White Collar

  • December 12, 2024

    Bitcoin Investor Gets 2 Years For Tax Fraud In Landmark Case

    An investor who concealed millions of dollars he earned in bitcoin and became the first person criminally charged for failing to report gains from the sale of cryptocurrency by filing false returns was sentenced to two years in federal prison Thursday.

  • December 12, 2024

    AT&T Exec Can't Get Bribery Acquittal After Jury Deadlocks

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday denied a former AT&T executive's bid for acquittal on charges he bribed ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan after his case resulted in a hung jury earlier this year, saying the government presented sufficient evidence of a quid pro quo.

  • December 12, 2024

    TD Bank Sued Over AML Controls After Ex-Employee's Arrest

    Toronto-Dominion Bank and its top brass concealed and downplayed issues with the bank's anti-money laundering controls, according to a class action filed one day after a former employee was arrested and charged with assisting in a money laundering scheme that sent millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds from the U.S. to Colombia.

  • December 12, 2024

    Wash. Man Gets 41 Months For Gamer-Duping Crypto Scam

    A Washington federal judge has sentenced a Spokane man to 41 months in prison for running a crypto scheme in which he allegedly induced victims he met online, including users of dating apps and "Call of Duty" players, and via hailed rides to sink over $350,000 into a phony crypto investment fund.

  • December 12, 2024

    Judge Troubled By Conduct Of Pot Farmer And State Officials

    A federal judge said this week that he's concerned by the "tone and tenor" that both a medical marijuana cultivator and Oklahoma law enforcement officials have taken in a case involving millions of dollars' worth of farm equipment destroyed during an erroneous raid, saying he's going to be looking closely at the conduct of all parties.

  • December 12, 2024

    2 Deny Joining Would-Be Trump Assassin To Target Journalist

    Two New York City men on Thursday denied participating in a plot to kill a noted journalist and Iran critic, pleading not guilty to murder-for-hire charges that claim they worked for a foreign agent who also is tasked with targeting Donald Trump.

  • December 12, 2024

    Trump Vows Immediate Jan. 6 Pardons As DOJ Doubles Down

    President-elect Donald J. Trump said he plans to issue swift pardons for people accused or convicted of rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to keep him in power, as prosecutors said in one case that accepting such a pardon would amount to an admission of guilt.

  • December 12, 2024

    Former CFO Admits To Stealing $1.3M From SF Law Firms

    A former chief financial officer of two San Francisco law firms admitted to stealing more than $1.3 million from his former employers via several fraudulent schemes, including redirecting firm payments to a nonprofit organization he set up privately.

  • December 12, 2024

    Ex-FBI Informant Admits To False Accusations In Biden Case

    A former FBI informant accused of making fake criminal accusations against President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, will plead guilty to tax evasion and falsifying records in a federal investigation, according to a deal filed Thursday in a California federal court.

  • December 12, 2024

    Calif. Man Indicted In $8.8M Phishing Scheme

    A California man was indicted on charges he participated in a phishing email scheme that stole about $8.8 million from bank accounts belonging to businesses, individuals and the town of Bristol, Rhode Island.

  • December 12, 2024

    Biden Commutes Nearly 1,500 Sentences In Clemency Record

    President Joe Biden announced Thursday he was commuting the prison sentences of nearly 1,500 Americans he said had successfully rehabilitated themselves, the largest number ever in a single day, according to a statement by the White House.

  • December 11, 2024

    Calif. Judge Admonished After Throwing Papers At Atty

    California's Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a state judge Tuesday, saying he violated standards of conduct by throwing papers at an attorney in court and by misleading the commission last year about his planned retirement date, purportedly to influence the outcome of a misconduct investigation at that time.

  • December 11, 2024

    SEC Must Revisit $23M Demand In Collectibles Fraud Case

    A New Jersey federal judge has ordered the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to recalculate its $23 million bid for disgorgement in a long-running suit against a sports memorabilia merchant found liable at trial last year for ripping off investors, in part by lying about the value of two contracts signed by baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ex-Telecom CEO Charged With Insider Trading On His Own Firing

    The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that former Comtech Telecommunications Corp. CEO Ken Peterman has been charged with insider trading after he used nonpublic information about the company and his own impending termination to profit from the sale of tens of thousands of dollars' worth of Comtech stock.

  • December 11, 2024

    Pot Farmer Opposes Sanctions In Suit Over Mistaken Raid

    An Oklahoma medical marijuana cultivator whose property was destroyed when state drug enforcers mistakenly raided his legal farm is pushing back on efforts to hit him with sanctions for allegedly being belligerent during a deposition, telling a federal court that he's offered to sit down for a second round of questioning.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ex-Rep. TJ Cox Reaches Plea Deal On Fraud Charges

    Former U.S. Rep. T.J. Cox reached a deal with California federal prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to two charges and pay up to a $3.5 million fine over allegations he stole from his companies and took illegal campaign contributions, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday. 

  • December 11, 2024

    CFTC Wraps With Last Defendant In IcomTech Crypto Ponzi

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's litigation over the IcomTech cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme has come to a close now that a fifth defendant has been ordered to pay restitution for his role in the $3.5 million scheme.

  • December 11, 2024

    NRA Ordered To Reform Policies After NY Misconduct Verdict

    A New York judge ordered changes to the National Rifle Association's board structure and organizational policies Wednesday to "prevent future violations of law," following a jury verdict that found widespread financial misconduct and whistleblower retaliation within the gun group.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ill. Atty Convicted Of Tax Fraud, Scripting Witness Testimony

    An Illinois attorney has been convicted of tax fraud, witness tampering and contempt in a federal court retrial on charges that he filed false tax returns, alongside added charges that he tried to script an employee's testimony and violated court orders, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

  • December 11, 2024

    SEC Sues Disbarred Calif. Atty And Son For Securities Fraud

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a suit against a father-son duo and a broker for allegedly running a Ponzi-like scheme disguised as an investment company for a start-up content streaming app, raising over $17 million from at least 40 investors.

  • December 11, 2024

    High Court Bar's Future: Haynes Boone's Daniel Geyser

    Daniel L. Geyser of Haynes and Boone LLP is an unconventional U.S. Supreme Court advocate in every respect, from the path he forged to become one of the high court's frequent arguers to the way he runs his current practice from more than half a country away from the nation's capital.

  • December 11, 2024

    Feds Say TD Bank Worker Helped Launder Drug Money

    A former employee of TD Bank NA who worked in Florida has been arrested and charged with assisting in a money laundering scheme that used the Toronto-based financial institution to illicitly send millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds from the United States to Colombia, according to documents filed in federal court.

  • December 11, 2024

    Law Firm Manager Gets Prison For Bribes In No-Fault Scam

    A Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday hit a former law firm manager with a five-year prison sentence for paying $800,000 in bribes that fueled a $70 million no-fault automobile insurance fraud racket, saying his lawbreaking "was massive in scope."

  • December 11, 2024

    Doctors Group Asks DC Circ. To Pause Pot Hearings

    A group of doctors who advise their patients on medical cannabis is asking the D.C. Circuit to put a stay on hearings set for January over whether to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, saying they were unfairly denied the chance to participate in those hearings.

  • December 11, 2024

    Black Realtor, Client Cuffed During House Showing Can Sue

    The Sixth Circuit has partially reinstated a lawsuit filed by a Black real estate agent and his client who were arrested while touring a Michigan house for sale after a neighbor called the police, reviving an unlawful detention claim against one of the officers.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Preserving The FCA Is Crucial In Trump's 2nd Term

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    While the Trump administration may pursue weaker False Claims Act enforcement, it remains an essential tool in safeguarding public funds and maintaining corporate accountability, so now is not the time to undermine ethical behavior, or reduce protections and incentives for whistleblowers, says Adam Pollock at Pollock Cohen.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • High Court 'Violent Crimes' Case Tangled Up In Hypotheticals

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    In Delligatti v. U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next week on whether attempted murder constitutes a crime of violence, and because the court’s interpretive approach thus far has relied on hairsplitting legal hypotheticals with absurd results, Congress should repeal the underlying statute, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Parsing SEC's Emerging Trend Of Section 204A Enforcement

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently settled with Sound Point Capital Management for violating Section 204A of the Investment Advisers Act, adding to a slew of charges against investment advisers that allegedly failed to safeguard material nonpublic information, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • 2nd Circ. Maxwell Ruling Adds To Confusion Over NPA Reach

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision upholding Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction made an analytical leap in applying plea agreement precedent to a nonprosecution agreement, compounding a circuit split and providing lessons for defense counsel, say attorneys at Kropf Moseley.

  • What FTC's 'Bitcoin ATM' Report Tells Us About Crypto Scams

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent insights into bitcoin ATM scams highlight the technical evolution of fraudsters, the application of old scams to new technology, and the persistent financial impact on victims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Recent Developments In Insurance Coverage For FCA Claims

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice continues its vigorous False Claims Act enforcement, companies looking to their insurers to help defray the costs of an investigation or settlement should note recent decisions on which types of policies cover FCA claims, which policy periods apply and which portions of FCA-related losses are covered, say attorneys at Covington.

  • A Look At Grewal's Record-Breaking Legacy After SEC Exit

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    Gurbir Grewal resigned as director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement last month after more than three years on the job, leaving behind a legacy marked by record numbers of penalties and enforcement actions, as well as mixed results in aggressive lawsuits against major crypto players, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors

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    For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • 3 Steps For Companies To Combat Task Scams

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    On the rise in the U.S., the task scam — when scammers offer a victim a fake work-from-home job — hurts impersonated businesses by tarnishing their name and brand, but companies have a few ways to fight back against these cons, says Chris Wlach at Huge.

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