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White Collar

  • July 09, 2025

    Ohio Man Gets 5 Years For Trafficking Fake 'US-Made' Armor

    An Ohio federal judge sentenced a 70-year-old man to five years in prison and $5.2 million in restitution for smuggling in Chinese body armor and selling it as domestically made, certified products to American law enforcement agencies.

  • July 08, 2025

    'Tiger King' Star 'Doc' Antle Sentenced For Wildlife Trafficking

    Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, a star of the Netflix docuseries "Tiger King," was sentenced Tuesday to one year in prison and ordered to give up three chimpanzees, having pled guilty in South Carolina federal court to wildlife trafficking and money laundering.

  • July 08, 2025

    Chinese Man Arrested Over COVID Data Theft, Law Firm Hack

    Federal agents have arrested a Chinese citizen to face criminal charges for his alleged role in the Microsoft "HAFNIUM" cyberattack in which the People's Republic of China allegedly directed him and a co-conspirator to hack email accounts at a law firm and a Texas university to steal crucial COVID-19 vaccine information.

  • July 08, 2025

    Crypto Groups Back Developer's Money Transmitter Challenge

    A coalition of crypto industry groups voiced their support for a challenge seeking to protect software developers from catching criminal cases over others' use of their creations, telling the Texas federal judge overseeing the case that the U.S. government has recently taken "an unprecedented, sweeping interpretation" of money transmission statutes.

  • July 08, 2025

    DOJ Antitrust Unit Launches Program To Pay Whistleblowers

    The U.S. Department of Justice launched a new program on Tuesday to provide rewards for people who report antitrust crimes related to the postal service, giving whistleblowers the opportunity to receive 30% of any criminal fines recovered for violations.

  • July 08, 2025

    Ex-ComEd CEO Should Get 6 Years In Prison, Prosecutors Say

    Chicago federal prosecutors said Monday that former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore, convicted alongside three others for falsifying books and records in a yearslong scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, should serve nearly six years behind bars, while Pramaggiore said she should receive a sentence of probation.

  • July 08, 2025

    FinCEN To Appeal Block Of Trump's Border Cash Biz Order

    The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, its director and others on Tuesday filed a notice of their plan to appeal a California federal judge's decision to temporarily block the Trump administration's order singling out cash-moving businesses along the southwest border for heightened anti-money laundering reporting.

  • July 08, 2025

    Hong Kong Co. To Pay $876K To Settle FCA Claims, DOJ Says

    Warehouse logistics company Schaefer Systems International Ltd. will pay $876,000 to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

  • July 08, 2025

    11th Circ. Affirms Tax Fraud Conviction, 4-Year Sentence

    The Eleventh Circuit upheld a Georgia woman's tax fraud conviction and four-year-plus prison sentence, rejecting her claims that the judge overseeing her case was biased, that her lawyer was ineffective and that a hearing should have been held on whether she was competent to stand trial.

  • July 08, 2025

    Fla. Probes Internet Figures, REIT And Suspect Ponzi Scheme

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Tuesday announced his office has subpoenaed two internet personalities and their real estate investment trust based on allegations that they pocketed money intended for property purchases in what authorities say appears to be a Ponzi scheme.

  • July 08, 2025

    Ex-DC Prosecutors Rip Pick Of Emil Bove For 3rd Circ.

    In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of former federal prosecutors in Washington panned Emil Bove as a "dangerous" pick for the Third Circuit and criticized his record as a prosecutor as that of a loyal follower of President Donald Trump.

  • July 08, 2025

    Michigan Cos. Pay $1.9M To Settle PPP Loan Fraud Claims

    Four Michigan companies reached settlements worth a combined $1.9 million with the federal government to resolve claims they violated the False Claims Act by making false statements to get Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • July 08, 2025

    'Tornado Cash' Trial Judge Curbs Talk Of North Korea WMDs

    A Manhattan federal judge on Tuesday sharply limited the extent to which prosecutors may mention North Korea's alleged efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction as they seek to convict a crypto engineer who allegedly facilitated big-dollar transactions for the secretive dictatorship.

  • July 08, 2025

    Reed Smith Brings On Former SEC Atty From V&E In Dallas

    Reed Smith LLP has added a pair of former Vinson & Elkins LLP attorneys in its Dallas office, including a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigations and enforcement attorney who bolsters the firm's global regulatory enforcement group, Reed Smith announced Tuesday.

  • July 08, 2025

    Ex-US Atty For Eastern Pa. Joins BakerHostetler In Philly

    After more than 25 years working for the federal government in various roles, including her most recent stint as a top prosecutor in Pennsylvania, a seasoned litigator has returned to private practice and joined BakerHostetler in Philadelphia, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • July 08, 2025

    After Conviction Upheld, Bridge Fraudster Gets Time Served

    A government contractor whose wire fraud conviction was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court was resentenced to time served in Pennsylvania federal court on Tuesday.

  • July 08, 2025

    Linqto Hits Ch. 11 Amid SEC Probe, Compliance Concerns

    Linqto, a platform that connected investors with pre-IPO startups and other privately held firms, has filed for bankruptcy in Texas amid an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and internal concerns over its compliance with securities laws.

  • July 07, 2025

    Wis. Judge Can't Slip ICE Arrest Case, Magistrate Judge Says

    The Wisconsin judge accused of helping an immigrant living in the country illegally avoid arrest shouldn't be able to get her indictment dismissed just yet, a federal magistrate judge recommended Monday, rejecting her argument that judicial immunity shields her from the case.

  • July 07, 2025

    Citron Founder Seeks Dismissal Of 'Absurd' DOJ Fraud Case

    An attorney for Citron Research's founder, short-seller activist Andrew Left, urged a California federal judge Monday to dismiss the federal government's "absurd" criminal securities fraud case against Left, arguing that it's an unprecedented effort to criminalize free speech. 

  • July 07, 2025

    Biggest Illinois Decisions Of 2025 So Far: A Midyear Report

    State and federal courts have handed down rulings in Illinois cases so far this year that have clarified standing for data breach actions in the state's courts, affirmed coverage for attorney fees and costs paid as part of a settlement, and deemed insufficient a jury instruction frequently given in Illinois personal injury cases. Here's a breakdown of some of the biggest decisions courts have handed down in Illinois cases so far in 2025.

  • July 07, 2025

    Coder Who Claimed Evidence 'Ambush' Can't Get New Trial

    An Ohio federal judge refused Monday to grant the request for a new trial from a former software engineer at a multinational power engineering conglomerate who alleged that prosecutors "ambushed" him with key evidence at his trial on a computer-sabotage charge, ruling the evidence in question was not "material."

  • July 07, 2025

    SEC Says Adviser Posed As Clients To Approve Fee Hikes

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sued a Chicago-based investment adviser and its owner for allegedly charging clients more than $2.5 million in unauthorized fees without clients' knowledge, accusing them of posing as clients to approve the fees online in some instances.

  • July 07, 2025

    SEC Alleges $4M Fraud Scheme By Scooter Rental Company

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sued scooter rental company Go X Inc. and its executives in Florida federal court, alleging they fraudulently raised $4 million from 300 investors through unregistered securities sales.

  • July 07, 2025

    Crypto Group, Treasury Drop 11th Circ. Tornado Cash Case

    Crypto think tank Coin Center Inc. and the U.S. government have ended their battle over the Biden-era blacklisting of Tornado Cash now that the U.S. Treasury Department has removed the crypto mixing service from its list of blocked entities and a federal judge has deemed the designation unlawful.

  • July 07, 2025

    Atty-Client Shield Null In HIV Drug Fraud Case Docs, Feds Say

    Two alleged distributors of sham HIV drugs can't shield more than 1,000 documents related to legal advice from discovery, U.S. prosecutors told a Florida federal judge Monday, asserting that any attorney-client privilege is invalidated because the advice was used to facilitate a $90 million fraud.

Expert Analysis

  • DOJ Could Target Journalists Under Media Policy Reversion

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced media policy largely mirrors policies in effect from 2014 to 2020, but ambiguities in key statutory terms could allow the administration to apply it to journalists in new ways and expand investigations beyond leaks of classified information, says Julie Edelstein at Wiggin.

  • State Tort Claims May Help Deter Bribes During FCPA Pause

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    As the U.S. pauses Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, companies that lose business due to competitors' bribery should consider using state tortious interference suits to expose corruption, deter illegal practices and obtain compensation for commercial losses, says Jason Manning at Levy Firestone.

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Oft-Forgotten Evidence Rule Can Be Powerful Trial Tool

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    Rule 608 may be one of the most overlooked provisions in the Federal Rules of Evidence, but as a transformative tool that allows attorneys to attack a witness's character for truthfulness through opinion or reputation testimony, its potential to reshape a case cannot be overstated, says Marian Braccia at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

  • 1st Circ. Ruling Widens Split Over Sentencing Enhancements

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    In U.S. v. Salvador-Gutierrez, the First Circuit recently switched sides in a circuit split by holding that certain sentencing enhancements apply only where the defendant used a minor in the commission of the crime, deepening a divide over the scope of role adjustments, says Sarah Sulkowski at Gelber & Santillo.

  • Whistleblower Rewards May Soon Materialize In UK

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    Recent government and Serious Fraud Office announcements indicate that the U.K.’s long-standing aversion to rewarding whistleblowers is reversing, underlining the importance for organizations to consider managing misconduct risk and prepare for a potentially significant uptick in tipoffs, says Tom Grodecki at Cadwalader.

  • DOJ Export Declination Highlights Self-Reporting Benefits

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent decision not to prosecute a NASA contractor, despite a former employee pleading guilty to facilitating unlicensed exports, underscores the advantages available to companies that self-report sanctions violations, cooperate with investigations and implement timely remediation, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Customs Fraud Enforcement In The Age Of Tariffs

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    In the wake of the Trump administration’s new approach toward tariffs, two recent Justice Department developments demonstrate aggressive customs fraud enforcement, with the DOJ emphasizing competitive harm to American businesses, and signaling that investigations will likely involve both civil and criminal enforcement tools, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz and London & Naor.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

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    Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Fledgling Crypto ATM Regs May Be Due For A Growth Spurt

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    As cryptocurrency ATM use and availability become more prevalent within the U.S. financial services ecosystem, states — only a few of which currently have a crypto ATM framework — may need to consider expanding legislation and regulation to accelerate consumer fraud protection practices, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.

  • UK May Play Major Role In Corporate Misconduct Regulation

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    In light of the U.S.' pause in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office has released new guidance showing it may seize the opportunity to play a heightened role in regulating corporate misconduct by U.S. companies with a global presence, particularly over the next few years, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Series

    Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.

  • Avoiding The Risk Of Continued AI-Washing Enforcement

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    A recent action brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice, alleging a software developer defrauded investors by lying about his app’s artificial intelligence capabilities, suggests this administration will continue to target AI washing, so companies should adopt practices to mitigate enforcement risk, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 4 Ways Slater Is Priming DOJ For Continued Antitrust Success

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    Just as Jonathan Kanter did during his recent tenure leading the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater is following the effective blueprint set by Thurman Arnold when he modernized the division more than 80 years ago, says Perry Apelbaum at Kressin Powers.

  • DOJ Memo Raises Bar For Imposition Of Corporate Monitors

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    A recently released U.S. Department of Justice memo, outlining guidance on the imposition of compliance monitors in corporate criminal cases, reflects DOJ leadership’s concerns about scope creep and business costs, but the strategies for companies to avoid a monitorship haven't changed much compared to the Biden era, says James Koukios at MoFo.

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