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White Collar
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August 19, 2025
Judge Bans Texas Atty He Says Is 'Incapable Of Honesty'
A federal judge has indefinitely suspended attorney J. Shelby Sharpe from practicing law in the Northern District of Texas after he helped supposedly erstwhile clients dodge judgments, saying the attorney is seemingly "incapable of honesty."
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August 19, 2025
Texas Co., Exec To Pay $12.4M In Customs Evasion FCA Suit
A Dallas-based countertop and cabinetry product supplier and its president agreed on Tuesday to pay more than $12.4 million to settle a False Claims Act suit alleging they conspired to evade import duties on quartz products from China, with more than $2.1 million designated for a whistleblower.
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August 19, 2025
Lab Owner Gets 3 Years For $40M COVID-19 Test Fraud
A co-founder of a laboratory accused of submitting $40 million in unnecessary COVID-19 and genetic testing claims to healthcare benefit programs was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday, after a Florida federal judge credited him for the extensive cooperation he provided the government before and during a trial against his co-defendants.
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August 19, 2025
Ex-CBD Water Co. CEO Cops To Wire Fraud In Stock Scheme
A former CEO of a microcap issuer purportedly in the cannabis beverage business has copped to wire fraud in connection with kickbacks and related transactions involving undercover law enforcement that he initiated as part of an alleged long-running scheme to manipulate prices for the company's shares.
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August 19, 2025
Calif. Man Gets 8 Years For Shipping Firearms To North Korea
A Chinese national has been sentenced in Los Angeles federal court to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea in exchange for $2 million, prosecutors said Monday.
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August 19, 2025
Bribery Case Against Rep. Cuellar And His Wife Trimmed
A federal judge agreed Tuesday to drop two counts from a bribery indictment against U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife, but said dropping the counts did not warrant dismissal of the entire indictment.
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August 19, 2025
Family Alleging Firm's Girardi Conflict Denied Partial Win
A Los Angeles judge Tuesday denied a family's motion seeking judgment on declaratory relief claims in a $1.8 million malpractice lawsuit against a firm that represented it in recovering millions lost in Girardi Keese's embezzlement scandal, saying disputed facts remain in the "unusual" case.
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August 19, 2025
Detroit Fund Owner Gets 100 Months For $39M Investor Fraud
The former CEO and majority owner of a Detroit-based hedge fund firm was sentenced Monday to 100 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to obtain more than $39 million from investors by lying about the fund's and investors' individual financial performance.
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August 19, 2025
CFTC Wins $228M Restitution Order Against Ponzi Schemer
A New York federal judge on Tuesday ruled that it was "ludicrous" for a man who pled guilty to running a Ponzi scheme to try to escape punishment in a related suit brought by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, ordering him to repay his victims over $228 million.
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August 19, 2025
Insurers Avoid Coverage For Alleged $8.5M Judgment Scheme
Two insurers owed no coverage to companies facing abuse of process claims, a Minnesota federal court ruled in two separate cases decided on the same issues, finding that commercial general liability policies' coverage for malicious prosecution did not apply.
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August 19, 2025
Ex-Girardi Keese Atty Pleads Not Guilty To Chicago Charges
Former Girardi Keese attorney Keith Griffin pled not guilty Tuesday to a Chicago indictment accusing him of helping Tom Girardi violate court orders to disburse settlement funds to certain plane crash clients and concealing the theft of those funds.
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August 19, 2025
Former Husch Blackwell Chair Named Missouri AG
Former Husch Blackwell LLP chair Catherine L. Hanaway has been appointed Missouri's next attorney general by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, according to the firm on Tuesday.
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August 19, 2025
SEC Alleges Fla. Woman Ran $5.7M Trading Fraud Scheme
A New York woman and her dissolved Florida companies face U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations they raised $5.7 million from over 200 investors, promising extraordinary returns from sophisticated trading techniques before misappropriating funds, losing money on risky trades and keeping investors in the dark with a Ponzi-like payment scheme.
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August 19, 2025
Trump's 'Abnormal' Use Of FCA Could Get Tricky In Court
The Trump administration is wielding the False Claims Act in unusually narrow ways to drive policies on social and cultural issues — including gender-affirming care and diversity, equity and inclusion programs — but the government's potential theories of liability under the federal law remain largely untested and might not hold up in court, experts say.
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August 18, 2025
NJ Feds Say Habba's US Atty Role Unusual, But Not Unlawful
Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba on Monday doubled down on her argument that President Donald Trump legally appointed her New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, telling a federal judge that this is simply "an unusual situation" created when the district court last month refused to extend her interim tenure.
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August 18, 2025
Ex-NY AG Immune From Malicious Prosecution Suit
Former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has immunity from a suit by a former New York City Council member claiming wrongful prosecution, a federal judge has ruled.
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August 18, 2025
SDNY Judges OK Trump's Selection Of Jay Clayton As US Atty
The Southern District of New York on Monday permitted Jay Clayton to continue overseeing the district's prosecutorial office, appointing Clayton as U.S. attorney just a day before his tenure as interim U.S. attorney was set to expire.
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August 18, 2025
Insurers Avoid Defending Ericsson In Terrorist Payment Suits
Units of Travelers and Chubb have no duty to defend Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson Inc. over claims it paid protection money to foreign terrorist organizations so its projects and other business interests wouldn't be attacked, a Texas federal court ruled Monday.
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August 18, 2025
Fla. Rapper Sentenced To 3½ Years In Prison For $1M Fraud
A Florida federal judge sentenced a Miami rapper to more than three years in prison after a jury convicted him of fraud-related charges in connection with a scheme to defraud luxury merchandise vendors of more than $1 million.
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August 18, 2025
Ex-Lovesac Execs Stuck With Bulk Of SEC Fraud Suit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's suit against two former executives of beanbag chair maker Lovesac will move forward after a Connecticut federal judge ruled that the SEC had adequately pled knowledge of wrongdoing by the defendants and the materiality of alleged misstatements.
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August 18, 2025
AGs Sue DOJ For Tying Victim Aid To ICE Enforcement
A coalition of 21 state attorneys general, led by Matthew Platkin of New Jersey, filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday, accusing it of unlawfully tying $1 billion in crime victim funding to immigration enforcement, a move they say defies congressional intent and jeopardizes critical support for survivors.
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August 18, 2025
Lawmaker Pans 'Selective' Charges Over ICE Facility Clash
U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver has moved to dismiss criminal charges against her from a May confrontation with federal agents at an immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey, arguing she is immune from prosecution under the U.S. Constitution's speech or debate clause and is being selectively targeted by the government.
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August 18, 2025
Burr & Forman Must Face Claims From Healthcare Scheme
A Georgia federal judge has denied Burr & Forman LLP's bid to escape a lawsuit accusing the firm of being party to a massive healthcare fraud scheme, ruling that it must largely face malpractice and breach of fiduciary claims from a pair of bankruptcy trustees.
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August 18, 2025
Founder Of 'Modest Needs' Charity Admits Stealing Millions
A New York City man who operated a crowdsourcing charity for the poor copped to fraud and tax evasion charges Monday, telling a Manhattan federal judge that he stole millions and spent the money on a lavish lifestyle.
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August 15, 2025
Justices Told Texas Cedes Ground In Right-To-Counsel Case
A man who was denied the opportunity to consult fully with his lawyer during an overnight break in his testimony said, ahead of U.S. Supreme Court arguments, that one opponent, the state of Texas, has already ceded serious legal ground in its briefing.
Expert Analysis
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DOJ Has Deep Toolbox For Corporate Immigration Violations
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.
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Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing
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.
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3 Rulings May Reveal Next Frontier Of Gov't Contract Cases
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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DOJ May Rethink Banning Firearms For Marijuana Users
In light of various federal circuit court decisions and an executive order from President Donald Trump, U.S. Department of Justice enforcement policy now may be on the verge of changing decidedly in favor of marijuana users' gun rights, and could foreshadow additional marijuana-friendly reforms, says Jacob Raver at Dentons.
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EDNY Ruling May Limit Some FARA Conspiracy Charges
Though the Eastern District of New York’s recent U.S. v. Sun decision upheld Foreign Agents Registration Act charges against a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, its recognition of an affirmative legislative policy to exempt some officials may help defendants charged with related conspiracies, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
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9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard
District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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Future Of Enviro Crimes Under Trump's Federal Regs Order
President Donald Trump's recent executive order about fighting overcriminalization in federal regulations creates new advocacy opportunities for defense counsel to argue that particular environmental crime investigations and matters ought to be limited or declined based on the policy priorities reflected in the order, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.
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If Justices Accept, Maxwell Case May Clarify Meaning Of 'US'
If the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to take up Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal, it could clarify the meaning of “United States” in the context of plea agreements, and a plain language interpretation of the term would offer criminal defendants fairness and finality, say attorneys at Kudman Trachten.
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DOJ Memo Lays Groundwork For Healthy Bank Sponsorships
The U.S. Department of Justice's recent digital asset policy shift offers potential clarity in the murky waters of sponsor bank relationships, presenting nontraditional financial companies with both a moment of opportunity and a test of maturity, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.
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Policy Shifts May Follow Burst Of Defense Cyber Settlements
Recent False Claims Act settlements with defense contractors MORSECORP and Nightwing suggest that cybersecurity standards for government contractors remain a key enforcement priority, but these may represent a final flurry of activity before the Trump administration transitions to different policy goals, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech
New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.
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In 2nd Term, Trump Has New Iran Sanctions Enforcement Tool
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalate, the Trump administration may use a whistleblower program enacted in 2022 to target violations that were previously more difficult to detect, thus expanding enforcement of economic sanctions, say attorneys at MoloLamken and Zuckerman Law.
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How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication
As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.
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When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility
As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.