Fintech

  • November 13, 2024

    SEC's Uyeda Says Limits On Private Funds Need Review

    Smaller private and venture capital funds could benefit from less-stringent registration requirements, a Republican member of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told an advisory panel Wednesday, saying the time is ripe to review whether existing thresholds still make sense.

  • November 13, 2024

    Trump Taps DOJ Critic Matt Gaetz For Attorney General

    President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz to be the next U.S. attorney general, seeking to elevate a close political ally to lead a Justice Department that the Florida lawmaker has sharply criticized and that last year declined to charge him in a sex-trafficking investigation.

  • November 13, 2024

    MVP: Cleary's Matt Solomon

    Matt Solomon of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP's digital asset disputes practice won a rare dismissal from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission when the agency dropped its claims against the CEO of Ripple Labs, and he's taking the lessons from that case to defend another high-profile crypto suit from the SEC, earning him a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Fintech MVPs.

  • November 13, 2024

    Online Car Financing Co. Vroom Crashes Into Ch. 11

    Former used car seller and financier Vroom Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday in Texas with a prepackaged plan to swap $290 million of debt for the bulk of the equity in a reorganized business.

  • November 12, 2024

    Trump Taps Elon Musk To Head New 'Gov't Efficiency' Dept.

    President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a newly created "Department in Government Efficiency" for his administration come January.

  • November 12, 2024

    FTX Targets Scaramucci, PACs, Law Firm In Wave Of Suits

    Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed roughly 30 suits in a bid to recoup millions of dollars donated to political and charitable causes, losses caused by alleged market manipulation, and funds spent on business partnerships, including with Skybridge Capital's Anthony Scaramucci and a boutique Florida law firm.

  • November 12, 2024

    5th Circ. Won't Reopen CFPB Payday Rule Fight

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday denied a bid from a lender to reopen an industry legal challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's payday loan rule that previously foundered at the U.S. Supreme Court, clearing the way for the rule to take effect.

  • November 12, 2024

    Celsius' Mashinsky Must Face Full Indictment, Judge Says

    Ex-Celsius Network CEO Alex Mashinsky must face claims that he committed commodities and securities fraud and manipulated his now-bankrupt business's proprietary token after a New York federal judge declined to trim the indictment against him.

  • November 12, 2024

    'Pig Butchering' Crypto Ploy Launderer Cops To $73M Scheme

    A dual citizen of China and Saint Kitts and Nevis pled guilty in Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday to internationally laundering more than $73 million worth of criminal proceeds obtained through so-called "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment scams.

  • November 12, 2024

    Visa To Fight Market Definition In DOJ Antitrust Case

    Attorneys for Visa told a New York federal judge on Tuesday that the company plans to argue the U.S. Department of Justice's debit card monopolization case should be tossed because it ignores a key payment method and attacks legitimate contracts.

  • November 12, 2024

    Fed Bans Ex-Bank Leaders Over Alleged COVID Relief Fraud

    The Federal Reserve Board of Governors announced Tuesday that it has prohibited two former top brass with Nano Banc from future participation in the banking industry, alleging they fraudulently obtained loans and grants through the federal CARES Act.

  • November 12, 2024

    Comerica Sues CFPB To Stop 'Ultra Vires' Benefits Card Probe

    Comerica Bank has sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a Texas federal court, accusing it of carrying out an overreaching and unlawful investigation into the bank's handling of a government program for distributing federal benefits via debit cards.

  • November 12, 2024

    Fla. Man Guilty In $1M Cash-To-Bitcoin Laundering Scheme

    A Boston federal jury has convicted a Florida resident of helping launder drug proceeds and enabling transfers of funds from fraud victims to romance scammers by converting more than $1 million in cash to bitcoin through his unlicensed "no questions asked" money transfer business.

  • November 12, 2024

    Former FTX Top Atty Joins Lowenstein Sandler In NY

    Lowenstein Sandler LLP announced Tuesday that the former general counsel at crypto exchange FTX will join the firm's New York office as a partner and chair of its new commodities, futures and derivatives practice group.

  • November 12, 2024

    MVP: Latham's Benjamin Naftalis And Douglas Yatter

    Benjamin Naftalis and Douglas Yatter of Latham & Watkins LLP served as lead counsel for Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao in a high–profile anti-money laundering investigation and represented Andreessen Horowitz in a proposed class action, earning them a spot among the 2024 Law360 Fintech MVPs.

  • November 12, 2024

    FTX Sues Binance, Former CEO Zhao Seeking $1.8B Clawback

    The estate of fallen cryptocurrency exchange FTX has sued Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao to recover $1.76 billion it says the defunct company illegally transferred prior to its collapse two years ago, alleging FTX used customer money to complete a share repurchase that it couldn't otherwise afford.

  • November 08, 2024

    'Extraordinary Person' Gets 12½ years For Crypto Laundering

    Roman Sterlingov, the Russian and Swedish citizen convicted of money laundering for operating the world's largest cryptocurrency mixing service, was sentenced to 12½ years in prison Friday, even though the D.C. federal judge said it was "painful to see" an "extraordinary person" in such circumstances.

  • November 08, 2024

    Crypto Co. Seeks Freeze Of $4M In Contract Fight

    A group of companies known within the cryptocurrency industry as the Bixin Group has filed for an emergency motion to freeze a bank account of Alopex Advisors LLC holding a $4 million security deposit as it pursues arbitration in Hong Kong against Alopex over an agreement to help Bixin navigate the Icelandic property and energy markets.

  • November 08, 2024

    Meet The Attys Arguing Nvidia Securities Case At High Court

    Two former BigLaw colleagues and a onetime Consumer Financial Protection Bureau litigator are set to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue a closely watched case that could change the pleading standards shareholders have to meet to sue companies like Nvidia Corp.

  • November 08, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: Self-Deportation Deadlines & Murder

    The U.S. Supreme Court will be closed Monday for Veterans Day, but the justices will return to the bench Tuesday to consider whether a 60-day deadline for immigrants to voluntarily leave the country has a grace period and what evidence is needed to allege securities fraud.

  • November 08, 2024

    Payments Co. Never Returned $1.5M, Tribal Authority Claims

    An Oklahoma tribal financial services authority has sued two owners of a payment processor, alleging that they defrauded the authority out of $1.5 million by confiscating funds purportedly held in reserve before the termination of their relationship.

  • November 08, 2024

    Shaq Reaches Settlement With Astrals NFT Buyers

    The mediator overseeing the dispute between buyers of the Astrals LLC nonfungible token project and basketball Hall of Famer and promoter Shaquille O'Neal told a Florida federal judge that the parties reached a settlement in their most recent session. 

  • November 08, 2024

    Facts In Emails Aren't Confidential For Deposition, Judge Says

    A government contractor implicated in allegations that the U.S. infringed patents for contactless data carriers must turn over portions of a former employee's emails because the correspondence contains facts not protected by attorney-client privilege, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims has ruled.

  • November 08, 2024

    NFT Buyers Drop OpenSea Suit In Face Of Arbitration Demand

    Users of nonfungible token platform OpenSea have dropped their proposed securities class action after the NFT marketplace held firm on its demand that the claims be arbitrated.

  • November 08, 2024

    Experienced Dealmakers Lead 3 SPACs Raising $365M Total

    Three special purpose acquisition companies began trading Friday after pricing initial public offerings that raised $365 million combined under guidance from four law firms, marking the latest sign that more SPACs, particularly those with prior deals under their belts, are willing to test an improving market.

Expert Analysis

  • Short-Seller Implications Of 10th Circ.'s Overstock Decision

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    The Tenth Circuit's Oct. 15 decision in Overstock Securities Litigation provides clarity on the pleading standard for a market manipulation claim under the Exchange Act, and suggests that short sellers might not be able to rely on the fraud-on-the-market presumption typically invoked by securities plaintiffs, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Crypto.com's Suit Against SEC Could Hold Major Implications

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    Crypto.com's recent lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could affect the operation and regulation of crypto markets in the U.S., potentially raising more questions about the SEC's authority to regulate the industry when it's unclear whether another agency is ready to assume it, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • How DOJ's Visa Debit Monopolization Suit May Unfold

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently filed Section 2 monopolization suit against Visa offers several scenarios for a vigorous case and is likely to reveal some of the challenges faced by antitrust plaintiffs following the U.S. Supreme Court's split 2018 American Express decision, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • FDIC Guidance Puts Next-Gen ATMs In Regulatory Spotlight

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    The boring existence of ATMs is changing thanks to the emergence of new-age interactive teller machines, prompting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to sound off in a potentially influential August letter to branches on which services might need regulatory approval, says Thomas Walker at Jones Walker.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Useful Product Doctrine May Not Shield Against PFAS Liability

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    Courts have recognized that companies transferring hazardous recycled materials can defeat liability under environmental laws by showing they were selling a useful product — but new laws in California and elsewhere restricting the sale of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances may change the legal landscape, says Kyle Girouard at Dickinson Wright.

  • Anticipating Jarkesy's Effect On Bank Agency Enforcement

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, federal courts may eventually issue decisions on banking law principles and processes that could fundamentally alter the agencies' enforcement action framework, and the relationship between banks and examiners, says Brendan Clegg at Luse Gorman.

  • Unpacking State AG Approaches To Digital Asset Enforcement

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    Attorneys at Cozen O'Connor survey recent digital asset enforcement by attorneys general nationwide driven by concerns over regulatory gaps where technological developments and market changes have outpaced legislation.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • Peeling Back The Layers Of SEC's Equity Trading Reforms

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently adopted amendments lowering the tick sizes for stock trading and reducing access fee caps will benefit investors and necessitate broad systems changes — if they can first survive judicial challenges, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

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