White Collar

  • July 05, 2024

    Voyager Investors' $6.5M Deal Over Crypto Marketing OK'd

    A New York federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a $6.5 million cash settlement between the top brass of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency firm Voyager Digital Holdings and a class of its users who claimed they "aggressively marketed" unregistered securities.

  • July 05, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Trulieve Settles Suit Against Ex-CFO

    A federal judge has agreed to toss with prejudice a lawsuit Trulieve, Florida's largest medical marijuana company, filed against one of its former executives accusing him of misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars of company money, after both sides reached some kind of deal.

  • July 05, 2024

    DOJ Says Ayahuasca Church Doesn't Deserve $2.2M Fees

    The U.S. government is urging an Arizona federal judge to deny a Phoenix church's request for $2.2 million in fees and costs following a settlement allowing it to use ayahuasca in its religious practices, saying no fees are warranted for an unnecessary suit that would've reached the same resolution through normal processes.

  • July 05, 2024

    CFTC's Pham Says CCOs Must Be Careful With Agency

    U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission member Caroline Pham warns that chief compliance officers at CFTC-registered firms may face individual liability for noncompliance matters at their firms, telling Law360 that this shows the need for compliance heads to carefully document their actions to potentially avoid liability.

  • July 03, 2024

    Menendez's Focus On Ally's Case Was Legitimate, Jury Told

    Sen. Robert Menendez rested his bribery defense Wednesday after a prominent criminal defense attorney testified that Menendez was not alone in finding a certain prosecution "abusive," rebutting the notion that the lawmaker's interest was part of a quid pro quo.

  • July 03, 2024

    Lawmakers Want Answers In Kan. Tribal College Investigation

    A group of congressional lawmakers is urging the Bureau of Indian Education director to assist in their ongoing investigation of misconduct by Haskell Indian Nations University, the Interior Department and the federal agency itself, saying they have repeatedly asked for documentation identifying the specific allegations.

  • July 03, 2024

    Guo Witnesses Point To Chinese Harassment Of Dissidents

    Defense witnesses in the $1 billion fraud trial of Miles Guo told a Manhattan federal jury Wednesday that the Chinese dissident is a prime target of "Operation Fox Hunt," an alleged program within China's government that aims to silence and repatriate critics of the regime.

  • July 03, 2024

    California Tribe Sues Over 'Princeology' RICO Scheme

    A California tribe is suing its former council chairwoman and two members of her nonprofit's board of directors, alleging they devised a scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and insurance costs to cover her Prince memorabilia collection and continue to "squat" on its property to block its sale.

  • July 03, 2024

    Cannabis Cos. To Take Constitutional Challenge To 1st Circ.

    A group of cannabis businesses challenging the federal prohibition on marijuana gave notice of appeal Wednesday to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • July 03, 2024

    'Real Housewives' Figure Pleads Guilty To $2.5M Tax Offense

    A former cast member of a "Real Housewives" TV series and owner of several restaurants and nightclubs in multiple states admitted in a North Carolina federal court to failing to pay over $2.5 million in employment taxes, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

  • July 03, 2024

    Feds Can't Get Atty Communications With NJ Fraudster Yet

    A New Jersey federal judge on Wednesday rejected a bid from prosecutors to get access to communications between convicted, and later pardoned, fraudster Eliyahu Weinstein and an Israeli attorney who admitted to participating in an alleged Ponzi scheme, ruling it is too early for the court to determine if the information is privileged.

  • July 03, 2024

    Baldwin Says 1993 Movie Set Death Irrelevant To 'Rust' Case

    With his trial scheduled to begin next week, Alec Baldwin's legal team and New Mexico state prosecutors are wrangling over whether jurors in the "Rust" shooting case should hear that the actor knew the dangers of using real guns on film sets, in part due to the well-known on-set shooting death of actor Brandon Lee in 1993.

  • July 03, 2024

    Constangy Hires Greenspoon Marder Partner In LA

    Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP has hired a former deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice, who is joining from Greenspoon Marder LLP where she led that firm's employment litigation group, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • July 03, 2024

    Atty's COVID Relief Fraud Case Ends After Diversion Program

    A Georgia federal judge has tossed charges against an attorney over a fraudulent scheme involving federal pandemic-relief business loans, granting on Wednesday the government's motion to dismiss after the attorney completed a pretrial diversion program.

  • July 03, 2024

    Giuliani Creditors Say Conversion Motion 'Just Games'

    A New York bankruptcy judge will hear arguments next week over whether to convert Rudy Giuliani's Chapter 11 to a liquidation, a move his creditors denounced as gamesmanship with the bankruptcy system.

  • July 03, 2024

    After Chevron Deference: What Lawyers Need To Know

    This term, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, a precedent established 40 years ago that said when judges could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking. Here, catch up with Law360's coverage of what is likely to happen next.

  • July 03, 2024

    Ex-Ohio Zoo Marketing Chief Cops To His Role In $2.3M Theft

    The former marketing director for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium fessed up to 16 felonies and a misdemeanor a week before he was scheduled to go to trial for his role in a $2.3 million theft of public funds from the zoo, the Ohio attorney general announced.

  • July 02, 2024

    Ozy's Watson Says He's No Fraudster, Judge Accused Of Bias

    Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson on Tuesday sought to rebut claims of deceiving financial backers of the media and entertainment company, denying any involvement in a ploy to impersonate a YouTube executive in order to secure funding from Goldman Sachs, while defense counsel continued to accuse the trial judge of bias.

  • July 02, 2024

    Debevoise Can't Avoid Testifying In Ex-Cognizant Execs' Trial

    A New Jersey federal judge denied Tuesday a bid by Debevoise & Plimpton LLP to quash a subpoena seeking testimony from a firm partner for the coming bribery trial of two former Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. executives.

  • July 02, 2024

    Ex-Senior Apple Atty To Pay SEC $1.1M For Insider Trading

    Apple's former director of corporate law must pay $1.1 million to securities regulators stemming from criminal insider trading charges to which he pled guilty in 2022, a New Jersey federal judge said Tuesday, finding that his "egregious" violations warrant the penalty since "his very job" was to ensure compliance with securities laws.

  • July 02, 2024

    YSL Judge Shares Transcript Of Secret Witness Meeting

    The transcript of a secret meeting involving Fulton County prosecutors, a key state's witness and the judge overseeing the Young Slime Life case was released Monday, shortly after it was announced that proceedings in the case would be paused until an outside judge reviews motions for the judge's recusal.

  • July 02, 2024

    Calif. Atty Facing Disbarment After Admitting To $4.8M Fraud

    The California State Bar announced Tuesday that a prominent Golden State family law attorney has agreed to be disbarred after she admitted to misappropriating "virtually the entirety" of a more than $4.8 million client trust account, then attempting to cover up the theft of funds by filing false documents.

  • July 02, 2024

    Prosecutors Rest In Chinese Exile's $1B Fraud Trial

    Manhattan federal prosecutors on Tuesday concluded their case-in-chief in the $1 billion fraud trial of Chinese dissident Miles Guo, and the defense team began putting on its own witnesses to rebut the charges that the businessman convinced his followers to invest in sham companies.

  • July 02, 2024

    McKinsey Wants To Arbitrate Ex-Partner's Defamation Suit

    McKinsey & Co. has urged a New York state judge to send to arbitration or dismiss a former partner's defamation lawsuit alleging the consulting giant tried to make him a scapegoat for purported evidence destruction amid a U.S. Department of Justice probe into McKinsey's work with opioid makers.

  • July 02, 2024

    Gov. Says Ky. Tower's Sale Didn't Cancel Ties To Laundering

    Prosecutors and a pair of Miami businessmen have traded briefs over preserving the government's case in Florida federal court to seize $9.1 million from the sale of a Louisville, Kentucky, tower over alleged ties to a Ukrainian money laundering operation.

Expert Analysis

  • How AI May Be Used In Fintech Fraud — And Fraud Detection

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    Recent enforcement actions in the fintech and finance industries show that the government is increasingly pursuing fraud enabled by artificial intelligence — at the same time it’s using AI innovations to enforce regulations and investigate fraud, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • FARA Enforcement May Soon Be In The Halls Of Higher Ed

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    Given Congress’ increased attention to rising foreign influence on U.S. college campuses, the U.S. Department of Justice may soon turn the Foreign Agents Registration Act spotlight on educational institutions and groups, which will need to review their possible obligations under the statute, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks

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    Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.

  • How FinCEN Proposal Expands RE Transaction Obligations

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    Against a regulatory backdrop foreshadowing anti-money laundering efforts in the real estate sector, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's proposed rule significantly expands reporting requirements for certain nonfinanced residential real estate transfers and necessitates careful review, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • When Your Client Insists On Testifying In A Criminal Case

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    Speculation that former President Donald Trump could take the stand in any of the four criminal cases he faces serves as a reminder for counsel to consider their ethical obligations when a client insists on testifying, including the attorney’s duty of candor to the court and the depth of their discussions with clients, says Marissa Kingman at Fox Rothschild.

  • 5 Things Trial Attorneys Can Learn From Good Teachers

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    Jennifer Cuculich at IMS Legal Strategies recounts lessons she learned during her time as a math teacher that can help trial attorneys connect with jurors, from the importance of framing core issues to the incorporation of different learning styles.

  • Why Preemption Args Wouldn't Stall Trump Hush-Money Case

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    With former President Donald Trump's New York hush-money criminal trial weeks away, some speculate that he may soon move to stay the case on preemption grounds, but under the Anti-Injunction Act and well-settled case law, that motion would likely be quickly denied, says former New York Supreme Court Justice Ethan Greenberg, now at Anderson Kill.

  • Insurance Implications Of Trump's NY Civil Fraud Verdict

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    A New York state trial court’s $450 million judgment against former President Donald Trump and affiliated entities for valuation fraud offers several important lessons for companies seeking to obtain directors and officers insurance, including the consequences of fraudulent misrepresentations and critical areas of underwriting risk, says Kevin LaCroix at RT ProExec.

  • Opinion

    European Union Criticisms Of The FCPA Are Misguided

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    Some in the European Union have criticized U.S. enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for what they perceive as jurisdictional overreach, but this appears to overlook the crucial fact that jurisdiction is voluntary, and critics should focus instead on the lack of equivalent laws in their own region, say John Joy and YuTong Wang at FTI Law.

  • Fintech Compliance Does Not Always Equal Bank Compliance

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    Recent enforcement actions are a reminder for banks working with financial technology providers — whether as partners to extend their reach or as internal resources to support existing operations — that few areas of risk need more frequent attention than Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance, says Christopher Couch at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Making The Pitch For A Civil Resolution In A Criminal Case

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    Even without the depth of visibility into prosecutorial decision making offered by special counsel Robert Hur’s recently released report, defense counsel may be able to make the case for civil resolutions of criminal investigations while minimizing a potential negative response from prosecutors to such an argument, says Bill Athanas at Bradley Arant.

  • Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment

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    As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.

  • Unpacking FinCEN's Proposed Real Estate Transaction Rule

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    Phil Jelsma and Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner take a close look at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recently proposed rulemaking — which mandates new disclosures for professionals involved in all-cash real estate deals — and discuss best next steps for the broad range of businesses that could be affected.

  • 5 Ways To Hone Deposition Skills And Improve Results

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Depositions must never be taken for granted in the preparations needed to win a dispositive motion or a trial, and five best practices, including knowing when to hire a videographer, can significantly improve outcomes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.

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