White Collar

  • August 02, 2024

    Alec Baldwin's Prosecution Ripped In 'Rust' Order

    A New Mexico judge who dismissed the "Rust" shooting case against Alec Baldwin has issued a scathing order finding that the lead prosecutor "intentionally and deliberately" withheld evidence from the defense, gave "inconsistent" testimony during an evidentiary hearing and elicited false testimony from a witness.

  • August 02, 2024

    3 Real Estate Investors Cop To $119M Mortgage Fraud Scheme

    A trio of real estate investors has admitted to running an extensive, multiyear conspiracy to defraud Fannie Mae by getting the company to purchase or fund $119 million worth of mortgage loans so they could acquire residential and commercial properties, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Avantor Will Pay $5M To Settle FCA Claims Against Subsidiary

    Biotech company Avantor Inc. has agreed to shell out $5 million to resolve allegations its laboratory supplies subsidiary VWR International overcharged federal agencies for goods despite agreeing to give discounts, a federal prosecutor announced on Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    GPB Capital Execs Convicted Of Fraud For $1.8B Scheme

    A New York federal jury on Thursday convicted former GPB Capital executives of wire and securities fraud charges stemming from allegations they ran the private equity fund like a $1.8 billion Ponzi scheme, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • August 01, 2024

    SEC Wants Win In Suit Over Ex-Morgan Stanley Rep's Scam

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a North Carolina federal judge for a win in a lawsuit against an ex-Morgan Stanley representative serving time for running a $4.8 million Ponzi scheme, arguing summary judgment is proper given the seven-year prison sentence and penalties issued against the defendant in the parallel criminal case.

  • August 01, 2024

    Ex-Philly Union Leaders On The Hook For Union's Legal Fees

    Former Philadelphia union leader and convicted felon John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty will have to pay 90% of the attorney fees that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 incurred while participating in the government's public corruption and embezzlement cases against him, a federal judge said Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    DOJ Unveils Whistleblower Pilot, But Garners Atty Criticism

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday officially launched its pilot program to reward whistleblowers who alert prosecutors to significant corporate misconduct, although some whistleblower attorneys decried the program's award caps and what they described as its lack of enforceability.

  • August 01, 2024

    BNY's Pershing Hit With $1.4M FINRA Recordkeeping Fine

    BNY subsidiary Pershing will pay the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority a $1.4 million fine to resolve claims that it misstated interest rates for variable rate securities on millions of account statements for more than 12 years.

  • August 01, 2024

    Montenegro Court Affirms Kwon's Extradition To South Korea

    Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon is set to face criminal charges over the crypto project's collapse in South Korea after the Appellate Court of Montenegro on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision to refuse an extradition request from the U.S.

  • August 01, 2024

    Chancery Denies Ex-InterMune CEO $6M Legal Fee Right

    Delaware's Chancery Court rejected on Thursday a bid by former InterMune CEO W. Scott Harkonen to escape demands to repay nearly $6 million in legal fees covered by biotech venture InterMune Inc. and insurers during his unsuccessful defense against a 2009 wire fraud conviction, denying all claims for legal fee indemnification.

  • August 01, 2024

    Prisoner Swap Includes Russian Convicted Of Insider Trading

    A Kremlin-linked Russian national serving nine years for the largest insider trading case ever prosecuted in the U.S. was among the 24 people freed Thursday in an elaborate prisoner swap that included American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.

  • August 01, 2024

    Manhattan DA Charges Crypto Recovery Biz Owner With Fraud

    Manhattan prosecutors announced fraud and larceny charges on Thursday against the New York owner of a purported asset recovery business that allegedly charged customers fees while making false promises to recover cryptocurrencies.

  • August 01, 2024

    Texas AG Paxton Promotes Deputies From Strategy, Appeals

    The Texas Office of the Attorney General announced a series of promotions Thursday, appointing Ralph Molina as deputy first assistant attorney general, Joseph Mazzara as special counsel to the attorney general and to the first assistant attorney general, Ryan Baasch as associate deputy attorney general for civil litigation and Amy Hilton as chief of the Healthcare Program Enforcement Division.

  • August 01, 2024

    Feds Urge Against Steve Bannon's En Banc Rehearing Bid

    The federal government is urging the D.C. Circuit not to revisit its long-standing precedent on the meaning of the contempt of Congress law as former Donald Trump aide Steve Bannon looks to undo his conviction under the statute.

  • August 01, 2024

    Former NC Paralegal Gets 30 Months For $2M Embezzlement

    A former paralegal was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Thursday for embezzling more than $2 million from the clients of a North Carolina law firm, with a federal judge agreeing to reduce the government's recommended 41-month prison sentence.

  • August 01, 2024

    NY Appeals Court Upholds Trump Gag Order

    A New York appeals court on Thursday rejected Donald Trump's bid to strike down a gag order that bars him from threatening court and district attorney staff in his criminal hush money case ahead of his scheduled sentencing next month, as the former president renewed his bid to vacate his conviction following the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity ruling.

  • August 01, 2024

    Defendant Dead After Jumping From Denver Courthouse

    Denver police were investigating a death Thursday at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse after a criminal defendant jumped from one of the building's upper floors, leading to the court's temporary closure.

  • August 01, 2024

    Mass. Could Be New Front In The Battle Over Jury Trial Right

    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling granting defendants facing administrative civil penalties the right to a jury trial, experts say a similar challenge in Massachusetts is likely, but may not find as receptive a judicial audience.

  • August 01, 2024

    Schumer And Senate Dem Bill Would Reverse Trump Immunity

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and more than 30 of his Democratic colleagues introduced a bill on Thursday to undo the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that former President Donald Trump has immunity for official acts.

  • July 31, 2024

    Barr Chided Again, This Time For 'Chaotic' Protest Response

    The U.S. Department of Justice's watchdog has again criticized former Attorney General William Barr for his actions during the Trump administration, this time focusing on his "chaotic and disorganized" response to protests and civil unrest in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, according to a report issued Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    DOD Says 9/11 'Mastermind,' 2 Accomplices Reach Plea Deals

    The man accused of planning the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and two of his accused accomplices have reached plea agreements in their military commission cases, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday.

  • August 01, 2024

    CORRECTED: Estonians Extradited In $575M Crypto Fraud Case Win Bail

    A Washington federal judge has allowed two Estonian men to be released on bail backed by $5 million bonds after they were extradited to Seattle to face criminal charges that they operated cryptocurrency and money laundering schemes worth $575 million.

  • July 31, 2024

    Ayahuasca Church Can't Get $2.1M For Atty Fees

    Attorneys for a Phoenix-based church won't get their fees increased or have any part of their pay covered by the government, an Arizona federal judge has ruled, saying the church is not the winning party in its suit against several federal agencies because the court "never placed its stamp of approval" on a deal that allows the church to use ayahuasca.

  • July 31, 2024

    Guo Judge Wants To Know If $26.5M Mansion Will Be Safe

    A Connecticut bankruptcy judge has ordered an alleged shell company to explain whether it will stop funding a security detail at an uninsured $26.5 million New Jersey mansion that federal prosecutors and a Chapter 11 trustee are eyeing as an asset that could reimburse a Chinese exile's creditors and fraud victims.

  • July 31, 2024

    Calif. Bar Says Atty Can't End Billing Scandal's Hacking Claim

    A San Fernando Valley attorney cannot escape an ethics charge alleging he plotted to hack the email and phone of a judge overseeing a public utility class action, the California Bar has told the State Bar Court, urging the court to reject the attorney's argument that merely "discussing plans" for a hack is not an offense.

Expert Analysis

  • Fintech Compliance Amid Regulatory Focus On Sensitive Data

    Author Photo

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent, expansive pursuit of financial services companies using sensitive personal information signals a move into the Federal Trade Commission's territory, and the path forward for fintech and financial service providers involves a balance between innovation and compliance, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • Lessons In High-Profile Jury Selection Amid NY Trump Trial

    Author Photo

    Richard Gabriel and Michelle Rey LaRocca at Decision Analysis consider how media exposure can affect a prospective juror in a high-profile case, the misunderstood nature of bias, and recommendations for jury selection in these unique situations as the Trump hush money trial continues in New York.

  • Proposed Cannabis Reschedule Sidesteps State Law Effects

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent proposal to move cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act provides certain benefits, but its failure to address how the rescheduling would interact with existing state cannabis laws disappointed industry participants hoping for clarity on this crucial question, says Ian Stewart at Wilson Elser.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

    Author Photo

    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • FEPA Cases Are Natural Fit For DOJ's Fraud Section

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent announcement that its Fraud Section would have exclusive jurisdiction over the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — a new law that criminalizes “demand side” foreign bribery — makes sense, given its experience navigating the political and diplomatic sensitivities of related statutes, say James Koukios and Rachel Davidson Raycraft at MoFo.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

    Author Photo

    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • 2 Oil Trader FCPA Pleas Highlight Fine-Reduction Factors

    Author Photo

    Recent Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements with Gunvor and Trafigura — the latest actions in a yearslong sweep of the commodities trading industry — reveal useful data points related to U.S. Department of Justice policies on cooperation credit and past misconduct, say Michael DeBernardis and Laura Perkins at Hughes Hubbard.

  • How To Use Exhibits Strategically Throughout Your Case

    Author Photo

    Exhibits, and documents in particular, are the lifeblood of legal advocacy, so attorneys must understand how to wield them effectively throughout different stages of a case to help build strategy, elevate witness preparation and effectively persuade the fact-finders, say Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie and Colorado prosecutor Adam Kendall.

  • Crypto Mixer Laundering Case Provides Evidentiary Road Map

    Author Photo

    A Washington, D.C., federal court’s recent decision to allow expert testimony on blockchain analysis software in a bitcoin mixer money laundering case — which ultimately ended in conviction — establishes a precedent for the admissibility of similar software-derived evidence, say Peter Hardy and Kelly Lenahan-Pfahlert at Ballard Spahr.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • 15 Quick Tips For Uncovering And Mitigating Juror Biases

    Author Photo

    As highlighted by the recent jury selection process in the criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, juror bias presents formidable challenges for defendants, and attorneys must employ proactive strategies — both new and old — to blunt its impact, say Monica Delgado and Jonathan Harris at Harris St. Laurent.

  • 5 Lessons From Ex-Vitol Trader's FCPA Conviction

    Author Photo

    The recent Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering conviction of former Vitol oil trader Javier Aguilar in a New York federal court provides defense takeaways on issues ranging from the definition of “domestic concern” to jury instruction strategy, says attorney Andrew Feldman.

  • Mitigating Incarceration's Impacts On Foreign Nationals

    Author Photo

    Sentencing arguments that highlighted the disparate impact incarceration would have on a British national recently sentenced for insider training by a New York district court, when compared to similarly situated U.S. citizens, provide an example of the advocacy needed to avoid or mitigate problems unique to noncitizen defendants, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

    Author Photo

    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the White Collar archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!