White Collar

  • June 02, 2025

    Judge Finds Exec Sought To Dodge Chicago Hotel Fraud Order

    A construction company and executive found by a jury in 2022 of misusing millions intended for Chicago's Nobu Hotel are facing contempt orders from an Illinois federal judge for concealing cash withdrawals and construction work as an investor attempts to collect a $22 million judgment.

  • June 02, 2025

    Feds Want 12½ Years For Ex-Ill. Speaker Convicted Of Bribery

    Prosecutors are urging an Illinois federal judge to sentence former state House Speaker Michael Madigan to prison for 12½ years for bribery, conspiracy and fraud, saying his conduct adds "another sordid chapter to Illinois' storied reputation of corruption" while Madigan, armed with more than 200 letters of support, seeks only probation.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ex-Lead Atty On Eric Adams' Case Joins Hueston Hennigan

    One of the former government lawyers who defied a top U.S. Department of Justice official's orders to drop the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams for political reasons has joined Hueston Hennigan LLP as a New York partner, the firm announced Monday.

  • June 02, 2025

    1st Circ. Partially Revives 'Varsity Blues' Conviction

    The First Circuit has reinstated one of the two convictions against a former University of Southern California coach in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case, saying a federal district court "did not explain" its decision to wipe out the entire verdict.

  • June 02, 2025

    Immunity Shields Mich. AG From Flint Water Prosecution Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a wrongful prosecution lawsuit brought by a former aide to ex-Gov. Rick Snyder against the Michigan attorney general and Wayne County prosecutors, ruling that immunity shields the prosecutors from liability over their handling of charges against officials in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ex-Par Funding CFO Sentenced To 5½ Years, Must Pay $303M

    Joseph Cole Barleta, the last of the triumvirate behind the $404 million Par Funding investment scam to be sentenced, was handed a 66-month prison term Monday, along with a staggering $303 million restitution order.

  • June 02, 2025

    Justices Won't Review Ex-Temple Biz Dean's Fraud Conviction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the fraud conviction of Moshe Porat, the former dean of the Temple University Fox School of Business, who was accused of falsely inflating the school's stats to boost its rankings in U.S. News & World Report.

  • May 30, 2025

    Kousisis May Boost Fraud Cases, But Questions Remain

    The U.S. Supreme Court's finding that inducing a transaction through lies, even with no intent of economic loss, is a valid basis for a wire fraud conviction opens the door for a wave of aggressive fraud prosecutions, but unanswered questions on issues like materiality may lead the court to again consider reining in the government's power.

  • May 30, 2025

    Pharma Co. Hid Cancer Study Method Problems, Investor Claims

    Biotechnology company UroGen Pharma Ltd. and three current and former executives are facing a proposed investor class action in New Jersey federal court alleging the company failed to disclose methodology flaws affecting a study of its lead drug candidate that ultimately doomed its bid for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

  • May 30, 2025

    SEC's Staking Guidance Ignores Court Rulings, Crenshaw Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's dismissal of its lawsuit against crypto exchange Binance paved the way for its staff's same-day statement that many "staking" services are no longer subject to agency jurisdiction, according to the SEC's sole Democrat, who criticized the move as conflicting with a pair of court decisions the agency won.

  • May 30, 2025

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    Saying that June's circuit court calendars include important arguments in all practice areas would be hyperbolic — but just slightly. That's because significant showdowns are imminent involving appellate procedure principles, "click-to-cancel" rules, government procurement protests, judiciary employment protections and litigation risk insurance — as well as President Donald Trump's felony convictions and extraordinary deportation measures.

  • May 30, 2025

    Tornado Cash Judge Won't Order Review Of Feds' Evidence

    A New York federal judge said Friday that she won't direct federal prosecutors to conduct a review for additional evidence in their case against Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm despite the defense's claims that a recent disclosure in a separate crypto mixer prosecution could impact Storm's defense.

  • May 30, 2025

    Ex-Mich. Speaker, Wife To Face Nonprofit Embezzlement Trial

    Former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Lee Chatfield and his wife on Friday were sent to circuit court to stand trial on allegations that the former speaker misused state and campaign funds, and that the pair embezzled money from Chatfield's nonprofit to pay for their lifestyle.

  • May 30, 2025

    Fla. Trucking Co. Exec Gets 23 Years For Duping 1,600 People

    A Florida federal judge on Friday sentenced the former president of a trucking and logistics company to 23 years in prison for defrauding more than 1,600 people who invested millions of dollars in purchasing big-rig vehicles, calling the crime "a classic Ponzi scheme of staggering scale."

  • May 30, 2025

    Convicted Crypto Investor's Wife Says Gov't Can't Seize Funds

    The wife of a bitcoin investor sentenced to prison for concealing millions of dollars from the IRS asked a Texas federal court Friday to stop the federal government from taking her money to help make up for $1 million in restitution stemming from his cryptocurrency sales.

  • May 30, 2025

    DHS Moves To Ax BigLaw Firm's Halkbank FOIA Dispute

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged a D.C. federal judge to end Williams & Connolly LLP's fight for records related to a businessman who cooperated with prosecutors in their pending case alleging the firm's client Halkbank laundered Iranian oil proceeds, arguing Thursday officials searched for responsive records, but nothing turned up.

  • May 30, 2025

    Ga. Panel Ends County Workers' Whistleblower Suit

    A Georgia appellate panel said that Fulton County should have been handed an early win in a whistleblower suit from two ex-employees who said they were canned for reporting corruption by an elected official, ruling the county was justified in firing them for their own financial indiscretions.

  • May 30, 2025

    Dissident Intelligence Worker Arrested Over Leak Attempt

    Federal officers arrested a Defense Intelligence Agency info technology specialist who has criticized the Trump administration on criminal charges alleging he provided classified information to an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign government official in exchange for foreign citizenship, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.

  • May 30, 2025

    OFAC Sanctions Philippine Biz, Alleging Role In Cyber Scams

    The Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned a Philippines-based technology company for allegedly providing computer infrastructure to "hundreds of thousands" of websites involved in virtual currency scams, according to a statement.

  • May 30, 2025

    Oklahoma Overrides Veto To Fund Indigenous Missing Cases

    The Oklahoma Legislature has voted to override Gov. Kevin Stitt's veto of a bill that would allow state funding to address the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous persons, with the overrides winning overwhelming approval in both the state House and Senate.

  • May 30, 2025

    Prosecutors Bet On Diddy's Ex-Workers To Build RICO Case

    Witnesses who worked for Sean "Diddy" Combs and saw his alleged abuses are a crucial component of federal prosecutors' racketeering case against the music icon, legal experts told Law360, as testimony from another anguished former worker came into the high-profile trial on Friday. 

  • May 30, 2025

    Ex-Ohio Mayor, Councilman Found Guilty In Corruption Trial

    An Ohio state jury has convicted a former Ohio mayor and a member of the same town's City Council of multiple corruption-related felonies and misdemeanors, and each man has been barred from public office for seven years.

  • May 30, 2025

    Trump Admin To Defend Biden's For-Profit College Loan Rule

    The Trump administration will defend parts of a Biden-era U.S. Department of Education rule allowing students to have their federal loans forgiven over their college's misconduct, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to resume briefing in a case that will pit the administration against the for-profit college industry.

  • May 30, 2025

    Former Pfizer Atty, Motley Rice Adviser Joins DiCello Levitt

    A former Pfizer vice president and assistant general counsel, who last June entered into a consulting agreement with Motley Rice LLC, is joining DiCello Levitt as a partner as part of the firm's Washington, D.C., public client practice group, the firm recently announced.

  • May 30, 2025

    Ex-NJ Councilman Cops To Taking Bribe From Town Atty

    A former member of a New Jersey borough council pled guilty to pocketing a $7,000 bribe to help grease the wheels for an attorney's reappointment as municipal counsel, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability announced Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • The Math Of Cross-Examination: Less Is More, More Is Less

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    When conducting cross-examination at trial, attorneys should remember that “less is more, and more is less” — limiting both the scope of questioning and the length of each query in order to control the witness’s testimony and keep the factfinders’ attention, says Thomas Innes at the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • DOJ Memos Likely To Increase Mandatory Minimum Charges

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    In line with previous administrations’ pingpong approach to sentencing policy, new U.S. Department of Justice leadership recently rescinded Biden-era memos on charging decisions, cabining prosecutorial discretion and likely leading to more mandatory minimum sentences, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • Tools For Witness Control That Go Beyond Leading Questions

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    Though leading questions can be efficient and effective for constraining a witness’s testimony, this strategy isn’t appropriate for every trial and pretrial scenario, so techniques like headlining and looping can be deployed during direct examination, depositions and even witness interviews, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • 10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting

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    This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • High Court Sentencing Case Presents Legal Fork In The Road

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    On Feb. 25, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Esteras v. U.S. about the factors trial courts may consider when imposing a sentence of imprisonment after revoking supervised release, and the justices’ eventual decision may prioritize either discretion or originalism, says Michael Freedman at The Freedman Firm.

  • 4 Do's And Don'ts For Trial Lawyers Using Generative AI

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    Trial attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools should review a few key reminders, from the likelihood that prompts are discoverable to the rapid evolution of court rules, to safeguard against embarrassing missteps, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Defense Strategies For Politically Charged Prosecutions

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    Politically charged prosecutions have captured the headlines in recent years, providing lessons for defense counsel on how to navigate the distinct challenges, and seize the unique opportunities, such cases present, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • How Private Securities Suits Complement SEC Enforcement

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement is vital to the healthy functioning of markets, but government enforcement alone is not enough to ensure meaningful monetary recoveries for investor losses due to securities law violations, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz.

  • The Case For Compliance During The Trump Administration

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    Given the Trump administration’s shifting white collar enforcement priorities, C-suite executives may have the natural instinct to pare back compliance initiatives, but there are several good reasons for companies to at least stay the course on their compliance programs, if not enhance them, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

  • The Rising Need For The Selective Prosecution Defense

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    In a political climate where criminal and civil prosecution on the basis of political affiliation, constitutionally protected speech or other arbitrary classification is increasingly likely, existing precedent shows why judges should be more open to allowing a selective prosecution defense, say attorneys at Sidley.

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