White Collar

  • July 29, 2024

    Meadows Seeks High Court's Help In Ga. Case Removal Bid

    Continuing his long-running efforts to drag his Georgia election interference prosecution into federal court, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to intervene and stop state prosecutors from declaring "open season on federal officials."

  • July 29, 2024

    SEC OKs Award Of More Than $37M To Whistleblower

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has awarded more than $37 million to an anonymous whistleblower the agency credits for spurring a successful enforcement action despite retaliation from an unidentified employer.

  • July 29, 2024

    SEC Says Penny Stock CEO Lied About COVID-19 Deal

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday sued former penny stock company CEO Juan Campo for securities fraud, alleging he lied to investors about acquiring a Colombian cannabis company and about the company's development of a temperature screening device during the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things.

  • July 29, 2024

    Ariz. Man Avoids Jail In Fraud Involving 'Housewives' Star

    A Manhattan federal judge on Monday allowed an Arizona businessman who helped operate large-scale telemarketing scams to avoid time behind bars, citing his cooperation in an investigation that ultimately saw "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah sentenced to prison.

  • July 29, 2024

    Ex-Volunteer Hit With $30M Judgment For Filming Minor

    A former youth swim team volunteer currently serving 25 years in federal prison for creating and distributing child pornography must pay $30 million to a girl he purportedly photographed in his bathroom without her knowledge when she was underage, a Connecticut state judge has ruled.

  • July 29, 2024

    Hunter Biden Attys Say They Didn't Mislead Judge In Tax Case

    Hunter Biden's attorneys told a Los Angeles federal judge that while several statements in their motion to dismiss tax charges against the president's son were worded "perhaps inartfully," they never intended to mislead the court in a way that would merit sanctions.

  • July 29, 2024

    NRA Avoids Compliance Monitor In NY AG Case

    A Manhattan judge on Monday rejected the New York attorney general's request for a compliance monitor to oversee the National Rifle Association, saying such relief would "result in a long, awkward and potentially speech-chilling government involvement in a political organization."

  • July 29, 2024

    Mich. AG Drops Remaining Case Against Carhartt Heiress Atty

    Prosecutors will not retry a Michigan attorney they claim stole from his wealthy client, the late Carhartt company heiress Gretchen Valade, and have agreed to toss similar embezzlement charges in a separate case. 

  • July 29, 2024

    Ga. Prosecutors Fight DQ Bid Over Secret Meeting In YSL Trial

    Georgia prosecutors said Friday it would be "egregious abuse" of the court's discretion to grant Atlanta rapper Young Thug's request to have them disqualified from the racketeering trial because of a secret meeting with the judge and a witness, arguing that this is an unwarranted request that seeks to delay the already longest trial in Peach State history.

  • July 29, 2024

    White Collar Update: 4 Developments To Watch

    White-collar lawyers are on the lookout for U.S. Department of Justice actions targeting artificial intelligence "snake oil," aggressive pandemic-relief fraud prosecutions, and carrots for corporations and whistleblowers who expose misconduct. Here's a look at some key developments to watch in the second half of 2024.

  • July 29, 2024

    Teller Pens Deal With Wells Fargo In AML Whistleblower Case

    Wells Fargo has reached a settlement in principle with a former teller who claimed she was fired after raising concerns about the bank's "streamlined" account opening process that allowed customers to open accounts if they'd failed anti-money laundering screenings previously.

  • July 29, 2024

    'Survivor' Winner Says He's Vulnerable In $3M Tax Battle

    The winner of the first "Survivor" television season told a Rhode Island federal court Monday that the government was unfairly painting him as flouting nearly $3.3 million in federal tax liabilities stemming from his $1 million cash prize, saying he was "ill-equipped to battle prosecutors."

  • July 29, 2024

    Ex-Pharma Exec Seeks Leniency After SEC Contempt Plea

    A former pharmaceutical executive is hoping to avoid jail after his use of an alias to circumvent a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ban on finance work landed him a criminal contempt conviction, while Boston federal prosecutors are seeking up to 10 months in prison.

  • July 26, 2024

    DOJ Whistleblower Pilot On Deck As Cos. Boost Compliance

    Corporations are making their compliance programs more proactive amid an ongoing push from the Biden administration for firms to come forward with information as the U.S. Department of Justice prepares to roll out a pilot program to reward whistleblowers who alert prosecutors to significant corporate misconduct.

  • July 26, 2024

    Apple Commits To White House Guidelines For Responsible AI

    Apple Inc. has signed onto the Biden administration's voluntary guidelines for "responsible" artificial intelligence innovation, joining the likes of Amazon.com Inc., Google LLC, Microsoft Corp. and a dozen other leading tech companies, the White House announced Friday.

  • July 26, 2024

    State Street Inks $7.5M Deal Over Russia Sanctions Violations

    Financial services giant State Street has agreed to pay nearly $7.5 million to resolve apparent violations by its investment management solution subsidiary Charles River Systems Inc. of Obama-era sanctions targeting Russian actions against Ukraine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Friday.

  • July 26, 2024

    SEC Sues Banker And Ex-Prosecutor Alleging $1.6M Fraud

    A Georgia banker fraudulently bilked approximately $1.6 million from unsuspecting investors for "furs and furniture" and other expenses while a former Florida prosecutor ignored several red flags when holding on to the investments, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told a Georgia federal court.

  • July 26, 2024

    Mich. High Court Tossing Too Many Convictions, Justice Says

    A Michigan Supreme Court justice criticized his colleagues Thursday for what he described as a "campaign" of unraveling convictions and undermining prosecutors, in an impassioned dissent from the court's decision to grant a new trial to a parent convicted of killing her infant daughter.

  • July 26, 2024

    FTX's Ryan Salame Asks To Delay Prison After Dog Attack

    Former FTX executive Ryan Salame on Friday asked a New York federal judge to delay his prison surrender date because he was recently mauled by a German shepherd and must undergo "urgent and necessary medical treatment and surgery."

  • July 26, 2024

    Girardi Can't Show Ex-CFO's Spending Habits In Fraud Trial

    Jurors in Tom Girardi's upcoming fraud trial won't hear details about the spending habits of Girardi Keese's former CFO, who's accused of a "side fraud" that bilked millions without Girardi's knowledge, after a California federal judge agreed with prosecutors Friday that the evidence appears more prejudicial than probative.

  • July 26, 2024

    3 Ex-Seton Hall Law Workers Cop To 13-Year Embezzlement

    A former assistant dean and two other former employees of Seton Hall University School of Law pled guilty this week to defrauding their former employer of more than $1.3 million in a scheme spanning 13 years.

  • July 26, 2024

    Franklin Says DOJ, SEC Probing Western Asset Management

    Western Asset Management, a global fixed-income manager, is facing parallel investigations from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over some of its past trade allocations, its parent Franklin Resources Inc. said Friday.

  • July 26, 2024

    'Worthless' Insurance Scam Gets Telemarketing CEO 25 Years

    An Illinois federal judge has sentenced the owner of a telemarketing company to 25 years in federal prison for scheming with another former executive to sell consumers health insurance plans with low coverage caps.

  • July 26, 2024

    RTX Earmarks $1.2B For Anticipated Deals With DOJ, SEC

    RTX Corp., formerly known as Raytheon, said it has set aside more than $1.2 billion for anticipated deferred prosecution agreements and other deals with U.S. regulators stemming from investigations that include allegations of improper payments tied to contracts in the Middle East.

  • July 26, 2024

    Biz Groups Call Corp. Transparency Act Unconstitutional

    The U.S. government has failed to show how the Corporate Transparency Act meets narrow exceptions to the Fourth Amendment's search warrant requirements, a group of small businesses told a Michigan federal court Friday in contending that the statute is unconstitutional.  

Expert Analysis

  • How AI May Be Used In Fintech Fraud — And Fraud Detection

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    Recent enforcement actions in the fintech and finance industries show that the government is increasingly pursuing fraud enabled by artificial intelligence — at the same time it’s using AI innovations to enforce regulations and investigate fraud, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • FARA Enforcement May Soon Be In The Halls Of Higher Ed

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    Given Congress’ increased attention to rising foreign influence on U.S. college campuses, the U.S. Department of Justice may soon turn the Foreign Agents Registration Act spotlight on educational institutions and groups, which will need to review their possible obligations under the statute, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks

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    Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.

  • How FinCEN Proposal Expands RE Transaction Obligations

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    Against a regulatory backdrop foreshadowing anti-money laundering efforts in the real estate sector, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's proposed rule significantly expands reporting requirements for certain nonfinanced residential real estate transfers and necessitates careful review, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • When Your Client Insists On Testifying In A Criminal Case

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    Speculation that former President Donald Trump could take the stand in any of the four criminal cases he faces serves as a reminder for counsel to consider their ethical obligations when a client insists on testifying, including the attorney’s duty of candor to the court and the depth of their discussions with clients, says Marissa Kingman at Fox Rothschild.

  • 5 Things Trial Attorneys Can Learn From Good Teachers

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    Jennifer Cuculich at IMS Legal Strategies recounts lessons she learned during her time as a math teacher that can help trial attorneys connect with jurors, from the importance of framing core issues to the incorporation of different learning styles.

  • Why Preemption Args Wouldn't Stall Trump Hush-Money Case

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    With former President Donald Trump's New York hush-money criminal trial weeks away, some speculate that he may soon move to stay the case on preemption grounds, but under the Anti-Injunction Act and well-settled case law, that motion would likely be quickly denied, says former New York Supreme Court Justice Ethan Greenberg, now at Anderson Kill.

  • Insurance Implications Of Trump's NY Civil Fraud Verdict

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    A New York state trial court’s $450 million judgment against former President Donald Trump and affiliated entities for valuation fraud offers several important lessons for companies seeking to obtain directors and officers insurance, including the consequences of fraudulent misrepresentations and critical areas of underwriting risk, says Kevin LaCroix at RT ProExec.

  • Opinion

    European Union Criticisms Of The FCPA Are Misguided

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    Some in the European Union have criticized U.S. enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for what they perceive as jurisdictional overreach, but this appears to overlook the crucial fact that jurisdiction is voluntary, and critics should focus instead on the lack of equivalent laws in their own region, say John Joy and YuTong Wang at FTI Law.

  • Fintech Compliance Does Not Always Equal Bank Compliance

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    Recent enforcement actions are a reminder for banks working with financial technology providers — whether as partners to extend their reach or as internal resources to support existing operations — that few areas of risk need more frequent attention than Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance, says Christopher Couch at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Making The Pitch For A Civil Resolution In A Criminal Case

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    Even without the depth of visibility into prosecutorial decision making offered by special counsel Robert Hur’s recently released report, defense counsel may be able to make the case for civil resolutions of criminal investigations while minimizing a potential negative response from prosecutors to such an argument, says Bill Athanas at Bradley Arant.

  • Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment

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    As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.

  • Unpacking FinCEN's Proposed Real Estate Transaction Rule

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    Phil Jelsma and Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner take a close look at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recently proposed rulemaking — which mandates new disclosures for professionals involved in all-cash real estate deals — and discuss best next steps for the broad range of businesses that could be affected.

  • 5 Ways To Hone Deposition Skills And Improve Results

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Depositions must never be taken for granted in the preparations needed to win a dispositive motion or a trial, and five best practices, including knowing when to hire a videographer, can significantly improve outcomes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.

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