White Collar

  • December 12, 2024

    Trump Vows Immediate Jan. 6 Pardons As DOJ Doubles Down

    President-elect Donald J. Trump said he plans to issue swift pardons for people accused or convicted of rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to keep him in power, as prosecutors said in one case that accepting such a pardon would amount to an admission of guilt.

  • December 12, 2024

    Former CFO Admits To Stealing $1.3M From SF Law Firms

    A former chief financial officer of two San Francisco law firms admitted to stealing more than $1.3 million from his former employers via several fraudulent schemes, including redirecting firm payments to a nonprofit organization he set up privately.

  • December 12, 2024

    Ex-FBI Informant Admits To False Accusations In Biden Case

    A former FBI informant accused of making fake criminal accusations against President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, will plead guilty to tax evasion and falsifying records in a federal investigation, according to a deal filed Thursday in a California federal court.

  • December 12, 2024

    Calif. Man Indicted In $8.8M Phishing Scheme

    A California man was indicted on charges he participated in a phishing email scheme that stole about $8.8 million from bank accounts belonging to businesses, individuals and the town of Bristol, Rhode Island.

  • December 12, 2024

    Biden Commutes Nearly 1,500 Sentences In Clemency Record

    President Joe Biden announced Thursday he was commuting the prison sentences of nearly 1,500 Americans he said had successfully rehabilitated themselves, the largest number ever in a single day, according to a statement by the White House.

  • December 11, 2024

    Calif. Judge Admonished After Throwing Papers At Atty

    California's Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished a state judge Tuesday, saying he violated standards of conduct by throwing papers at an attorney in court and by misleading the commission last year about his planned retirement date, purportedly to influence the outcome of a misconduct investigation at that time.

  • December 11, 2024

    SEC Must Revisit $23M Demand In Collectibles Fraud Case

    A New Jersey federal judge has ordered the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to recalculate its $23 million bid for disgorgement in a long-running suit against a sports memorabilia merchant found liable at trial last year for ripping off investors, in part by lying about the value of two contracts signed by baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ex-Telecom CEO Charged With Insider Trading On His Own Firing

    The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that former Comtech Telecommunications Corp. CEO Ken Peterman has been charged with insider trading after he used nonpublic information about the company and his own impending termination to profit from the sale of tens of thousands of dollars' worth of Comtech stock.

  • December 11, 2024

    Pot Farmer Opposes Sanctions In Suit Over Mistaken Raid

    An Oklahoma medical marijuana cultivator whose property was destroyed when state drug enforcers mistakenly raided his legal farm is pushing back on efforts to hit him with sanctions for allegedly being belligerent during a deposition, telling a federal court that he's offered to sit down for a second round of questioning.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ex-Rep. TJ Cox Reaches Plea Deal On Fraud Charges

    Former U.S. Rep. T.J. Cox reached a deal with California federal prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to two charges and pay up to a $3.5 million fine over allegations he stole from his companies and took illegal campaign contributions, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday. 

  • December 11, 2024

    CFTC Wraps With Last Defendant In IcomTech Crypto Ponzi

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's litigation over the IcomTech cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme has come to a close now that a fifth defendant has been ordered to pay restitution for his role in the $3.5 million scheme.

  • December 11, 2024

    NRA Ordered To Reform Policies After NY Misconduct Verdict

    A New York judge ordered changes to the National Rifle Association's board structure and organizational policies Wednesday to "prevent future violations of law," following a jury verdict that found widespread financial misconduct and whistleblower retaliation within the gun group.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ill. Atty Convicted Of Tax Fraud, Scripting Witness Testimony

    An Illinois attorney has been convicted of tax fraud, witness tampering and contempt in a federal court retrial on charges that he filed false tax returns, alongside added charges that he tried to script an employee's testimony and violated court orders, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

  • December 11, 2024

    SEC Sues Disbarred Calif. Atty And Son For Securities Fraud

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a suit against a father-son duo and a broker for allegedly running a Ponzi-like scheme disguised as an investment company for a start-up content streaming app, raising over $17 million from at least 40 investors.

  • December 11, 2024

    High Court Bar's Future: Haynes Boone's Daniel Geyser

    Daniel L. Geyser of Haynes and Boone LLP is an unconventional U.S. Supreme Court advocate in every respect, from the path he forged to become one of the high court's frequent arguers to the way he runs his current practice from more than half a country away from the nation's capital.

  • December 11, 2024

    Feds Say TD Bank Worker Helped Launder Drug Money

    A former employee of TD Bank NA who worked in Florida has been arrested and charged with assisting in a money laundering scheme that used the Toronto-based financial institution to illicitly send millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds from the United States to Colombia, according to documents filed in federal court.

  • December 11, 2024

    Law Firm Manager Gets Prison For Bribes In No-Fault Scam

    A Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday hit a former law firm manager with a five-year prison sentence for paying $800,000 in bribes that fueled a $70 million no-fault automobile insurance fraud racket, saying his lawbreaking "was massive in scope."

  • December 11, 2024

    Doctors Group Asks DC Circ. To Pause Pot Hearings

    A group of doctors who advise their patients on medical cannabis is asking the D.C. Circuit to put a stay on hearings set for January over whether to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, saying they were unfairly denied the chance to participate in those hearings.

  • December 11, 2024

    Black Realtor, Client Cuffed During House Showing Can Sue

    The Sixth Circuit has partially reinstated a lawsuit filed by a Black real estate agent and his client who were arrested while touring a Michigan house for sale after a neighbor called the police, reviving an unlawful detention claim against one of the officers.

  • December 11, 2024

    Nigerians Impersonated US Brokers For $3M Scam, Feds Say

    Three Nigerian nationals were charged on Wednesday with running a nearly $3 million internet investment fraud scheme in which they impersonated legitimate securities brokers and investment advisers, misappropriated the seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and stole from at least 28 investors.

  • December 11, 2024

    Temp Agency Owner Gets Prison For $2M Tax Scheme

    A temp agency owner was sentenced to a year and a day in prison after pleading guilty in Massachusetts federal court to paying employees under-the-table wages to avoid $2.1 million in taxes.

  • December 11, 2024

    Cross-Border Criminal Antitrust Trial Will Stay In Houston

    A case against a group of defendants accused of using violence to monopolize the cross-border sale of used cars from the U.S. into Central America must stay in Houston, a federal judge ruled this week.

  • December 11, 2024

    Former ESPN Radio Host Gets Prison For $5M Ticket Scheme

    A Florida federal judge has sentenced a former ESPN Radio host to almost four years in prison for tricking investors into sending him $5.1 million for a sham ticket reselling business.

  • December 11, 2024

    WilmerHale's Bharara Named To Steer NJ Traffic Stop Probe

    The New Jersey attorney general has named Preet Bharara, a partner at WilmerHale and a former U.S. attorney, to head a criminal investigation into a significant drop in speeding and drunken driving tickets written by the State Police.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ozy Media Ex-CEO's Atty Seeks More Time Or OK To Quit

    An attorney for former Ozy Media Inc. CEO Carlos Watson asked a New York federal judge Wednesday for permission to withdraw from Watson's fraud and identity theft case unless he and other defense counsel can have more time to prepare for sentencing proceedings set to begin Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Takeaways From DOJ's New Corp. Compliance Guidance

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s updated guidance to federal prosecutors on evaluating corporate compliance programs addresses how entities manage new technology-related risks and expands on preexisting policies, providing key insights for companies about increasing regulatory expectations, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

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    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • 6 Tips For Trying Cases Away From Home

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    A truly national litigation practice, by definition, often requires trying cases in jurisdictions across the country, which presents unique challenges that require methodical preparation and coordination both within the trial team and externally, say Edward Bennett and Suzanne Salgado at Williams & Connolly.

  • Kubient Case Shows SEC's Willingness To Charge Directors

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent fraud charges against Kubient's former CEO, chief financial officer and audit committee chair signal a willingness to be more aggressive against officers and directors, underscoring the need for companies to ensure that they have appropriate channels to gather, investigate and document employee concerns, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • $200M RTX Deal Underscores Need For M&A Due Diligence

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    RTX's settlement with regulators for violating defense export regulations offers valuable compliance lessons, showcasing the perils of insufficient due diligence during mergers and acquisitions transactions along with the need to ensure remediation measures are fully implemented following noncompliance, say Thad McBride and Faith Dibble at Bass Berry.

  • A Blueprint For Structuring An Effective Plaintiff Case Story

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    The number and size of nuclear verdicts continue to rise, in part because plaintiffs attorneys have become more adept at crafting compelling trial stories — and an analysis of these success stories reveals a 10-part framework for structuring an effective case narrative, says Jonathan Ross at Decision Analysis.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • 7 Takeaways For Companies After Justices' Bribery Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Snyder v. U.S. decision this summer, holding that a federal law does not criminalize after-the-fact gratuities made to public officials, raises some key considerations for companies that engage with state, local and tribal governments, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • Perspectives

    DC Circ. Seizure Ruling Deepens 4th Amendment Circuit Split

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    The D.C. Circuit’s recent Asinor v. District of Columbia decision, holding that the government’s continued possession of seized property must be reasonable, furthers a split among circuit courts and portends how the text, history and tradition method might influence Fourth Amendment cases, say Ty Howard and Wayne Beckermann at Bradley Arant.

  • Integrating ESG Into Risk Management Programs

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    Amid increasing regulations and reporting requirements for corporate sustainability in the European Union and the U.S., companies might consider how to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors into more formalized risk management, say directors at Alvarez & Marsal.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Vertex Suit Highlights Issues For Pharma Fertility Support

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    Vertex Pharmaceuticals' recent lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute is influenced by a number of reproductive rights and health equity issues that the Office of Inspector General should address more concretely, including in vitro fertilization and fertility preservation programs, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.

  • 5 Lessons From Consulting Firm's Successful DOJ Disclosure

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    The Boston Consulting Group recently received a rare declination of prosecution from the U.S. Department of Justice after self-disclosing a foreign bribery scheme, and the firm’s series of savvy steps after discovering the misconduct provides useful data points for white collar defense attorneys, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

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