White Collar

  • June 07, 2024

    Ex-Mass. Town Official Charged With Defrauding Pot Investors

    A former elected official in a Massachusetts town has been charged with raising nearly $500,000 from investors in two cannabis businesses he was starting, then using the funds to pay off debts from prior businesses, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

  • June 07, 2024

    Mich. Atty Convicted Of Client's Murder Gets License Pulled

    The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has suspended the license of a lawyer recently convicted of plotting to kill two of his clients, a jeweler and his wife, and of killing the jeweler, allegedly to gain access to their trust.

  • June 07, 2024

    Support Co. Can't Revive Suit Blaming Lindberg For Lost Biz

    A customer support company that claimed its ties to convicted insurance mogul Greg E. Lindberg cost it an important client can't revive a fraudulent concealment suit, with the Fourth Circuit ruling Friday that Lindberg wasn't obligated to disclose his criminal conduct.

  • June 07, 2024

    Calif. Atty Faces Hacking Charge In Utility Billing Scandal

    A San Fernando Valley attorney accused of scheming with lawyers representing the city of Los Angeles to settle a customer billing class action favorably for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also plotted to access the email and phone accounts of the judge overseeing the litigation, the State Bar of California asserted in an additional disciplinary charge filed Thursday.

  • June 07, 2024

    Ex-Insurance Broker Tells Jury He Bribed Sen. Menendez

    A former insurance broker testified Friday that he bribed U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to intervene in an investigation by the New Jersey attorney general's office in return for a Mercedes-Benz convertible, which replaced a car that was totaled in a fatal crash involving the congressman's wife.

  • June 07, 2024

    SEC Fines Asian Food Supplier $3.9M Over Splurging Ex-CEO

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reached a $3.9 million settlement with HF Foods Group Inc. over claims that the food distributor issued false and misleading disclosures, just two days after the regulator settled with two HF Foods executives in a separate case over similar claims.

  • June 07, 2024

    Atty Comms Are Fair Game After NJ Guilty Plea, Feds Say

    Prosecutors told a New Jersey federal court Friday that communications between convicted and later pardoned fraudster Eliyahu Weinstein and Shlomo Erez, his Israeli attorney, must be turned over in Weinstein's new fraud case as Erez pled guilty to involvement in the alleged scheme in late May.

  • June 07, 2024

    Ex-Atlanta Asst. City Atty Gets 87 Months In $15M Fraud Case

    A former Atlanta assistant city attorney and police officer was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining approximately $15 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.

  • June 07, 2024

    Carhartt Heir's Atty Cleared On 2 Counts; Deadlock On Rest

    A Michigan state jury in Detroit on Friday partially cleared a Michigan attorney accused of stealing millions of dollars from his wealthy client, the late Carhartt company heiress Gretchen Valade, but jurors could not agree on two of four charges.

  • June 07, 2024

    Baker Donelson Can't Ax Ponzi Scheme Suit, Receiver Says

    A federal receiver has urged a Mississippi federal judge to reject Baker Donelson's summary judgment bid seeking a pretrial win on civil conspiracy claims the firm allowed a nine-figure timber business Ponzi scheme to unfold,

  • June 07, 2024

    Emboldened SEC Spells Double Trouble For Defense Bar

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division has taken an increasingly aggressive stance in recent years thanks in part to an influx of federal prosecutors joining the agency and court decisions that have gradually become more permissive on parallel civil and criminal investigations, defense lawyers say.

  • June 07, 2024

    Ex-Director In NYC Mayor's Office Charged With Bank Fraud

    A former director in the New York City Mayor's Office during the Bill de Blasio administration has been indicted on charges that he schemed to defraud over a dozen banks out of about $10 million using illegitimate fraud reports to induce reimbursements.

  • June 07, 2024

    Former Allianz Unit Exec Admits Role In $6B Fund Fraud

    A former portfolio manager at Allianz SE's U.S. unit told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that he lied to investors about the risks of the German finance giant's now-defunct Structured Alpha Funds, admitting to his role in a $6 billion fraud.

  • June 07, 2024

    Ex-Goldman Sachs Banker Loses Bribery Extradition Fight

    A former Goldman Sachs banker has lost his fight to avoid being extradited to the U.S. for allegedly bribing Ghanaian officials, as a London court ruled on Friday that the alleged crimes were sufficiently linked to America to be tried there.

  • June 06, 2024

    Alec Baldwin Faces New 'Rust' Shooting Civil Claims In NM

    The family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot and killed on the set of "Rust," has lodged another civil suit against Alec Baldwin, this time in New Mexico, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Santa Fe County court.

  • June 06, 2024

    NY Prosecutor Says DOJ Self-Disclosure Policies Are Working

    The proliferation of policies across the U.S. Department of Justice crediting firms and individuals for voluntarily self-disclosing misconduct indicates the approach is effective, even though instances of such disclosures aren't overwhelming, a senior federal prosecutor in New York told a gathering of compliance officers on Thursday.

  • June 06, 2024

    Health Co. CEO Sold Stock Amid Souring Cigna Deal, Jury Told

    A stock analyst told California federal jurors Thursday he noticed in disclosure forms that the founder of healthcare company Ontrak Inc. was starting to sell company shares a few weeks before Cigna announced it was terminating its $90 million contract with the company.

  • June 06, 2024

    White Collar Boutique Sued By Ex-Client Over Representation

    White collar boutique Clark Smith Villazor LLP and one of its name partners is facing a lawsuit from a former client, a convicted securities fraud defendant who claims the firm caused him to be arrested by the FBI and face millions of dollars in fines.

  • June 06, 2024

    Calif. Judge Pauses Wells Fargo Investor Row Over State Case

    A California federal judge has paused a pension system's proposed class action accusing top Wells Fargo & Co. officers of enabling a "culture of lawlessness," making way for a state court suit that alleges similar wrongdoing.

  • June 06, 2024

    Cellular Fraud Ring Netted $9M In Fake Lost Phone Claims

    Telephone providers and insurance companies were bilked out of $9 million over a six-year period by a scam that used stolen identities to trick them into replacing mobile devices, which were then resold outside the country, according to a guilty plea secured by federal prosecutors.

  • June 06, 2024

    Chronic Care Co. To Pay $14.9M To End DOJ False Claims Suit

    A provider of chronic disease management services across several states has reached a $14.9 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, resolving a False Claims Act suit alleging it defrauded Medicare and Medicaid by "upcoding" healthcare claims.

  • June 06, 2024

    Hallie Biden Tells Jury She 'Panicked' Finding Hunter's Gun

    Hunter Biden's former sister-in-law and ex-girlfriend told a Delaware federal jury Thursday that she "panicked" when she found a gun and a box of bullets in his truck and threw the gun in a grocery store trash can because she was afraid he might hurt himself.

  • June 06, 2024

    Harvey Weinstein Bill Won't Become NY Law This Year

    A New York state bill that would have made evidence of past sexual offenses explicitly admissible in sex crime trials — inspired by Harvey Weinstein's recent rape conviction reversal — has fizzled out in the state Assembly following its quick passage in the state Senate, New York legislators told Law360 Thursday.

  • June 06, 2024

    Investors Say Fund Preyed On Alums For RICO Scheme

    A group of Chinese and American investors alleged this week that they were ripped off to the tune of millions of dollars by a group of fraudsters who, through a series of fraudulent bank loans, bogus tax filings and false advertising, induced them into putting their money into a Los Angeles real estate project.

  • June 06, 2024

    NY AG Says $1B Crypto Pyramid Scheme Targeted Immigrants

    The New York Attorney General's Office on Thursday accused a digital assets trading firm, its founders and an affiliated crypto mining firm of running a billion-dollar pyramid scheme that defrauded hundreds of thousands of investors, many of whom are members of Haitian and other immigrant communities.

Expert Analysis

  • When Trade Secret Protection And Nat'l Security Converge

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration's anti-espionage program focused on China is over, but federal enforcement efforts to protect trade secrets and U.S. national security continue, and companies doing business in high-risk jurisdictions need to maintain their compliance programs to avoid the risk of being caught in the crosshairs of an investigation, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Calif. Verdict Showcases SEC's New 'Shadow Trading' Theory

    Author Photo

    Last week's insider trading verdict, delivered against biopharmaceutical executive Matthew Panuwat by a California federal jury, signals open season on a new area of regulatory enforcement enabled by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's shadow trading theory, say Perrie Weiner and Aaron Goodman at Baker McKenzie.

  • Strategies For Defense Attys To Subpoena A Nonparty Witness

    Author Photo

    Federal criminal defendants seeking to subpoena potentially exculpatory information from nonparty witnesses must satisfy a stringent standard and should consider several often overlooked arguments to assure courts they’re not engaging in a fishing expedition, says James Roberts at Schlam Stone.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

    Author Photo

    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • High Court's Jan. 6 Rioter Case May Have Wide Ripple Effects

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in Fischer v. United States, a case that will determine whether a law enacted after the Enron scandal can be used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters, and could affect the government’s ability to charge those who impede a range of official proceedings, say Brook Dooley and Sara Fitzpatrick at Keker Van Nest.

  • Bankruptcy Courts' Role In Shaping Crypto's Legal Framework

    Author Photo

    Massive financial and criminal liability has led to the recent collapse of major cryptocurrency companies and put bankruptcy courts in the spotlight, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive regulatory framework, say Tara Pakrouh and Eric Monzo at Morris James.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

    Author Photo

    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Intent-Based Theory Of Liability In Hwang Creates Ambiguity

    Author Photo

    A case against Archegos Capital founder Bill Hwang alleging that he participated in a securities manipulation scheme, which goes to trial next month in New York federal court, highlights the need for courts to clarify the legal standard defining "market manipulation," says Edward Imperatore at MoFo.

  • How A Motion Before Justices May Help Trump Beyond Court

    Author Photo

    Even if Donald Trump loses his presidential immunity claim before the U.S. Supreme Court, the delay created by the motion may mean a trial can't be completed before the November election, says Paul Tuchmann at Wiggin and Dana.

  • Opinion

    $175M Bond Refiled By Trump Is Still Substantively Flawed

    Author Photo

    The corrected $175 million bond posted by former President Donald Trump on Thursday to stave off enforcement of the New York attorney general's fraud judgment against him remains substantively and procedurally flawed, as well as inadequately secured, says Adam Pollock of Pollock Cohen.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

    Author Photo

    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

    Author Photo

    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • Defense Attys Must Prep For Imminent AI Crime Enforcement

    Author Photo

    Given recent statements by U.S. Department of Justice officials, white collar practitioners should expect to encounter artificial intelligence in federal criminal enforcement in the near term, even in pending cases, say Jarrod Schaeffer and Scott Glicksman at Abell Eskew.

  • Lessons For Nursing Facilities From DOJ Fraud Settlement

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent settlement with the owner of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Florida provides a cautionary tale of potential fraud risks, and lessons on how facilities can mitigate government enforcement actions, say Callan Stein and Rebecca Younker at Troutman Pepper.

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!