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White Collar

  • August 08, 2025

    Ripple Exits SEC Case With An Injunction Still Over Its Head

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's long-running case against Ripple Labs has finally come to an end with both sides agreeing to drop competing appeals, but the crypto firm's inability to shake a court-ordered judgment leaves it potentially vulnerable to future enforcement actions.

  • August 08, 2025

    Tornado Cash Case Far From Over With Jury's Mixed Verdict

    The split verdict in the Tornado Cash trial likely won't encourage prosecutors to go after crypto projects for failing to register as money transmitters, but it may still leave software developers open to liability if they seem aware of others' misuse of their creations.

  • August 08, 2025

    LAPD Wins Bid To Withhold 'Embarrassing' Body Cam Footage

    The public will not get to see body-camera footage allegedly showing a Los Angeles police officer destroying an MRI machine after his rifle was pulled into its magnetic field during a raid on an X-ray clinic that was wrongly assumed to be a cannabis grow site, a California federal court ruled, seeking to avoid "embarrassing" the officers named in the civil suit.

  • August 08, 2025

    Tight Budget Not Enough To Justify Delay In PrivatBank Case

    A Florida federal magistrate judge has denied the U.S. State Department's bid to pause litigation by two associates of the former owners of Ukraine's largest bank, ruling that heavy workloads due to budget constraints do not justify delaying the case.

  • August 08, 2025

    DC Circ. Hands Banker's Estate Win In IRS Whistleblower Bid

    A split D.C. Circuit sided with the estate of a former banker at Rabobank in ruling Friday that the Internal Revenue Service used the wrong legal standard to deny him an award for contributing to investigations into two companies' tax avoidance scheme.

  • August 08, 2025

    Fake AI Hedge Fund Operator Reaches Partial SEC Settlement

    A Florida investment pro who previously admitted to duping investors who poured $5 million into his supposed artificial intelligence-powered hedge fund has agreed to an officer and director ban in a partial settlement with securities regulators, according to a Thursday letter.

  • August 08, 2025

    El Paso Soldier Accused Of Sending Military Info To Russia

    An El Paso active-duty soldier has been arrested in connection with accusations that he attempted to transmit U.S. military information to Russia.

  • August 08, 2025

    Feds Rip Cuellar's Bid To Ax Entire Bribery Indictment

    Federal prosecutors on Friday urged a Texas federal court to reject U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar's bid to toss his entire indictment for bribery, saying its decision to strike some counts does not deprive the lawmaker of his Fifth Amendment right to have a grand jury determine what charges he should face.

  • August 08, 2025

    DA Willis Blasts Election Case Probe Testimony Fight As Moot

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told the Georgia Supreme Court that a 2024 subpoena seeking her to testify about her personal relationship with the lead prosecutor in the prosecution of President Donald Trump and others in an election interference case is moot due to a change in the state's law.

  • August 08, 2025

    Ex-Girardi Keese Atty Indicted For Role In Client Theft Scandal

    Former Girardi Keese attorney Keith Griffin has been criminally indicted in Illinois federal court for his role in the once-mighty firm's spectacular collapse, with prosecutors alleging he violated court orders and covered up the theft of client funds.

  • August 08, 2025

    Why DOJ's US Attorney Moves Are Reaching Critical Point

    The Trump administration's strategy of extending U.S. attorney appointments using a pair of laws that allow for interim and acting prosecutors has sparked a constitutional tug-of-war between the executive, legislative and judicial branches that could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court or spur congressional action.

  • August 08, 2025

    $47M Fat Brands Tax Case Tossed After DOJ Quits Pursuing It

    A California federal judge dismissed an indictment accusing Fat Brands and its founder of hiding $47 million from the IRS through a loan scheme after the U.S. Department of Justice had said the case was no longer a priority.

  • August 08, 2025

    'Legally Indefensible Scheme' DQs NJ US Atty, Court Told

    A New Jersey criminal defendant argued in federal court this week that Alina Habba's appointment as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey is an "end-run" around the Constitution and moved to have her and any prosecutors working under her disqualified.

  • August 08, 2025

    Pennsylvania Litigation Highlights Of The 1st Half Of 2025

    In the first half of 2025, Pennsylvania judges have created a federal and state court split in a $175 million verdict against Monsanto in Philadelphia's Roundup mass tort, reduced the tax fraud sentence of a member of the family behind an iconic Philadelphia cheesesteak shop and permanently barred a college apparel company from copying Penn State trademarks. 

  • August 08, 2025

    Massachusetts Sheriff Charged With Extorting Cannabis Shop

    Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins was arrested Friday morning in Florida on extortion charges related to his demand for a stake in a cannabis dispensary — and a refund when his shares lost value — federal prosecutors announced.

  • August 07, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Trial Atty With Brain Disease Not 'Ineffective'

    The Second Circuit on Thursday affirmed the convictions of a former New York City law enforcement union president along with its ex-financial adviser for defrauding members out of $500,000, rejecting among contentions that one defense lawyer's abilities were impaired at trial by a fast-moving neurodegenerative disease.

  • August 07, 2025

    Sentencing Commission Plans To Reassess Fraud Guidelines

    The U.S. Sentencing Commission on Wednesday said it will consider potential reforms to the federal sentencing guidelines for fraud offenses, including the outsized role of loss calculation in sentencing, one of several priorities the agency has marked for closer examination.

  • August 07, 2025

    Crypto Buyers Win Class Cert. Against Kardashian, Celebs

    EthereumMax buyers accusing celebrities of promoting the cryptocurrency allegedly used in a pump-and-dump scheme can certify subclasses in four states, but not their nationwide class, a federal judge ruled, agreeing with famed boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. that there's a risk of California and Florida securities laws being inappropriately applied outside those states.

  • August 07, 2025

    Motorola Surveillance App Teed Up For 1st Circ. Review

    The First Circuit should decide whether a Motorola app designed to allow police to record calls without informing the person on the other line was illegal in and of itself, said a Massachusetts federal judge overseeing a suit from four men who argue that it was.

  • August 07, 2025

    6th Circ. Halts FirstEnergy Production Of Bribery Probe Docs

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday prevented shareholders of FirstEnergy Corp. from immediately accessing investigative documents prepared by BigLaw firms in the wake of a $1 billion bribery scandal, ruling that the utility company was likely to succeed in its claims that the disclosures were protected by attorney-client privilege.

  • August 07, 2025

    Eventide Creditors Seek Trustee To Take Over Ch. 11 Case

    The official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 case of consumer lending company Eventide Credit Acquisitions has asked a Texas judge for the appointment of a trustee to oversee the proceedings, saying the debtor and its principal have flouted the rules of bankruptcy since the case began in 2023.

  • August 07, 2025

    Judge Says Wis. Tribal Roads Must Stay Open

    Four Wisconsin tribal roads at the crux of a yearslong dispute over trespassing allegations must permanently remain open to the public, a federal court judge has ordered, saying there is no doubt that the town of Lac du Flambeau provided maintenance to them for decades despite an expired 50-year easement.

  • August 07, 2025

    Man Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion, Faces $50M In Restitution

    A man accused of numerous financial crimes related to his operation of promoting abusive and illegal tax shelters pled guilty to three charges across two different cases in Colorado federal court on Thursday.

  • August 07, 2025

    Federal Courts Disclose New Cyberattacks On PACER System

    The federal judiciary on Thursday disclosed there have been escalating cyberattacks on its case management system, putting sealed and sensitive case documents at risk, and that it is taking steps to strengthen its security.

  • August 07, 2025

    Ex-Knick Slams Madison Square Garden's $1.5M Fee Request

    Charles Oakley slammed Madison Square Garden's bid for $1.5 million in attorney fees stemming from its pursuit of the former New York Knick's deleted text messages in his battery suit against the arena, claiming that only "bad faith" could justify such an "inflated" request.

Expert Analysis

  • Prepping For SEC's Changing Life Sciences Enforcement

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    By proactively addressing several risk areas, companies in the life sciences sector can position themselves to minimize potential exposure under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's return to back-to-basics enforcement focused on insider trading and fraud, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    FCPA Shift Is A Good Start, But There's More DOJ Should Do

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines bring a needed course correction amid overexpansive enforcement, but there’s more the DOJ can do to provide additional clarity and predictability for global companies, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • CARES Act Fraud Enforcement Is Unlikely To Slow Down

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    In the five years since the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the federal government has devoted massive resources to investigating CARES Act fraud — and all signs suggest the U.S. Department of Justice will continue vigorous enforcement in this area, say attorneys at Kostelanetz.

  • 2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

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    The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • 3 Juror Psychology Principles For Expert Witness Testimony

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    Expert witnesses can sometimes fall into traps when trying to teach juries complex topics by failing to consider the psychology of juror comprehension, but attorneys can help witnesses avoid these pitfalls with a deeper understanding of cognitive lag, chunking and learning styles, says Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • What Baseball Can Teach Criminal Attys About Rule Of Lenity

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    Judges tend to assess ambiguous criminal laws not unlike how baseball umpires approach checked swings, so defense attorneys should consider how to best frame their arguments to maximize courts' willingness to invoke the rule of lenity, wherein a tie goes to the defendant, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

  • Perspectives

    Justices' Sentencing Ruling Is More Of A Ripple Than A Wave

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week in Esteras v. U.S., limiting the factors that lower courts may consider in imposing prison sentences for supervised release violations, is symbolically important, but its real-world impact will likely be muted for several reasons, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • DOJ Atty Firing Highlights Tension Between 2 Ethical Duties

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent firing of a prosecutor-turned-whistleblower involved in the Abrego Garcia v. Noem case illustrates the tricky balancing act between zealous client advocacy and a lawyer’s duty of candor to the court, which many clients fail to appreciate, says David Atkins at Yale Law School.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

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    Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • DOJ Has Deep Toolbox For Corporate Immigration Violations

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    With the U.S. Department of Justice now offering rewards to whistleblowers who report businesses that employ unauthorized workers, companies should understand the immigration enforcement landscape and how they can reduce their risk, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

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    Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • 3 Rulings May Reveal Next Frontier Of Gov't Contract Cases

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    Several U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past year — involving wire fraud, gratuities and obstruction — offer wide-ranging and arguably conflicting takeaways for government contractors that are especially relevant given the Trump administration’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

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