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White Collar
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May 17, 2024
Scammer Cops To SIM Scheme Including $400M Crypto Theft
A Colorado woman on Thursday pled guilty in D.C. federal court for her part in a SIM swapping scheme that appears to encompass more than $400 million stolen from the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
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May 17, 2024
Judge Doubts 9th Circ. Ruling Upends VC's Fraud Conviction
A California federal judge appeared skeptical Friday of convicted self-described "millennial" venture capitalist Michael Rothenberg's renewed request for a new trial or acquittal in light of a recent Ninth Circuit decision clarifying "materiality" in the federal criminal fraud statutes, doubting that Rothenberg was prejudiced by jury instructions addressing materiality.
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May 17, 2024
SD Gov. Says Cartels Operating On Tribal Lands Across US
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told reporters Friday that drug cartels are operating on tribal lands, not only in her state, but in Indigenous communities throughout the country, calling for seven of the state's nine tribes that have banned her to banish the illegal operations she described instead.
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May 17, 2024
Crypto Cos. Take SEC Cases To The Court Of Public Sentiment
Mounting tension between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the cryptocurrency industry has led companies dealing in digital assets to toss the long-held practice of keeping notices of potential enforcement quiet and wear them as a badge of honor in the hopes of currying public favor.
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May 17, 2024
Judge Reluctantly Dismisses FirstEnergy Shareholder Suit
An Ohio federal judge said Friday that he had no other choice but to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit filed against scandal-plagued utility FirstEnergy Corp., though his reluctance to do so was underscored by a lament that a $180 million settlement brokered in another courtroom left a "shroud of darkness" over a $1 billion bribery scandal.
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May 17, 2024
Two Guilty Of Wire Fraud And Conspiracy In Forex Case
A Colorado federal jury on Friday found two men guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy related to their work soliciting tens of millions of dollars from investors for their foreign exchange investment business.
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May 17, 2024
UAW, Fiat Chrysler Say Ohio Workers' Bribery Suit Untimely
The United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler told an Ohio federal judge Friday that a recent Sixth Circuit decision nullifies a racketeering lawsuit from plant workers trying to tie their claims of lost wages and benefits to an illicit bribery scheme involving former union and company officials.
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May 17, 2024
NY Discovery Reform Feud Simmers Between DAs, Defenders
Four years after New York imposed new requirements on prosecutors to more promptly hand over evidence to defendants in criminal cases, data suggests that district attorneys’ offices are still struggling to comply. In the meantime, experts and advocates say many are quietly working to tweak the reforms or potentially scale them back.
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May 17, 2024
DC Circ. Affirms Ex-HUD Official's Conviction For False Docs
The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the documents falsification conviction of a former high-ranking staffer within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General, rejecting his arguments that prosecutors had diverged at trial from the charges laid out in an indictment.
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May 17, 2024
Feds Seek 10 Years In First Product Safety Conviction
The government is asking for a pair of 10-year prison sentences for two Gree USA Inc. executives convicted of failing to report defective humidifiers, after the two were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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May 17, 2024
Feds Say Crypto Scammer Gave Nod To 'Seinfeld' Gag
The lie that the character George Costanza told on "Seinfeld" appears to have inspired a New York City fraudster, as federal prosecutors announced Friday that a Brooklyn man admitted to running a million-dollar crypto and real estate scam in part through a phony company called Vandelay Contracting Corp.
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May 17, 2024
Off The Bench: Golf Star Arrest, Fla. Gambling, Gruden V. NFL
In this week's Off the Bench, the world's top-ranked golfer is arrested after a traffic incident outside the PGA Championship, the federal government urges the U.S. Supreme Court to stay out of Florida's sports gambling dispute and Jon Gruden's defamation brawl with the NFL heads to arbitration.
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May 17, 2024
Koch-Tied Group Says Transparency Law Offends Federalism
The Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional because it does not regulate interstate commerce yet mandates that state-registered entities disclose personal information, a conservative group affiliated with the billionaire Koch brothers told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday.
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May 17, 2024
Feds Want Prison For Kiosk Salesman Who Faked Deductions
An electronic-sweepstakes kiosk salesman from Chicago should spend more than two years in prison for submitting false tax returns that fabricated more than $400,000 in business expenses and more than $60,000 in church donations, federal prosecutors told an Illinois federal court.
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May 17, 2024
Paul Hastings Team Seeks $2.6M In New Kwok Ch. 11 Fees
With senior attorneys and Chapter 11 trustee Luc A. Despins billing close to $2,000 an hour, Paul Hastings LLP has filed two motions seeking court approval to be paid an additional $2.6 million in fees for work performed on Chinese exile Ho Wan Kwok's bankruptcy in January and February.
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May 17, 2024
Baldwin Wants 'Rust' Case Tossed, Says Grand Jury Was Duped
Alec Baldwin's attorneys urged a New Mexico state judge during a hearing Friday to throw out involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor in the "Rust" movie shooting, arguing prosecutors misled the grand jury in the case.
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May 17, 2024
Good Behavior Can Shave Contempt Sentences, Judge Rules
A Michigan federal judge on Friday said he would not ask the state's highest court to decide whether civil litigants held in criminal contempt in state court can get time off their sentences for good behavior, saying he was confident justices would agree with him that they can.
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May 17, 2024
Jury Convicts NC Provider In Medicaid, COVID Fraud Scheme
A clinical social worker in North Carolina was found guilty Friday of defrauding South Carolina's Medicaid program and falsely obtaining COVID-19 relief checks following a nine-day trial in Charlotte's federal courthouse, prosecutors said.
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May 17, 2024
Judge Will Drop Some Charges For Convicted Atlanta Exec
A Georgia federal judge moved forward Thursday with the government's request to drop four criminal counts against convicted Atlanta city hall official Mitzi Bickers after recent case law made the wire fraud charges nonviable.
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May 17, 2024
Industry Emboldened After Justices Galvanize Agency Attacks
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court said "extraordinary" and "far-reaching" attacks on administrative enforcers can skip agency tribunals and go straight to federal district court, ambitious challenges to regulatory powers are rapidly gaining traction, and the high court is poised to put them on an even firmer footing.
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May 17, 2024
Trump Hush Money Judge Warned For Biden Donation
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial was quietly cautioned after making a political campaign contribution to President Joe Biden and a Democratic group, disposing of an ethics investigation into the donation, it was confirmed Friday.
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May 17, 2024
Calif. Man Who Cooperated In $5M Insider Case Avoids Prison
A Manhattan federal judge on Friday allowed a California information technology pro to avoid prison for his role in a $5 million insider-trading ring involving laser company Lumentum Holdings Inc.'s secret merger plans, citing his extensive cooperation with prosecutors.
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May 17, 2024
Menendez Bribery Trial: 5 Things To Know About Week 1
Explosive opening statements, closed-door jury questioning and an FBI agent's recount of the moment he found a treasure trove of gold bars and cash highlighted the first week of trial in the government's second corruption case against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez.
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May 17, 2024
Judge Sets Hearing For Delay In Hunter Biden's Tax Trial
A California federal judge agreed Friday to consider Hunter Biden's request to push back his $1.4 million criminal tax trial, setting a hearing to address his claim that the dates interfere with his Delaware gun trial and threaten to prevent him from getting a fair shake.
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May 17, 2024
Nancy Pelosi's Would-Be Kidnapper Sentenced To 30 Years
A California federal judge sentenced David DePape on Friday to 30 years in prison for attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and for assaulting her husband, saying his actions will likely deter people from entering public service, so "we will never know what we have lost because of this crime."
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
High Court's Gifts Problem Taints Public Corruption Cases
A history of U.S. Supreme Court justices failing to disclose luxurious gifts from wealthy donors coincides with a troubling line of court precedent overturning jury convictions in public corruption cases, indicating that perhaps justices aren't presently fit to be making these decisions, says Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders
The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.
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Following Banking Regulators' Breadcrumbs To 2024 Priorities
Through blog posts, speeches, and formal guidance and regulations, prudential and other federal and state financial regulators laid out a road map last year pointing to compliance priorities that should be reflected in financial institutions' planning this year, say Laurel Loomis Rimon and Gina Shabana at Jenner & Block.
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New SDNY Whistleblower Program May Be A Game-Changer
A new pilot program in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York promises to immunize from prosecution certain individuals who blow the whistle on financial crimes and corruption, and if similar self-disclosure programs are any indication, this significant new policy may measurably increase white collar investigations, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.
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1869 Case May Pave Off-Ramp For Justices In Trump DQ Fight
In deciding whether former President Donald Trump is disqualified from Colorado's Republican primary ballots, the U.S. Supreme Court could rely on due process principles articulated in a Reconstruction-era case to avert a chaotic or undemocratic outcome, says Gordon Renneisen at Cornerstone Law Group.
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Series
Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.
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A Guide To New Russia Sanctions For Foreign Financial Cos.
Attorneys at Foley Hoag take foreign financial companies on a deep dive into the compliance advice the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control issued after President Joe Biden's December executive order widened a Russian import ban and authorized sanctions against businesses that transact with Russia's military-industrial base.
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How Russia Sanctions Bills Could Reshape Asset Forfeiture
Several U.S. legislative proposals to seize billions in frozen Russian assets for post-war reconstruction of Ukraine would bypass traditional asset forfeiture guardrails, making it crucially important that practitioners remain vigilant and understand when to proactively engage with the government, say attorneys at Kasowitz.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
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Ex-OpenSea Staffer Case May Clarify When Info Is Property
In considering the appeal of a former OpenSea manager’s wire fraud conviction in U.S. v. Chastain, the Second Circuit may soon provide guidance about whether economic information is traditional property in certain insider trading prosecutions — a theory of fraud that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly narrowed, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Despite HHS Opinion, Gift Card Giveaways Require Caution
Though the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recently determined that a healthcare consulting firm's gift card plans do not violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, the opinion does not suggest blanket approval for providing gift cards in exchange for referrals, say Ragini Acharya and Matthew Deutsch at Husch Blackwell.
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Takeaways From SEC's Aggressive Cybersecurity Moves
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's intensifying policy on cybersecurity and securities violations in the wake of a data breach — like its enforcement action against SolarWinds and its security officer — has emboldened shareholders to file related suits, creating a heightened threat to public companies, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial
Sam Bankman-Fried's recent trial testimony about his lawyers' involvement in FTX's business highlights the need for attorney-witnesses to understand privilege issues in order to avoid costly discovery disputes and, potentially, uncover critical evidence an adversary might seek to conceal, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.