Feds Say Stolen BigLaw Deal Info Aided Huge Trading Scheme

By Chris Villani

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled indictments outlining a massive insider trading scheme that allegedly netted tens of millions of dollars using nonpublic information about mergers and acquisitions worked on by some of the nation's biggest law firms.

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Judge Won't Force Hunter Biden's Foreign Agent Registration

By Jack McLoone

A Washington, D.C., federal judge won't force the U.S. Department of Justice to register Hunter Biden as a foreign agent, dismissing a suit brought by a group founded by now-Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller because it can't establish it suffered an injury.

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High Court Rejects Apple's Bid To Pause App Store Ruling

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Apple's request to pause a mandate in the case from Epic Games that directs a lower court to determine what commission Apple can charge developers for purchases made outside of its app store through links.

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Mich. Gov. Ex-Appointee Accused Of $20 Million Grant Fraud

By Susan Smiley

An ex-appointee of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was charged Wednesday with 16 felonies in connection with misappropriation of a $20 million taxpayer-funded business grant.

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Analysis

Pa. 'Cruel Punishments' Ruling Sets Up Sentence Challenges

By Matthew Santoni

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's recent ruling that struck down mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder marked the justices' clearest message yet that the state's constitution and history bar "cruel" punishments, which legal experts tell Law360 could tee up challenges to "three-strikes" laws or the death penalty.

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'Varsity Blues' Coach 'Not Close' In New Trial Bid, Judge Says

By Chris Villani

A former University of Southern California water polo coach convicted in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case missed the goal by a wide margin in his bid to secure a new trial, a Massachusetts federal judge said.

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Lindberg Says He Owes 'Zero' Despite $1.6B Restitution Report

By Abigail Harrison

Beleaguered insurance mogul Greg Lindberg asked a North Carolina federal court to reject a special master's report recommending he pay $1.6 billion in restitution to companies he's accused of defrauding, arguing he should instead pay zilch.

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Epstein's Alleged Suicide Note Unsealed In Cellmate's Case

By Lauren Berg

A New York federal judge on Wednesday ordered that child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's purported suicide note, which remained sealed for years in his cellmate's criminal case, be made publicly available.

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Trump Wants Time For Justices To Review Carroll Verdict

By Hailey Konnath

President Donald Trump has asked the Second Circuit to delay enforcement of the $83.3 million verdict against him for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll while he appeals the appellate court's en banc refusal to rehear his appeal, noting that Carroll does not oppose the delay as long as he pays interest if it's upheld.

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Financier Charged With Fleecing Billionaire Out Of $450M

By Pete Brush

A financier based in Greece defrauded Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego out of $450 million, misappropriating stock that the telecommunications baron used to secure a loan after lying about his bona fides, New York federal prosecutors have alleged.

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Celsius Exec's Help Was Key, Feds Say Before Sentencing

By Emilie Ruscoe

Manhattan federal prosecutors said sentencing for the former chief revenue officer of the defunct cryptocurrency firm Celsius Network should reflect that the executive provided "substantial assistance" to the government as it pursued the conviction of Celsius' former CEO, who eventually pled guilty to misrepresentation and market manipulation charges.

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'GothFerrari' Gets 6.5 Years For Role In $250M Crypto Heist

By Bonnie Eslinger

A 20-year-old California man with the nickname "GothFerrari" was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 78 months behind bars for his role in a sprawling cyber scam involving more than a dozen defendants who stole more than $250 million in cryptocurrency from people across the United States, according to prosecutors.

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North Korea Victims Fight Crypto Co. Over $71M Frozen Funds

By Ganesh Setty

Individuals with $696 million in judgments against North Korea told a New York federal court that $71 million in crypto assets frozen following a hack they say was perpetrated by North Korea should remain frozen so they can collect on them.

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CFTC Fines Trader $200K For Treasury Futures Spoofing

By Sydney Price

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced on Wednesday that it settled claims against a dual French and American citizen who it accused of trying to fraudulently control the treasury futures market.

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Feds Say 4th Circ. ICE Ruling Doesn't Help Ex-Wis. Judge

By Ryan Boysen

Former Wisconsin state judge Hannah C. Dugan can't use a recent Fourth Circuit ruling to overturn her conviction for obstructing ICE officers, the federal government said Wednesday, calling that ruling "merely relevant" and not at all binding.

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4th Circ. Frees Noncitizen From Deportation, Faulting Judges

By Ganesh Setty

The Fourth Circuit vacated the final removal order for a man the federal government wants to deport to Liberia despite his never living there and his fear of persecution due to his sexuality, finding that he didn't get a fair immigration hearing.

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4th Circ. Appears Unpersuaded By $22M Tax Fraud Appeal

By Hayley Fowler

Two attorneys and an insurance agent faced a Fourth Circuit panel Wednesday that seemed hard-pressed to overturn their convictions for orchestrating a $22 million tax avoidance scheme, with the judges casting doubt on their venue objections and claims that the false tax returns contained truthful information.

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Fla. Couple Sentenced For Evading $37M In Payroll Taxes

By Asha Glover

An Orlando couple were sentenced to prison for participating in a $148 million construction payroll scheme and evading more than $37 million in payroll taxes, Florida federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

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Booz Allen Says Fla. Senator's Tax Leak Suit Is Too Late

By Carolina Bolado

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, waited too long to file a lawsuit over the leak of his personal tax returns, according to federal contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, which moved to dismiss the suit Tuesday.

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Miller & Chevalier Hires DOJ Nat'l Security Atty In DC

By Jack Rodgers

Miller & Chevalier Chtd. has hired an attorney who spent the past nine years working in the federal government, most recently with the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division in a section focused on export controls and counterintelligence issues.

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Insider Trading Safeguards Can Mitigate Sports Betting Risk

As the rapid growth of sports betting heightens the risk that sensitive information held by coaches, players and staff may be improperly exploited, sports organizations can look to the securities context to safeguard information and address potential misconduct, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

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Why White Collar Juries Resist 'Honest Mistake' Defenses

Cases like the bribery conviction of a Cincinnati City Council member recently vacated by the U.S. Supreme Court show juries often reject “I made an honest mistake” as a white collar defense, but attorneys who understand why jurors convict defendants who made reasonable but flawed decisions can strategize around this, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

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Womble Bond Atty's 'Draconian' Penalty Gives 4th Circ. Pause

By Hayley Fowler

A Fourth Circuit panel seemed to struggle Thursday with what one judge described as a "draconian" contempt order against a Womble Bond Dickinson partner, with the panel nudging counsel for both sides toward a simpler solution that wouldn't force the court's involvement.

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Ex-Jackson Walker Atty Seeks Breakup With Romance Suit

By Adrian Cruz

A former Jackson Walker LLP partner said Thursday that she should be dropped from a suit accusing her, a former Texas bankruptcy judge she had a secret relationship with and multiple law firms of fomenting "mass corruption" in Houston's bankruptcy court.

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SEC Fines Ex-BigLaw Atty For Insider Trades On Apollo Deal

By Hailey Konnath

A former Buchalter PC shareholder has agreed to pay $71,625 to settle the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's allegations he purchased stock ahead of Apollo Global Management's $1.5 billion acquisition of Bridge Investment, which the commission said he was representing in an unrelated matter at the time.

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Comey Retains NC Criminal Defense Pro For 2nd Indictment

By Rachel Rippetoe

Former FBI Director James Comey has added a North Carolina white collar defense pro to his legal team fighting an indictment by the Trump administration over a social media post last year that prosecutors characterized as a threat of violence against the president, according to a court filing on Thursday.

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Toss Of Ex-Shkreli Atty's Deal May Be Error, 2nd Circ. Hints

By Pete Brush

A Second Circuit judge hinted Thursday that a trial judge may have erred in rejecting a retirement-fund garnishment deal that would have protected Martin Shkreli's convicted former lawyer from a potential $1 million "punitive tax event."

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Analysis

How Litigation Funding Disclosure Could Affect ITC Cases

By Ryan Davis

The U.S. International Trade Commission's proposed rule to require disclosure of litigation funding in intellectual property cases could bring more transparency to disputes and promote settlements, but it could also discourage some suits if it's not carefully tailored, attorneys say.

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NC Judge Tosses Atty's Suit Against State Bar Panel Member

By Andrea Keckley

A North Carolina federal judge dismissed a suspended attorney's lawsuit against a State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission member he accused of bias and due process violations, finding Thursday that the defendant is entitled to absolute quasi-judicial immunity.

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Analysis

Why Compliance Is Getting Complicated In Latin America

By Phillip Bantz

White collar compliance is getting trickier for companies that do business in Latin America, according to experts, who say they are seeing big shifts in the region connected to cartel crackdowns and efforts to strengthen corporate regulations, including relatively recent pushes for voluntary self-disclosure.

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