safety and health violations after federal regulators learned that a number of facility workers allegedly suffered major respiratory problems, including a father and son who both require lung transplants.
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August 27, 2024
6th Circ. Affirms HHS' Denial Of Title X Funds To Tenn.
The Sixth Circuit has upheld the Biden administration's authority to end a family-planning grant awarded to Tennessee after the state refused to offer abortion referrals, saying the state knew the rules when it accepted the grant.
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August 27, 2024
Treasury Asked To Scrap Stock Buyback Tax's Funding Rule
Business groups urged the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday to remove what's known as the funding rule in forthcoming final regulations on the stock buyback tax, saying the provision would go beyond Congress' intentions for the levy, which aims to deter companies from giving outsize rewards to shareholders.
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August 27, 2024
Broadcaster Settles With FCC For $8K Over Stock Transfers
An Arkansas radio broadcaster will pay an $8,000 fine to settle a Federal Communications Commission probe into unauthorized changes in control of the company's stock that occurred over two years.
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August 27, 2024
NFL To Allow PE Ownership, Joining Pro Sports League Peers
The National Football League's status as the last major North American sports league barring private equity investment in team ownership ended on Tuesday, when the owners approved changes in policy to allow such investment for the first time.
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August 27, 2024
Nasdaq Seeks SEC's Green Light To Launch Bitcoin Options
The Nasdaq stock exchange said Tuesday it is seeking regulatory approval to allow the listing of an options tool that tracks the price of bitcoin, a move designed to expand institutional and retail trading of cryptocurrency-related assets.
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August 27, 2024
Admiral Seeks Bribery Trial Separate From Contractors
A retired U.S. Navy admiral accused of accepting bribes from two contractors is pushing a Washington, D.C., federal court to sever his trial from theirs, saying the pair appeared poised to pin any alleged misconduct on him.
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August 27, 2024
New Cigna CLO Vows To Help Co. Navigate 'Dynamic' Industry
Cigna has promoted one of its in-house lawyers, who has spent her in-house and private practice career in the healthcare space, to chief legal officer, according to a LinkedIn post.
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August 27, 2024
Return Of Venezuela Sanctions Reignites Criminal Probes
Criminal investigations into Venezuela-related sanctions violations appear to be ramping back up since the U.S. government reimposed crushing trade penalties on the South American country's oil and gas sectors in response to an allegedly sham presidential election, according to experts.
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August 27, 2024
Connecticut Litigation To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
The Connecticut state and federal courts will grapple with a number of closely watched cases during the second half of 2024, including three key lawsuits by state Attorney General William Tong.
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August 27, 2024
Winston & Strawn Hires Morgan Lewis Healthcare Partner
An attorney specializing in healthcare law recently moved to Winston & Strawn LLP's Houston office after practicing for nearly five years at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.
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August 27, 2024
Morgan Stanley Applicant Drops Suit After Pseudonym Order
A Massachusetts woman on Tuesday dropped her proposed class action claiming Morgan Stanley illegally used protected criminal history information to discriminate against applicants, after a federal judge ruled she couldn't advance the lawsuit under a pseudonym.
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August 27, 2024
Duane Morris Hires Ex-Dickinson Wright Fintech Expert
A former financial institutions mergers and acquisitions and regulatory enforcement partner from Dickinson Wright PLLC who also has experience at the Federal Reserve Bank has joined Duane Morris LLP's corporate practice group in Chicago.
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August 27, 2024
Va. Ad Tech Judge Warns Google Over Chat Deletion
Google's defense of its advertising technology could get a little harder after a Virginia federal judge on Tuesday kept the door open to assuming that deleted internal chats hid evidence that would support U.S. Department of Justice monopolization claims bound for a bench trial next month.
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August 27, 2024
Kirkland Adds Energy Regulatory Pro From Vinson & Elkins
Kirkland & Ellis LLP has hired a corporate attorney who worked at Vinson & Elkins LLP for 16 years as a partner in its energy regulatory practice group.
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August 26, 2024
Uber Hit With €290M Dutch Fine For EU Data Transfers To US
The Netherlands' data protection authority has fined Uber €290 million ($324 million) on allegations it failed to use a valid mechanism for sending European drivers' personal data to the U.S. for more than two years, a penalty that the ride-sharing provider has vowed to appeal.
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August 26, 2024
Albertsons Paints Picture Of Dire Future Without Kroger Deal
Albertsons told an Oregon federal judge Monday that if the Federal Trade Commission is able to block a proposed merger with Kroger, it could lead to layoffs and shuttered stores, because a go-it-alone Albertsons doesn't have the wholesale buying power to compete with Walmart and Costco on prices.
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August 26, 2024
SEC Inks $946K Settlement In Unregistered Broker Case
A trust and its co-owners have agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil penalties totaling $946,000 to resolve allegations they operated as unregistered broker-dealers when helping to facilitate more than $1.2 billion in securities transactions by penny stock issuers.
Expert Analysis
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3 Healthcare FCA Deals Provide Self-Disclosure Takeaways
Several civil False Claims Act settlements of alleged healthcare fraud violations over the past year demonstrate that healthcare providers may benefit substantially from voluntarily disclosing potential misconduct to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, say Brian Albritton and Raquel Ramirez Jefferson at Phelps Dunbar.
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Series
A Day In The In-House Life: Block CLO Talks Problem-Solving
Amid the busy summer months, Block Inc. Chief Legal Officer Chrysty Esperanza chronicles a typical Wednesday where she conquered everything from unexpected fintech regulatory issues and team building to Bay Area commutes and school drop-off.
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Shipping Containers As Building Elements Require Diligence
With the shipping container market projected to double between 2020 and 2028, repurposing containers as storage units, office spaces and housing may become more common, but developers must make sure they comply with requirements that can vary by intended use and location, says Steven Otto at Crosbie Gliner.
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7th Circ. Ruling Expands CFPB Power In Post-Chevron Era
The Seventh Circuit’s recent ruling in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone Financial interprets the Equal Credit Opportunity Act broadly, paving the way for increased CFPB enforcement and hinting at how federal courts may approach statutory interpretation in the post-Chevron world, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.
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How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy
The National Environmental Policy Act is central to the Biden administration's environmental justice agenda — but the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo casts doubt on the government's ability to rely on NEPA for this purpose, and a pending federal case will test the strategy's limits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
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Heading Off Officials' Errors When Awarded A Gov't Contract
Government contractors awarded state or local projects funded through federal programs should seek clarification of their compliance obligations, documenting everything, or risk having to defend themselves when they seek reimbursement months later, with only their word for support, says George Petel at Wiley.
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Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries
A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.
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Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar
At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Eye On Compliance: New Pregnancy And Nursing Protections
With New York rolling out paid lactation breaks and extra leave for prenatal care, and recent federal legislative developments enhancing protection for pregnant and nursing workers, employers required to offer these complex new accommodations should take several steps to mitigate their compliance risks, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at Wilson Elser.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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FTC Focus: Private Equity Investments In Healthcare
As the Federal Trade Commission is tightening its scrutiny of private equity investment in healthcare, the agency is finding novel grounds to challenge key focus areas, including rollup acquisitions, the flip-and-strip approach and minority investments in rival providers, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest
Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.
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Opinion
Data Breach Reporting Requirements Must Change In AI Age
Outdated data breach reporting laws are inadequate to protect consumers in the age of artificial intelligence, as AI’s ability to determine relationships coupled with its improvements to deepfake technology mean that the very definitions used in breach reporting laws are no longer sufficient, says Collin Walke at Hall Estill.
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Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs
A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.
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New FARA Letters Offer Insight Into DOJ's Approach
The U.S. Department of Justice's recently released batch of 15 advisory opinions from the Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit provides important guidance on FARA registration triggers and exemptions, underscoring the breadth of FARA's scope, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.