Expert Analysis

• SEC's Morocoin Case Presents A Crypto Jurisdiction Dilemma

  

  The allegations in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Morocoin describe serious fraud and resulting harm, but it's less clear how the facts establish that the fraud involved a securities transaction, particularly given the changes to how the SEC views investment contracts involving crypto-assets and the application of the Howey test, says Dave Hirsch at McGuireWoods.

• Takeaways From CFPB's Retreat On Immigrant Fair Lending

  

  Practices discouraged under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Justice Department's 2023 statement on the treatment of immigration status under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act may now be permissible following its recent withdrawal, making it crucial for lenders to follow unfolding fair lending developments in this area, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• What DOJ's New Trade Fraud Push Means For Cos.

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement this week that it is elevating trade fraud to an economic and national security imperative sends an unmistakable message to multinational corporations, importers, compliance professionals and supply chain managers that the days of laissez-faire enforcement are over, says Markus Funk at White & Case.

• 3 Cases Highlight SEC Distinction Between Exec, Co. Liability

  

  Three recent enforcement actions against Spero Therapeutics, Lottery.com and Archer-Daniels-Midland demonstrate that while public companies are subject to liability for misrepresentations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is focused on individual liability when disclosure violations involve so-called half-truths, say attorneys at Cooley.

• AI-Generated Doc Ruling Guides Attys On Privilege Risks

  

  A New York federal court's ruling, in U.S. v. Heppner, that documents created by a defendant using an artificial intelligence tool were not privileged, can serve as a guide to attorneys for retaining attorney-client or work-product privilege over client documents created with AI, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

• To Survive FCA Actions, Small Cos. Must Take Offensive Steps

  

  A fumbled response to False Claims Act allegations can doom lower-middle-market businesses, and with FCA enforcement hitting record levels for two years, smaller companies must have offensive strategies ready that focus their limited resources on defeating civil qui tam and federal criminal actions, says Derrelle Janey at Olshan Frome.

• The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Leadership Strategy After Day 1

  

  For law firm leaders, ensuring a newly combined law firm lives up to its promise, both in its first days of operation and well after, includes tough decisions, clear and specific communication, and cheerleading, says Peter Michaud at Ballard Spahr.

• The Challenges Of Detecting Event Contract Manipulation

  

  While concerns about possible manipulation and insider trading in event contracts have increasingly been raised by market observers, distinguishing a speculative position from a hedge and effective surveillance make regulation difficult, particularly as the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission argues for exclusive jurisdiction to do so, say economic consultants at the Brattle Group.

• Perspectives

  DC Circ. Gag Order Rulings Reveal A Digital Privacy Paradox

  

  A pair of rulings from the D.C. Circuit reveal a growing dilemma in digital privacy jurisprudence for investigative targets, technology companies and transparency advocates — even when courts set the bar higher for broad nondisclosure requests, the public may never be allowed to learn why orders get approved, say attorneys at RJO.

• Record FCA Recoveries Signal Intensified Healthcare Focus

  

  In its recently released False Claims Act statistics, the U.S. government's emphasis on record healthcare recoveries and government-initiated healthcare matters last year indicates robust enforcement ahead, though the administration's focus on current policy objectives also extends beyond the healthcare sector, say attorneys at Epstein Becker.

• Clearing US Legal Hurdles To Biz Opportunities In Venezuela

  

  Companies evaluating foreign investment or activity in Venezuela given the U.S. government's recently announced plans to reinvigorate its natural resources should take specific steps to minimize risks connected to interactions with restricted parties given the web of U.S. counterterrorism, anticorruption and sanctions controls, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• Reel Justice: 'Sentimental Value' And Witness Anxiety

  

  "Sentimental Value" reminds us that anxiety can interfere with performance, but unlike actors, witnesses cannot rehearse their lines or control the script, so a lawyer's role is not to eliminate stress, but to create conditions where the accuracy of a witness's testimony survives under pressure, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

• Calif.'s Civility Push Shows Why Professionalism Is Vital

  

  The California Bar’s campaign against discourteous behavior by attorneys, including a newly required annual civility oath, reflects a growing concern among states that professionalism in law needs shoring up — and recognizes that maintaining composure even when stressed is key to both succeeding professionally and maintaining faith in the legal system, says Lucy Wang at Hinshaw.

• Should Prediction Markets Allow Trading On Nonpublic Info?

  

  Recent trading activity, such as the Polymarket wager on the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has raised questions about whether some participants may be engaging in trading that is based on material nonpublic information, and highlights ongoing uncertainty about how existing derivatives and anti-fraud rules apply to event-based contracts, say economic consultants at the Brattle Group.

• Series

  Trivia Competition Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Playing trivia taught me to quickly absorb information and recognize when I've learned what I'm expected to know, training me in the crucial skills needed to be a good attorney, and reminding me to be gracious in defeat, says Jonah Knobler at Patterson Belknap.