White Collar

  • August 09, 2024

    Virtu Financial Can't Cut Down SEC's Information Security Suit

    A Manhattan federal judge declined Friday to trim a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit over Virtu Financial Inc.'s protection of customer investment data, saying discovery is needed to determine whether the platform designed reasonable safeguards to wall this information off from its own in-house traders.

  • August 09, 2024

    Energy Transfer Investors Get Partial Win In $3B Pipelines Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge granted a class of investors a partial win in a class action claiming that Energy Transfer misled them about its $3 billion Mariner East 2 and Revolution pipeline projects, ruling that the investors have raised genuine issues of material fact with at least one of their claims.

  • August 09, 2024

    NYC Prisons Face Contempt Bid Over Missed Medical Service

    Inmates of the New York City prison system have rekindled a class action against the city's Department of Correction with a contempt motion claiming the department has failed to follow a court order to provide prisoners with better access to healthcare services.

  • August 09, 2024

    Former Syrian Prison Chief Accused Of US Immigration Fraud

    Federal grand jurors in California have charged a former Syrian official with covering up his time running a Syrian prison where political dissidents were physically abused on U.S. immigration applications.

  • August 09, 2024

    Frat House Ponzi Schemer Must Pay $65K In SEC Suit

    A University of Georgia graduate who ran a Ponzi scheme from his fraternity house and defrauded classmates must pay an additional $65,000 in judgment interest after already having paid more than $509,000 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commision.

  • August 09, 2024

    Highway Contractor, Exec Charged With $100M Price-Fixing

    Federal prosecutors announced the indictment of an Oklahoma highway runoff contracting business and two of its employees for their involvement in a price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation conspiracy that impacted over $100 million in publicly funded construction contracts in the state.

  • August 09, 2024

    NY Counties Say Cayuga Nation's 911 Suit Not An Emergency

    Two New York counties have urged a federal district court to toss the Cayuga Nation's lawsuit accusing the counties of refusing to forward the reservation's 911 calls to the tribe's police department unless it pays, arguing the tribe's civil rights protection claims are not enforceable.

  • August 09, 2024

    Fla. Forex Trader Gets 24 Years For $57M Ponzi Scheme

    A purported foreign exchange trader has been hit with a 24-year prison sentence and a $57 million forfeiture order after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a Ponzi scheme that took in over 1,100 would-be investors.

  • August 09, 2024

    Eckert Seamans Sued Over New Jersey Condo Development

    Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC simultaneously represented a real estate development company and two of its former managers, and also improperly took compensation for its work before company debts were satisfied, according to a legal malpractice lawsuit filed this week in New Jersey state court.

  • August 09, 2024

    Cars' 'Unique Place' In Mich. Justifies Tough Laws, Panel Says

    A Michigan Court of Appeals panel said Thursday that cars "occupy a unique place in the lives of Michigan citizens," which supports the constitutionality of the state punishing carjacking more harshly than other robberies.

  • August 09, 2024

    Rising Star: Paul Hastings' Nicole Lueddeke

    Nicole Lueddeke of Paul Hastings LLP represented a multibillion-dollar Japanese medical device company in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation involving alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations in one of the firm's largest white collar defense cases, earning her a spot among the white collar law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • August 08, 2024

    Feds Say Tenn. Man Helped North Korea Via IT Worker Ploy

    Federal prosecutors say a Tennessee man schemed to get North Koreans hired for remote information technology positions at American and British companies, part of an effort to help generate revenue for North Korea's weapons program, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

  • August 08, 2024

    Investors, Banks Pitch Next Steps In Saved Bond-Rigging Suit

    Investors accusing major banks of conspiring to rig corporate bonds have told a New York federal court they want to file a new complaint after the Second Circuit revived the suit last month over a potential conflict with the previous judge, while the defendants say this would take the case "back to square one."

  • August 08, 2024

    Poll Workers, Giuliani Want $148M Judgment Appeal Expedited

    Rudy Giuliani and two Georgia election workers who secured a $148 million defamation judgment against him have asked the D.C. Circuit to fast-track the former mayor's appeal of the judgment.

  • August 08, 2024

    Ex-Girardi Keese Atty Tearfully Recalls Withheld Client Funds

    A former Girardi Keese attorney shed tears Thursday as she testified in Tom Girardi's California federal criminal trial, recalling that she became increasingly confused over several months about why he did not issue a settlement check to her client, saying his excuses for withholding the money made no sense.

  • August 08, 2024

    Wash. Firm, Atty Say Rehashed $20M Con Claims Can't Stick

    A Washington attorney and her former law firm have urged a Washington judge to toss a lawsuit alleging they were part of a scheme to con an asset management company out of $20 million, arguing that they were following instructions as escrow agents making sure funds were disbursed.

  • August 08, 2024

    11th Circ. Vacates Man's Denaturalization Over Drug Offense

    An Eleventh Circuit panel unanimously threw out a district court ruling denaturalizing a man who became a U.S. citizen over his participation in a drug conspiracy, finding he should not be precluded from litigating the issue and arguing that his participation began after he became a citizen.

  • August 08, 2024

    IRS Agents Seek To Join Hunter Biden's Tax Privacy Case

    Accusations of wrongdoing against two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers who said the government downplayed tax fraud allegations against Hunter Biden give the pair standing to intervene in Biden's privacy case against the U.S. government, the men told a federal court. 

  • August 08, 2024

    SEC Wins Jurisdiction Over German As Sanction For Default

    A German national who the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says has ignored discovery requests in its attempt to recover proceeds from a $150 million international pump and dump scheme involving his son is subject to personal jurisdiction in the U.S., a Boston federal judge ordered as a sanction.

  • August 08, 2024

    Feds Seek 2 Years For Accountant In $8M Payroll Tax Scheme

    A New Jersey moving company's head accountant should serve a two-year sentence for being the "nerve center" of a nearly $8 million payroll tax scheme, prosecutors told a New York federal judge in a bid to deny the man's request for a noncustodial sentence.

  • August 08, 2024

    No Proof Mining Co. Helped Heiress Hide Cash, Judge Says

    A Colorado state judge said Wednesday a creditor seeking to recover a $20 million judgment against a Brazilian airline heiress did not back up claims a company participated in the heiress' scheme to shield money in family accounts and gold mining and gem smuggling operations.

  • August 08, 2024

    Conservative Activists Push To Ax Robocall Election Charges

    Two conservative activists being prosecuted in Michigan for robocalls aimed at discouraging mail-in voting have told an appellate court that their criminal charges must be tossed under the Michigan Supreme Court's recent interpretation of a voter interference law.

  • August 08, 2024

    Judge Won't Fully Seal Atty's Trial Transcript In Contempt Bid

    A group of families that secured a $42 million settlement against a North Carolina county over coercive child custody agreements can't have state trial transcripts sealed that allegedly reveal how much money certain minors got — at least not in their entirety, a federal judge has ruled.

  • August 08, 2024

    Mass. Justices Toss Conviction Over 'Vague' Jailhouse Bribe

    Massachusetts' top court on Thursday vacated a man's witness intimidation conviction based on "vague and amorphous" promises he made during jailhouse phone calls with his fiancée that prosecutors claimed were bribes.

  • August 08, 2024

    McElroy Deutsch Seeks To Ax Former CFO's Ch. 11 Case

    McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP urged a New Jersey bankruptcy court Thursday to throw out a Chapter 11 filing from its former chief financial officer, who has been sent to prison for stealing over $1 million from the firm, slamming it as a bad faith "tactical maneuver" to stall ongoing civil litigation.

Expert Analysis

  • Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest

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    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.

  • New FARA Letters Offer Insight Into DOJ's Approach

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently released batch of 15 advisory opinions from the Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit provides important guidance on FARA registration triggers and exemptions, underscoring the breadth of FARA's scope, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Recent Settlement Shows 'China Initiative' Has Life After Death

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    Though the U.S. Department of Justice shuttered its controversial China Initiative two years ago, its recent False Claims Act settlement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation demonstrates that prosecutors are more than willing to civilly pursue research institutions whose employees were previously targeted, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • DOJ Innovasis Settlement Offers Lessons On Self-Disclosure

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    The recent $12 million settlement with Innovasis and two of its executives demonstrates the U.S. Department of Justice's continued prioritization of Anti-Kickback Statute enforcement amid the growing circuit split over causation, and illustrates important nuances surrounding self-disclosure, say Denise Barnes and Scott Gallisdorfer at Bass Berry.

  • Opinion

    OFAC Sanctions Deserve To Be Challenged Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision opens the door to challenges against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's sanctions regime, the unintended consequences of which raise serious questions about the wisdom of what appears to be a scorched-earth approach, says Solomon Shinerock at Lewis Baach.

  • Opinion

    After Jarkesy, IRS Must Course-Correct On Captive Insurance

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision has profound implications for other agencies, including the IRS, which must stop ignoring due process and curtailing congressional intent in its policing of captive insurance arrangements, says Peter Dawson at the 831(b) Institute.

  • Congress Quietly Amends FEPA: What Cos. Should Do Now

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    Last week, Congress revised the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — passed last year to criminalize demand-side foreign bribery — to address inconsistencies and better harmonize the law with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and companies should review their compliance programs accordingly, say Mark Mendelsohn and Benjamin Klein at Paul Weiss.

  • NYSE Delisting May Be The Cost Of FCPA Compliance

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    ABB’s recent decision to delist its U.S. depository receipts from the New York Stock Exchange, coupled with having settled three Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions, begs the question of whether the cost of FCPA compliance should factor into a company's decision to remain listed in the U.S., says John Joy at FTI Law.

  • CFTC Action Highlights Necessity Of Whistleblower Carveouts

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    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's novel settlement with a trading firm over allegations of manipulating the market and failing to create contract carveouts for employees to freely communicate with investigators serves as a beacon for further enforcement activity from the CFTC and other regulators, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Avoiding Legal Ethics Landmines In Preindictment Meetings

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    U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's recent bribery conviction included obstruction charges based on his former lawyer's preindictment presentation to prosecutors, highlighting valuable lessons on the legal ethics rules implicated in these kinds of defense presentations, say Steve Miller and Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 3 Areas Of Enforcement Risk Facing The EV Industry

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    Companies in the EV manufacturing ecosystem are experiencing a boom in business, but with this boom comes increased regulatory and enforcement risks, from the corruption issues that have historically pervaded the extractive sector to newer risks posed by artificial intelligence, say attorneys at MoFo.

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