Feds' NY RICO Case Against Huawei Packs A Punch, Jury Told

By Stewart Bishop

The Brooklyn federal jury in the landmark corporate criminal trial of Huawei on Wednesday heard a prosecutor say they'll have an insider's view of the company's vast criminal operations that relied on stolen trade secrets to grow and kept banks in the dark about its sanctions compliance, while a top executive's deal with the government will seal the fate of the Chinese telecommunications giant.

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NM Again Hauls Meta To Trial, This Time Over Privacy

By Cara Salvatore

The state of New Mexico told a jury Wednesday that Facebook flagrantly misrepresented its privacy practices, including the one that let Cambridge Analytica harvest the data of 87 million mostly nonconsenting users, as the state goes to trial against the company for the third time in seven months.

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States Say DOT's Driver Data Demand Is Immigration Pretext

By Jared Foretek

The Democratic-led states asking a Virginia federal judge to stop the Trump administration from accessing the Social Security numbers of commercial drivers nationwide for immigration enforcement backed up their request for an injunction Wednesday, saying the federal government is using post hoc rationalizations to defend its data demands.

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Calif. Judge Seeks Clearer Limits On ICE Use Of Medicaid Data

By Tom Lotshaw

A California federal judge ordered 22 states and the Trump administration to reach an agreement on the proper scope of his injunction limiting Medicaid data use for immigration enforcement, saying he's unsure how it should apply to people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.

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NJ Tech Chief Seeks To Avoid TikTok Depo In AG's Fraud Suit

By Carla Baranauckas

New Jersey Chief Technology Officer Kevin Dehmer has asked a state court judge to block TikTok from deposing him in the attorney general's consumer fraud lawsuit, arguing that he has no firsthand knowledge of the allegations and that forcing a high-ranking state official to testify is unwarranted.

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FTC Chucks Biden-Era Health App Breach Notification Policy

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

The Federal Trade Commission, as part of its regulatory streamlining, has rescinded a Biden-era policy requiring health applications and smart devices that collect information to warn users when their medical data has been breached.

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Software Group Says FCC Should Narrow Covered List Focus

By Nadia Dreid

The software industry thinks the Federal Communications Commission might want to take a more "narrow" view when it comes to its continued expansion of the covered list of telecommunications equipment that the agency deems to be a national security risk.

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Fla. AG Sues Netflix Over 'Bait-And-Switch' Data Harvesting

By Allison Grande

Florida has become the second state to sue Netflix over its purported harvesting of personal data from children and families, alleging that the streaming provider engaged in a "bait-and-switch" when it leveraged subscribers' personal information to fuel its advertising despite promising to be a "safe respite" from these practices. 

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Ringleader Pleads Guilty In $245M Crypto RICO Enterprise

By Joyce Hanson

The 22-year-old ringleader of an international conspiracy that used social engineering to steal more than $245 million in cryptocurrency has pled guilty in D.C. federal court for his role in building "a cybercrime empire," the U.S. Department of Justice said.

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Agencies Warn Of Chinese AI Cos. Targeting US Models

By Elliot Weld

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Administration and FBI have released a report claiming Chinese artificial intelligence companies were extracting proprietary capabilities from U.S. AI models through a process known as "distillation."

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Ex-Judge, Law Profs Urge 4th Circ. To Limit Digital Warrants

By Parker Quinlan

A former federal magistrate judge and a group of law school professors from around the country have urged the Fourth Circuit to find that a geofence warrant at the heart of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision is too broad in light of the high court's ruling.

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​​​​​​​Cannabis Co. Failed To Prevent Patient Data Breach, Suit Says

By Sam Reisman

A Miami-based telehealth company that helps people secure medical marijuana cards failed to protect users' personal data from a cyberbreach, according to a proposed class action lodged in Florida federal court.

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NC Justices Probe TikTok's State Contacts In Addiction Case

By Hayley Fowler

The North Carolina Supreme Court grappled Wednesday with whether TikTok and its parent company should have to face the attorney general's suit alleging the app is addictive to young users, with TikTok arguing its general national business practices do not create ties to the Tar Heel State sufficient to be dragged into court there.

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Katten Adds Kasowitz Data Strategy Team Leader In LA

By Christine DeRosa

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has bolstered its offerings in Los Angeles with the addition of the chair of Kasowitz LLP's data strategy, privacy and security team and co-chair of its artificial intelligence industry group.

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Planning For The Impact Of FinCEN's CTA Rollback

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent rollback of Corporate Transparency Act reporting obligations should reduce compliance costs, but its plans to revisit customer due diligence rules should prompt companies and financial institutions to reassess state beneficial ownership programs, say attorneys at Sidley.

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AI Note-Taking Suits May Fill Gap In Privacy Law Structure

A recent class action against Granola joins other pending lawsuits against AI note-taking providers, highlighting the legal uncertainty surrounding these tools, but there are practical steps companies using "invisible" AI services can take to mitigate risk, including conducting inventories and reviewing access permissions, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

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How Quantum Risk Could Reshape Legal Obligations

As federal policy, National Institute of Standards and Technology standards, and major market practice converge around postquantum cryptography, companies may need to safeguard their data now to prove they took reasonable measures to protect trade secrets from quantum computers that do not exist yet, say attorneys at MoFo.

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ABA Study Shows 20% Of Attys Under Severe Mental Distress

By Tracey Read

About one-fifth of attorneys across the country meet moderate-to-extremely severe symptom thresholds for depression, anxiety and stress, according to the largest-ever study of mental health and well-being in the legal profession.

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Mass. Judge Sanctioned Over Handling Of ICE At Courthouse

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court on Thursday sanctioned a judge over her handling of a case involving a defendant wanted by immigration agents in 2018, an incident that led to federal charges that were dismissed after the judge agreed to a disciplinary process.

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Ed Martin Reprimanded Over Unauthorized FBI Contacts

By Courtney Bublé

Last summer, when Ed Martin was still head of the weaponization working group at the U.S. Department of Justice, he was reprimanded after his team communicated with the FBI without authorization, according to recently released emails.

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2 At DOJ Sued Over Conn. Immigration Court Record Access

By Christine DeRosa

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut has filed suit in Connecticut federal court challenging the Hartford Immigration Court's refusal to provide access to immigration court records.

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JPMorgan Aided Ex-Atty Kossoff's $18.5M Theft, Trustee Says

By Hailey Konnath

The Chapter 7 trustee representing bankrupt firm Kossoff PLLC on Wednesday sued JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, claiming the bank helped the firm's principal steal at least $18.5 million from clients, and it "should be made to account."

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Analysis

Executive Privilege Questions Cloud Congressional Probe Prep

By Phillip Bantz

As corporate leaders brace for the possibility of Democrats retaking control of Congress and launching aggressive investigations into the Trump administration's dealings with a vast array of companies, attorneys say a U.S. Justice Department opinion on executive privilege could complicate the probes.

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DOJ Urges High Court To Revisit 9th Circ.'s Bar Of Nev. US Atty

By Madison Arnold

The Justice Department has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit a recent Ninth Circuit ruling disqualifying the Trump administration's top federal prosecutor in Nevada, calling it a decision that imposes "ongoing confusion" in the executive branch.

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Jay-Z Can't Undo Buzbee's Win In Rapper's Defamation Suit

By Y. Peter Kang

A California state appeals court has refused to revive claims that Texas attorney Tony Buzbee defamed and extorted music superstar Jay-Z by roping him into a sexual abuse suit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, saying the case was properly thrown out under California's free speech statute.

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