White Collar

  • February 11, 2025

    'Fraudster' Or 'Fool'? Jury Gets 2 Takes On Exec's Crypto Flop

    The criminal case against a cryptocurrency company CEO accused of defrauding investors of $5 million is about "greed," a prosecutor told a California federal jury during opening arguments Tuesday while a defense lawyer characterized his client as a "fool" who floundered while "swimming with sharks," including disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

  • February 11, 2025

    Rodney King's Former Atty Gets Prison For $7M Tax Evasion

    A Los Angeles criminal defense and civil rights attorney who once represented Rodney King was sentenced by a California federal court Tuesday to 1½ years in prison for evading $7.2 million worth of taxes on income from his law practice.

  • February 11, 2025

    2 Russians Arrested In $16M Phobos Ransomware Scheme

    Two Russian nationals were arrested on charges of operating a cybercrime cell that extorted about $16 million from victims around the world by stealing data and demanding a ransom for its return, Maryland federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

  • February 11, 2025

    Brokerage Exec Can Be Sued Over Fraud Claims, Judge Says

    An Illinois magistrate judge told the former owner of Center Street Securities on Tuesday that he cannot escape claims he concealed regulatory issues before his company was acquired by financial services company Arete Wealth, ruling that the stock purchase agreement's broad definition of liabilities could include the allegedly undisclosed violations at issue in the suit.

  • February 11, 2025

    Feds Are Asked How FCPA Halt Affects Cognizant Bribe Case

    A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday told prosecutors to weigh in on how President Donald Trump's executive order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could impact a case alleging that two former Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. executives authorized a bribe to an Indian official.

  • February 11, 2025

    No Prison For Firm Manager Who Aided Feds' No-Fault Bust

    A Manhattan federal judge allowed a wealthy law firm manager to avoid prison Tuesday for his role in paying bribes that fueled a $70 million no-fault automobile insurance fraud racket, citing his decision to cooperate with prosecutors and willingness to testify.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ill. Atty Beats Wire Fraud Retrial After Privilege Violation

    An Illinois jury has acquitted a former Freeborn & Peters partner of charges that he helped a client shift assets to avoid creditors ahead of its anticipated bankruptcy filing, after a privilege violation prompted the trial judge to exclude certain evidence from the case.

  • February 11, 2025

    SEC Stays Binance Case Amid Other Crypto Case Extensions

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and crypto exchange Binance have asked a Washington federal judge overseeing their enforcement suit to pause the case for two months as the agency pivots its approach to digital assets, adding to the list of extensions in the agency's cryptocurrency cases.

  • February 11, 2025

    Fla. Man Accused Of Laundering $350M Pleads Guilty

    A businessman pled guilty Tuesday to unlicensed money transmitting for operating a scheme in which he used fake invoices from multiple sham companies to illegally move $350 million from South America.

  • February 11, 2025

    Holland & Knight Adds Ballard Spahr Litigator In Philly

    A former U.S. attorney with expertise on anti-money laundering and complex tax matters recently moved his litigation practice to Holland & Knight after nine years with Ballard Spahr LLP.

  • February 11, 2025

    Commerce Powers Key In Battle Over Corp. Transparency Law

    The question of whether Congress exceeded its powers to regulate commerce by enacting the Corporate Transparency Act is likely to feature in a potential U.S. Supreme Court resolution to around a dozen challenges to the law that are percolating through the courts.

  • February 11, 2025

    NYC Mayor Says Bribery Case Is Over, Despite Silent Docket

    Amid an absence of activity on the court docket, New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared Tuesday that the federal bribery case against him "will no longer continue," following reports of a U.S. Department of Justice memo directing prosecutors to drop the case.

  • February 11, 2025

    Remorse, Sobriety, Therapy Help Pa. Atty Avoid Disbarment

    A Fayette County, Pennsylvania, attorney who took accountability for ethics breaches including a money laundering conviction has escaped disbarment, with the state high court agreeing with its Disciplinary Board that mitigating factors should offset more stringent punishment.

  • February 11, 2025

    NYC Doctor Convicted In Medical Test Kickback Scheme

    A New York City doctor was convicted on all charges alleging that he took kickbacks from a medical lab owner as part of a scheme to bill Medicare for $20.7 million worth of unnecessary medical tests.

  • February 11, 2025

    Baker Botts Lands DLA Piper Atty To Head Litigation In SF

    Baker Botts LLP has brought on a former federal prosecutor, most recently with DLA Piper, to serve as chair of litigation for the firm's San Francisco office.

  • February 11, 2025

    Bannon Cops To Fraud Scheme In Border Wall Case

    Donald Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, pled guilty Tuesday to a single felony fraud scheme charge in New York state court as part of a deal with Manhattan prosecutors to avoid jail time in his "We Build The Wall" charity fraud case.

  • February 11, 2025

    Mass. High Court Rejects Karen Read Double Jeopardy Claim

    Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman whose murder case garnered national attention and resulted in a mistrial, failed to convince the state's highest court Tuesday to throw out two counts that jurors had purportedly voted to reject.

  • February 10, 2025

    Trump's Firing Of Watchdog Office Head Paused By Judge

    The recently fired head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel will remain in his position, at least for a few more days, after a D.C. federal judge on Monday ordered a short pause on his termination the same day he sued to challenge the allegedly "unlawful" removal.

  • February 10, 2025

    Atlanta's Inspector General Sued Over Financial Subpoenas

    A lobbyist and former campaign manager for a sitting Atlanta City Council member has sued the city's inspector general over allegations she violated state laws in issuing subpoenas for the lobbyist's bank records to bolster a "frivolous" corruption probe.

  • February 10, 2025

    Trump Pardons Convicted Former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich

    President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of public corruption in 2011, calling him "a fine person" who was set up by "a lot of bad people."

  • February 10, 2025

    FTX Having Trouble Serving Binance With Ch. 11 Lawsuit

    The estate of fallen cryptocurrency exchange FTX told a Delaware bankruptcy judge late Friday that its attorneys haven't yet been able to serve Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao a lawsuit seeking to recover nearly $1.8 billion that FTX is accused of illegally transferring prior to its collapse two years ago.

  • February 10, 2025

    Feds Nab Plea In Bitcoin-Boosting Hack Of SEC X Account

    An Alabama man on Monday pled guilty to being involved with the hack of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's X account last year, admitting to a single conspiracy charge and agreeing to forfeit $50,000 he made from the scheme that briefly bumped the price of bitcoin.

  • February 10, 2025

    Pension Execs Found Liable In $2B Danish Tax Fraud Case

    A New York federal jury found Monday by "clear and convincing evidence" that Denmark's tax agency reasonably relied on the false statements made on pension plan applications that were part of a $2.1 billion tax fraud scheme by pension plan executives.

  • February 10, 2025

    Tenn. Cops Sued Over Traffic Stop Hemp Seizure

    Tennessee police officers have been hit with claims that they unlawfully seized more than $850,000 of hemp during a traffic stop under the false belief that it was an illegal substance, according to a new suit filed Thursday.

  • February 10, 2025

    Trump Stops Enforcement Of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday that puts a "pause" on enforcement of the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, saying the law against U.S. companies bribing foreign officials to win business in other countries has made American companies less competitive.

Expert Analysis

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • 6 Tips For Trying Cases Away From Home

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    A truly national litigation practice, by definition, often requires trying cases in jurisdictions across the country, which presents unique challenges that require methodical preparation and coordination both within the trial team and externally, say Edward Bennett and Suzanne Salgado at Williams & Connolly.

  • Kubient Case Shows SEC's Willingness To Charge Directors

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent fraud charges against Kubient's former CEO, chief financial officer and audit committee chair signal a willingness to be more aggressive against officers and directors, underscoring the need for companies to ensure that they have appropriate channels to gather, investigate and document employee concerns, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • $200M RTX Deal Underscores Need For M&A Due Diligence

    Author Photo

    RTX's settlement with regulators for violating defense export regulations offers valuable compliance lessons, showcasing the perils of insufficient due diligence during mergers and acquisitions transactions along with the need to ensure remediation measures are fully implemented following noncompliance, say Thad McBride and Faith Dibble at Bass Berry.

  • A Blueprint For Structuring An Effective Plaintiff Case Story

    Author Photo

    The number and size of nuclear verdicts continue to rise, in part because plaintiffs attorneys have become more adept at crafting compelling trial stories — and an analysis of these success stories reveals a 10-part framework for structuring an effective case narrative, says Jonathan Ross at Decision Analysis.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • 7 Takeaways For Companies After Justices' Bribery Ruling

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Snyder v. U.S. decision this summer, holding that a federal law does not criminalize after-the-fact gratuities made to public officials, raises some key considerations for companies that engage with state, local and tribal governments, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

    Author Photo

    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

    Author Photo

    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • Perspectives

    DC Circ. Seizure Ruling Deepens 4th Amendment Circuit Split

    Author Photo

    The D.C. Circuit’s recent Asinor v. District of Columbia decision, holding that the government’s continued possession of seized property must be reasonable, furthers a split among circuit courts and portends how the text, history and tradition method might influence Fourth Amendment cases, say Ty Howard and Wayne Beckermann at Bradley Arant.

  • Integrating ESG Into Risk Management Programs

    Author Photo

    Amid increasing regulations and reporting requirements for corporate sustainability in the European Union and the U.S., companies might consider how to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors into more formalized risk management, say directors at Alvarez & Marsal.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

    Author Photo

    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Vertex Suit Highlights Issues For Pharma Fertility Support

    Author Photo

    Vertex Pharmaceuticals' recent lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute is influenced by a number of reproductive rights and health equity issues that the Office of Inspector General should address more concretely, including in vitro fertilization and fertility preservation programs, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.

  • 5 Lessons From Consulting Firm's Successful DOJ Disclosure

    Author Photo

    The Boston Consulting Group recently received a rare declination of prosecution from the U.S. Department of Justice after self-disclosing a foreign bribery scheme, and the firm’s series of savvy steps after discovering the misconduct provides useful data points for white collar defense attorneys, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • 5 Credibility Lessons Trial Attys Can Learn From Harris' Run

    Author Photo

    In launching a late-stage campaign for president, Vice President Kamala Harris must seize upon fresh attention from voters to establish, or reestablish, credibility — a challenge that parallels and provides takeaways for trial attorneys, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the White Collar archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!