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White Collar

  • August 28, 2025

    Lawyer Accused Of Bribing DEA Agent Cuts Deal To End Case

    A Florida criminal defense attorney accused of bribing a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent for law enforcement tips entered into an agreement Thursday with Manhattan federal prosecutors that will see charges against him dropped in a year.

  • August 28, 2025

    Compliance Atty Who Duped Lender Wants New Trial

    A compliance lawyer convicted of pilfering from a $20 million line of credit that a subsidiary of Emigrant Bank extended to his tax-lien business has asked a Manhattan federal judge to order a new trial, arguing that prosecutors' evidence is insufficient and that the charges were "multiplicitous," in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

  • August 28, 2025

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook Sues Trump To Block Firing

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook filed suit in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday challenging President Donald Trump's "unprecedented and illegal attempt" to remove her from her position.

  • August 27, 2025

    DOJ Throws Lifeline To J&J At 3rd Circ. After $1.6B FCA Loss

    A district judge made multiple errors in an opinion and jury instructions underpinning a staggering False Claims Act verdict tied to Johnson & Johnson's drug marketing practices, and a fresh look is needed "under a correct view of the law," the U.S. Department of Justice told the Third Circuit on Wednesday.

  • August 27, 2025

    Crypto Firm Can't Block Gov't Contract For Seized Assets

    A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge won't halt a government contract for the management of seized crypto after finding Wave Digital Assets isn't likely to succeed in pressing its claims that the U.S. Marshals Service acted unfairly when it awarded the job to another provider.

  • August 27, 2025

    Citizens Say FinCEN's Real Estate Transfer Rule Unlawful

    Two citizens asked a Texas federal judge to throw out FinCEN's rule requiring disclosure of residential real estate transfers to corporate entities and trusts even when no money changes hands, saying the rule runs afoul of the Constitution.

  • August 27, 2025

    Investor Wants $250K, SUV Returned In Cannabis Venture

    A Los Angeles investor is suing a number of people and entities who convinced him to sink $325,000 into a real estate and cannabis dispensary holding company, only to end up with no shares in the business and to discover the company's success was exaggerated.

  • August 27, 2025

    Father, Son Seek 2-Year Sentences In $280M Sports Park Fraud

    A father and son are both seeking two-year sentences from a New York federal court after pleading guilty to fraud related to the development of a Phoenix-area youth sports park with $280 million in investments, alleging prosecutors overstated their culpability for investor losses.

  • August 27, 2025

    Crypto Scammers' Travel Booker Cops To RICO Conspiracy

    A man who managed luxury travel logistics for members of an alleged scam ring accused of stealing $230 million in cryptocurrency has pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, admitting to converting stolen crypto to cash and arranging travel that furthered the criminal activity.

  • August 27, 2025

    Ukrainian Money Laundering Claim Against U.S. Is Paused

    Claimants in a $24 million arbitration accusing the U.S. government of overstepping its authority by initiating forfeiture proceedings aimed at unraveling an alleged Ukrainian money laundering scheme have agreed to suspend the claim for now, according to a notice.

  • August 27, 2025

    IRL App Cofounder Indicted In Alleged $170M Fraud Scheme

    The co-founder of the media app IRL was indicted on Wednesday in a California federal court for wire fraud, securities fraud and obstruction over an alleged scheme to defraud investors out of $170 million by hiding that the app's growth was fueled by artificially generated traffic.

  • August 27, 2025

    Investors Accuse Suns Owner Of Undermining Minority Stakes

    Two groups holding minority stakes in the NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury sued for company documents in Delaware's Court of Chancery Wednesday, alleging there is a lack of transparency and majority owner Mat Ishbia is attempting to dilute their investment.

  • August 27, 2025

    SEC Nets $46M Default Judgment In Crypto Fraud Case

    A purported cryptocurrency mining and trading company and its founders are on the hook for over $46 million in combined payments to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after allegedly defrauding potentially over 65,500 investors out of $28 million, a Florida federal judge has determined.

  • August 27, 2025

    Church Leaders Charged In Forced Labor, Laundering Scheme

    Two self-proclaimed religious leaders forced people to work in call centers to raise millions of dollars that the pair spent on jet skis and other luxuries in a money laundering scheme investigated by the IRS, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in Michigan federal court.

  • August 27, 2025

    Feds Seek 7-Year Bribery Sentence For Nadine Menendez

    The federal government is seeking a seven-year prison sentence for the wife of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who was convicted of a scheme in which the couple accepted gold, cash and a luxury car in exchange for the New Jersey Democrat's political favors to three businessmen.

  • August 27, 2025

    Jailed Pastor Cites Adams Dismissal In Bid To Beat Charges

    A clergyman serving a nine-year sentence for fraud cited his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday in a bid to have his conviction overturned in the wake of the Trump administration's dismissal of the charges against Adams.

  • August 27, 2025

    Veteran Federal Prosecutor Joins McKool Smith In Dallas

    McKool Smith has deepened its civil litigation and white collar offerings with a principal in Dallas who recently served as deputy chief of the criminal division for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Texas.

  • August 26, 2025

    Joseph Nocella Jr. Appointed US Attorney For EDNY

    Joseph Nocella Jr. on Tuesday was reportedly appointed as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, having served as the district's interim top prosecutor since early May.

  • August 26, 2025

    Feds Appeal No-Jail Sentences In $577M Crypto Fraud Case

    Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that they're appealing the time-served sentences for two Estonian nationals who pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a $577 million cryptocurrency mining Ponzi scheme, while the federal judge who handed down the sentencings called them "one of the most difficult" of his career.

  • August 26, 2025

    Piers Morgan Wants Iran 'Spy' Defamation Suit Tossed

    Piers Morgan on Tuesday asked a Massachusetts federal judge to toss a political scientist's defamation suit, with the broadcaster arguing that a podcast introduction calling the scientist an alleged spy is backed up by both federal criminal charges and the plaintiff's own account of his situation.

  • August 26, 2025

    Firm Says It Shouldn't Owe SEC For Ex-Owner's Alleged Fraud

    A now-shuttered investment advisory firm has opposed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's attempt to hold it jointly liable for a $5 million judgment alongside its former owner who was accused of scamming elderly clients, arguing it did not profit from the alleged exploitation.

  • August 26, 2025

    Atty In Voting Machine Case Tries To Delay Discipline Hearing

    Michigan lawyer Matthew DePerno, who is facing felony charges accusing him of illegally accessing voting machines after the 2020 election, urged an attorney disciplinary panel on Monday to push back his September misconduct hearing, claiming he is having trouble finding counsel to represent him.

  • August 26, 2025

    FINRA Fines US Bank Unit $500K Over Missed AML Reports

    A broker-dealer unit of U.S. Bank has been fined $500,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority following the FINRA member's realization that it had missed windows for filing certain reports of suspicious transactions.

  • August 26, 2025

    SEC Says Nikola's Ch. 11 Plan Mischaracterizes $80M Penalty

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission objected to the Chapter 11 plan of electric-truck maker Nikola Corp. on Tuesday, saying the plan improperly treats the agency's $80 million civil penalty claim as if it were a damages claim behind other unsecured creditors in the priority scheme.

  • August 26, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Fed. Law Explicitly Bars Ex-CEO's NCUA Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Monday refused to revive a former Texas credit union CEO's constitutional challenge to an enforcement action the National Credit Union Administration had brought against him for alleged banking misconduct, saying in a published opinion that federal law explicitly stripped a district court's jurisdiction over the matter.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Takeaways From DOJ's Media Compulsory Process Rules

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new rules, making it easier for law enforcement investigating leaks to compel members of the media and third parties to disclose information, could have wide-ranging impacts, from reduced protections for journalists and organizations, to an expanded focus on nonclassified material, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Public Cos. Must Heed Disclosure Risks Amid Trade Chaos

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    Ongoing uncertainties caused by President Donald Trump's shifting stances on tariffs and trade restrictions have exponentially escalated financial reporting pressures on public companies, so businesses must ensure that their operations and accounting practices align with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's standards, say Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block and Edward Westerman at Secretariat Advisors.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • High Court Ruling Bucks Trend Of Narrowing Fraud Theories

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Kousisis v. U.S. decision, holding that economic loss is not required to establish prosecutors’ fraudulent inducement theory of fraud, is at odds with its decadeslong narrowing of federal fraud statutes’ reach, and may lead to convictions for a wide variety of contractual misrepresentations, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.

  • DOJ Policy Shifts May Resurrect De Facto 'China Initiative'

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently unveiled white collar enforcement strategy seemingly marks a return to a now-defunct 2018 policy aimed at combating national security concerns with China, and likely foretells aggressive scrutiny of trade and customs fraud, sanctions evasion, and money laundering, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • 7 D&O Coverage Areas To Assess As DOJ Targets DEI

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    Companies that receive federal funds or have the remnants of a diversity, equity and inclusion program should review their directors and officers liability insurance policies ahead of a major shift in how the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

  • ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Industry Impact Uncertain Amid Priority Shift, Staff Cuts

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    A recent enforcement memo outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda diverges from that of the previous administration, but, given the bureau's planned reduction in force, it is uncertain whether the agency will be able to enforce these new priorities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Compliance Essentials To Mitigate AI Crime Enforcement Risk

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    As artificial intelligence systems move closer to accurately mimicking human decision-making, companies must understand how the U.S. Department of Justice might prosecute them for crimes committed by AI tools — and how to mitigate enforcement risks, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

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    Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • At 'SEC Speaks,' Leaders Frame New Views

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    At the Practising Law Institute's recent SEC Speaks conference, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership highlighted the agency's significant priority changes, including in enforcement, crypto and artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Measuring The Impact Of Attorney Gender On Trial Outcomes

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    Preliminary findings from our recent study on how attorney gender might affect case outcomes support the conclusion that there is little in the way of a clear, universal bias against attorneys of a given gender, say Jill Leibold, Olivia Goodman and Alexa Hiley at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Staying The Course Amid Seismic DOJ White Collar Changes

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    While some of the big changes at the U.S. Department of Justice during the second Trump administration — like an embrace of cryptocurrency and more politicized prosecutions — were expected, there have also been surprises, so practitioners should advise clients to stay focused on white collar compliance in this unpredictable environment, say attorneys at Keker.

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