Siemens Will Pay $104M For Stealing GE, Mitsubishi Secrets

By Hailey Konnath

Siemens Energy on Monday pled guilty to wire fraud and agreed to pay $104 million to put to rest federal prosecutors' case accusing the company of misappropriating the confidential information of General Electric and Mitsubishi, a plea deal that comes after multiple former Siemens executives pled guilty in related cases.

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Adams Asks To Toss Bribery Charge, Citing Top Court Ruling

By Frank G. Runyeon

New York City Mayor Eric Adams moved swiftly to dismiss the bribery charge from his federal indictment on Monday, arguing that evidence of Turkish officials' gifts to curry favor with him fails to meet a high legal standard laid out by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Sean Combs To Appeal Bail Denial, Bolsters Legal Team

By Bonnie Eslinger

Sean "Diddy" Combs is appealing a Manhattan federal judge's decision to deny him bail in a criminal case accusing the hip-hop mogul of sex trafficking and has bolstered his legal team, according to filings Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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'Really Poor Lawyering': Benchslap, No Mistrial In YSL Case

By Chart Riggall

The lead prosecutor in the trial of Atlanta rapper Young Thug received an unrelenting dressing-down Monday from the case's latest presiding judge, who slammed the state's "really poor lawyering" that she said she could attribute only to incompetence or deliberate misconduct.

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'Rust' Armorer's Conviction Stands Despite Evidence Scandal

By Phillip Bantz

A New Mexico judge on Monday refused to throw out "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter conviction or order a new trial based on allegations of prosecutorial misconduct that tanked the state's high-profile case against actor-producer Alec Baldwin.

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TD Securities To Pay $28M In Treasuries Spoofing Settlements

By Jessica Corso

Brokerage firm TD Securities has agreed to pay nearly $28 million to avoid prosecution and end regulatory investigations into its role in a spoofing scandal that will soon see the former head of its U.S. Treasuries trading desk brought before a jury, government officials announced Monday.

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Analysis

Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

By Jeff Overley

The year's spookiest month is looking scary-good for appellate aficionados, as famed oral advocates joust in October over net neutrality and Uber's extraordinary bid to unravel multidistrict litigation — just two of the high-profile arguments previewed in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing. October also begins with former President Jimmy Carter turning 100, and we'll test your knowledge of his profound impact on the judiciary.

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DC Circ. Urged To Revisit Retroactive FARA Registration

By Ali Sullivan

The U.S. Department of Justice is pressing the D.C. Circuit to reconsider a ruling that barred the federal government from suing to compel former foreign agents to register their onetime foreign influence efforts, arguing that the precedent behind the ruling wrongly hamstrings the DOJ's ability to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

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Ex-Fla. State Sen. Convicted Of Setting Up 'Ghost Candidate'

By Carolina Bolado

A Miami jury found former Florida state Sen. Frank Artiles guilty on Monday of campaign contribution violations related to a scheme to prop up a "ghost candidate" to swing a state Senate election to a Republican candidate.

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SEC Fines LA Man In Truth Social-Linked Insider Trading Case

By Sydney Price

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Eric Hannelius will pay over $365,000 to settle allegations that he traded on inside information ahead of a blank check company's acquisition of the owner of social media platform Truth Social.

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SEC Says Accountant Aided Tingo Group's Fintech Fraud

By Aislinn Keely

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday sued a Nigerian accounting firm for allegedly helping the operator of the Tingo fintech businesses conceal fake audit reports that inflated the value of the firms to further the "massive" fintech fraud.

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Fla. Judge Tosses NextEra Stock Drop Suit

By Carolina Bolado

A Florida federal judge on Friday dismissed a proposed class action against NextEra that sought to hold the energy company liable for a drop in its share price after political interference allegations emerged against its subsidiary Florida Power and Light Co.

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Brief

Pastor To Pay $539K For Bible-Themed Amusement Park Fraud

By George Woolston

A Virginia pastor has been ordered to pay nearly $550,000 in restitution after he was convicted on charges of defrauding investors with trumped-up promises of building a Bible-themed amusement park called Miracle Mansion.

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AT&T Exec Seeks Bribery Acquittal After Mistrial

By Celeste Bott

Former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza asked a federal judge Friday to acquit him outright on charges that he illegally influenced ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to support legislation that would have benefited the telecommunications giant, days after a jury deadlocked and a mistrial was declared in his bribery case.

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Insurer Says Miami Can't Toss Retaliation Coverage Dispute

By Jennifer Mandato

An insurer for the city of Miami sought to maintain its action seeking reimbursement of $5 million for expenses incurred in defending the city and one of its commissioners against underlying lawsuits alleging political retaliation, arguing that it didn't "commingle" claims regarding its potential defense and indemnification obligations.

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Judge Blasts Scamming Exec's 'Pathetic' Bid To Cut Sentence

By Daniel Ducassi

A Colorado federal judge waved away what he saw as a convicted data executive's efforts to absolve himself of responsibility during a sentencing hearing Monday, calling it "pathetic nonsense" as he sentenced him to 10 years in prison for his role in selling consumer data to scammers who preyed on the elderly and vulnerable.

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Guo Ch. 11 Trustee Seeks To Sell Conn. Mansion For $6.9M

By Aaron Keller

The Chapter 11 trustee overseeing the estate of Chinese exile Miles Guo, also known as Ho Wan Kwok, asked a bankruptcy judge's permission Monday to sell a Connecticut mansion tied to the convicted fraudster for $6.9 million to benefit the estate, according to paperwork filed Monday.

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NY Man Must Face Brownstone Deed Theft Charges

By Elliot Weld

A New York state court on Monday denied a Long Island man's bid to escape charges accusing him of using forgery and shell companies to steal two brownstone buildings in Harlem that are worth millions of dollars, disagreeing with the man's argument that the case was too stale to prosecute.

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Physician Assistant Seeks Lenient Term In $10M Fraud Case

By Hayley Fowler

A North Carolina physician assistant is looking to spend just one year behind bars after a federal jury in Charlotte found him guilty of rubber-stamping bogus prescriptions for genetic testing, marking a far cry from prosecutors' requested nine-year prison sentence.

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Plane Parts Exec Loses Appeal In Honeywell Fraud Case

By Cara Salvatore

The Second Circuit refused Monday to free the president of an airplane parts supplier from a seven-year prison sentence over a $15 million fraud on Honeywell International Inc., rejecting his protest over evidence admitted for consciousness of guilt.

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DC Judge Won't Allow Single Trial In Admiral's Bribery Case

By David Minsky

A D.C. federal judge Monday denied the government's motion to reconsider a decision severing a retired Navy admiral's bribery trial from that of the defense contractors he is accused of steering federal contracts toward, reiterating a previous ruling that the court can split the case if consolidation appears to prejudice the parties.

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Feds Seek Prison In Tax Case Linked To 'China Initiative'

By Elliot Weld

Prosecutors have asked a Texas federal judge for an 18- to 24-month prison sentence for a Chinese-born engineer who pled guilty to tax crimes after being charged with export violations and fraud in a case the defense claims began as an espionage investigation under the U.S. Department of Justice's now-disbanded "China Initiative."

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Ex-Jersey Shore Mayor Admits To Benefits Theft, Tax Crimes

By MJ Koo

The former mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey, has admitted to unlawfully obtaining state health benefits, failing to disclose his outside employment and neglecting to report income from that job on state tax returns, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability announced Monday.

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Biz Owner Gets 18 Months For Tax Fraud On $2.8M In Income

By Asha Glover

The owner of a metal fabrication company who admitted to neglecting to report nearly $3 million in business income to the Internal Revenue Service was sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to Connecticut federal prosecutors.

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Opinion

AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys

The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.

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A Deep Dive Into Law Firm Pay

By Kevin Penton

The legal industry may be known for its relatively high pay, but don't tell that to lawyers: Barely half of all attorneys feel satisfied or very satisfied with what they make, according to a new Law360 Pulse report.

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The 2024 Compensation Report: Law Firms

Law360 Pulse asked lawyers about their compensation, pay structure transparency, billable hours and more. Find out how much they earn, how satisfied they are and where some of the problem areas lie with their pay.

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Spencer Fane Combines With Las Vegas Boutique Firm

By Adrian Cruz

Spencer Fane LLP announced Tuesday that it has merged with Las Vegas boutique Holley Driggs Law Firm, adding a further 14 attorneys to its operations in Nevada's most populous city.

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Ga. High Court Declares Judicial Emergency After Helene

By Madeline Lyskawa

The Supreme Court of Georgia declared a statewide judicial emergency Monday in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which slammed into the Southeastern U.S. last week, bringing heavy rain and high winds that shut down several state courts the following day.

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Wigdor Sued For Dragging Cuomo Aide Into Harassment Case

By Ryan Boysen

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's spokesperson hit Wigdor LLP with a malicious prosecution suit Tuesday, claiming the well-known employment law firm filed a bogus retaliation claim against him for likening a sexual harassment suit against Cuomo to extortion.

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When The Client Is The Mayor, The Usual Rules Don't Apply

By Julie Manganis

Representing a public official, whether the mayor of New York City, a state legislator or a city council member, poses unique challenges for even the most experienced lawyers, who often find themselves torn between fighting battles in the press and protecting their client in court.

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Adams Says Feds Sought To 'Tarnish' Him With Leaks

By Frank G. Runyeon

New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked a Manhattan federal judge Tuesday to sanction Southern District prosecutors for allegedly leaking the details of a criminal investigation for nearly a year leading up to his corruption indictment, saying negative press has hurt his standing with the public and undermined his right to a fair trial.

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NYC Mayor Elevates Attorneys Amid Corruption Charges

By Anna Sanders

New York City Mayor Eric Adams nominated a longtime public servant as his next corporation counsel and promoted a former WilmerHale attorney to City Hall chief counsel as the embattled Democrat faces federal corruption charges.

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Trump Cries Voter Interference As Immunity Brief Hits Docket

By Rachel Scharf

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed special counsel Jack Smith's bid to publicize some evidence in a voluminous filing over Trump's presidential immunity to election interference charges, reiterating allegations that it's a "politically motivated manifesto" aimed at influencing voters on the eve of the 2024 election.

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NYC Bar Urges Congress To Place Ethics Rules On High Court

By Andrea Keckley

The New York City Bar Association called on Congress to put U.S. Supreme Court justices under enforceable ethics rules in a report released Tuesday, throwing its support behind reforms, such as the creation of a Judicial Investigation Panel and an Office of the Inspector General.

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McElroy Deutsch Must Face 'Malicious' Claim From Fired Exec

By Jake Maher

A former business development director from McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP has been given the go-ahead from a New Jersey state judge to bring a malicious-prosecution claim against the firm in litigation over her and her husband's alleged multimillion-dollar embezzlement from the firm.

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The Top In-House Hires Of September

By Michele Gorman

Legal department hires over the last month included high-profile appointments at Wynn Resorts, Amtrak and eBay. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from September.

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Apple, Amazon Hint Hagens Berman Lacked Client's OK

By Greg Lamm

Amazon and Apple blasted Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP for seeking to withdraw as counsel for the no-show original lead plaintiff in an antitrust suit targeting iPhone and iPad sales, hinting that the firm continued to pursue the case even after knowing its client wished to drop out.

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