Expert Analysis

• Compliance Lessons From Agriculture Co. Mexican Bribe DPA

  

  Agricultural company Scoular’s recently announced deferred prosecution agreement over alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations at the U.S.-Mexico border reinforces the U.S. Department of Justice’s focus on cartels, and companies must accordingly ensure they address risks associated with the use of customs brokers, says Adam Safwat at Foley Hoag.

• 5 Practice Tips After DOJ's Healthcare Fraud Declination

  

  In light of the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to not prosecute Campus Eye Management under the agency's new corporate enforcement and voluntary self-disclosure policy, healthcare companies should keep several considerations in mind when weighing their risk and self-disclosure strategy, including the distinctions between reporting to the DOJ versus other government agencies, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

• Assessing The Early Days Of Woodcock's SEC Tenure

  

  Since David Woodcock took over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement four months ago, the division has pursued a scaled-back caseload centered on fraud and manipulative conduct, largely following the enforcement outlook that emerged under SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, say attorneys at Akerman.

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  Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

• DOJ Executive Privilege Opinion Portends 3rd-Party Dilemmas

  

  The recent opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel concluding that executive privilege can shield the president's communications with private advisers may lead to interbranch disputes, and companies must come up with a response plan now before they’re caught in the middle, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• Planning For The Impact Of FinCEN's CTA Rollback

  

  The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent rollback of Corporate Transparency Act reporting obligations should reduce compliance costs, but its plans to revisit customer due diligence rules should prompt companies and financial institutions to reassess state beneficial ownership programs, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Justices' Hikma Reasoning May Extend Well Beyond Pharma

  

  The active steps framework announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in its Hikma v. Amarin decision, finding that Amarin failed to plausibly allege inducement of infringement, has the potential to reshape how courts evaluate inducement claims across patent, copyright and other doctrines, say attorneys at BCLP.

• Teva MDL Loss Shows DPAs Can Return To Haunt Civil Suits

  

  Teva’s recent partial summary judgment loss in antitrust multidistrict litigation reinforces the importance of carefully scrutinizing any statement of facts a company admits to in a deferred prosecution agreement, and illustrates the potential costs of resolving a criminal investigation this way, say attorneys at Sheppard.

• 11th Circ. FCA Qui Tam Revival Queues Up Next Challenges

  

  Though the Eleventh Circuit on Sept. 1 upheld the constitutionality of the False Claims Act's qui tam provision, it will probably face continued litigation since the appellate court declined to rule on other constitutional challenges and the decision will likely be petitioned to the U.S. Supreme Court, say attorneys at Sheppard.

• Deal Termination Lessons From Verisk Merger Review Ruling

  

  The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent ruling that Verisk Analytics forfeited its right to terminate a deal that was facing a second information request from the Federal Trade Commission illustrates the danger of information gaps between client and counsel and the risks of "willful conduct" language in merger agreements, say attorneys at HSF Kramer.

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  Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

• Del. Dispatch: More Earnout Guidance From Chancery

  

  The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Georgia Security Solutions v. NewCBN reaffirms that a procedure resembling a traditional accountant true-up will generally be interpreted as calling for an expert determination, not an arbitration, and highlights the need for clarity in drafting earnout provisions, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• 3 Lessons From Crypto For Attys Entering The AI Space

  

  Lawyers transitioning into roles at artificial intelligence companies can take several lessons from the evolution of the cryptocurrency space on how to manage regulatory ambiguity, weigh open-versus-closed technology models and build compliance safeguards as AI rules take shape, says Rebecca Rettig at Jito Labs.

• Rejection Of NLRB Successor Bar Renews An Employer Tool

  

  Although the D.C. Circuit's recent ruling in Hospital Menonita v. National Labor Relations Board does not allow purchasers to disregard incumbent unions, employers acquiring a unionized business have regained a tool to challenge a union's majority support, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

• DOJ Fraud Declination Highlights Self-Disclosure Tradeoffs

  

  As exemplified by the U.S. Department of Justice's declination of charges against Campus Eye Management under its new corporate enforcement policy, self-disclosure can be an attractive option for healthcare companies navigating criminal exposure, but should be weighed against potential costs, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.