Up Next At High Court: Birthright Citizenship, Arbitration

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court will close out its March oral arguments session by hearing a nationwide class's blockbuster challenge to President Donald Trump's limited view of birthright citizenship, as well as a dispute over federal courts' authority to confirm or vacate arbitration awards in cases they've formerly overseen.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Seems Doubtful Of Fulton County's Ballot Retrieval Bid

By Chart Riggall

A Georgia federal judge appeared skeptical Friday of Fulton County's efforts to recover hundreds of boxes of 2020 election ballots that were seized by the FBI in a January raid on a county warehouse, signaling he wasn't sure whether the government had shown "callous disregard" for the Constitution.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Elizabeth Holmes Gets 11-Year Prison Sentence Cut By A Year

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge has shaved off a year from convicted ex-Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' 11-year-and-three-month prison sentence for securities fraud due to recent sentencing guideline amendments, reducing her time behind bars by one year, instead of the two years she requested, amid objections by prosecutors.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SEC Shutters Case Against Bankrupt Fatburger Parent

By Jessica Corso

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Friday that it is walking away from a case accusing restaurant franchisor FAT Brands of running an illegal $27 million personal loan scheme to fuel its former CEO's lavish lifestyle as the public company foundered.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judiciary Nixes Amicus Disclosure Reform Over Potential Chill

By Emily Sawicki

The federal judiciary has been asked not to move forward with a plan to add to amicus brief disclosure requirements designed to curb "dark money" groups from bankrolling amicus briefs, after rules committee chairs pulled the recommendation over concerns of a possible chilling effect.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-CEO Sues Former NJ AG Over Tossed RICO Case

By George Woolston

The former CEO of The Michaels Organization, who was indicted in New Jersey's now-dismissed criminal racketeering case against South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III, has accused former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and other members of his office of commencing the prosecution knowing there was no probable cause.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

BofA Will Pay $72.5M In Deal Ending Epstein Ties Allegations

By Hailey Konnath

Bank of America agreed to pay $72.5 million to put to rest a proposed class action alleging the bank helped facilitate Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes, according to a motion for preliminary approval of the deal filed in New York federal court Friday.

6 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Student Fleeced Pals' Families With $7.8M Fraud, SEC Says

By Emilie Ruscoe

A Tulsa, Oklahoma, man has agreed to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims that he defrauded investors out of $7.8 million in connection with two investment funds he launched as a college student.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Jailed Energy Trader Won't Fight $7.7M Judgment

By José Luis Martínez

An energy trader who reported to prison this year told a Texas federal court Friday he does not oppose entry of a more than $7.7 million civil judgment in favor of his former employer, as long as it's credited against the restitution he was ordered to pay by the federal government in separate proceedings.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Lawyer Says Contract With Rivera Was For Venezuela's Oil Co.

By Carolina Bolado

The $50 million consulting contract that former Florida Congressman David Rivera signed with the U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state-owned oil company was ultimately funded and controlled by the Venezuelan parent company, the attorney who drafted the document said Friday at Rivera's trial on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Disco Ball Theatrics Land Flat With Campaign Fraud Jury

By Aaron Keller

A defense lawyer who donned a metallic lei and held a disco ball during closing arguments did not help an attorney and former Connecticut state senator avoid guilty verdicts Friday on wire fraud and conspiracy charges connected to a BDK Law Group party prosecutors described as a campaign launch.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Family Members Get Prison Terms For Tax Refund Scheme

By Anna Scott Farrell

Family members convicted of designing a trust scheme that tried to net $8.5 million in tax refunds were sentenced to prison by a Texas federal judge and ordered to pay back $1.7 million they spent on cryptocurrency and luxuries, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Atty Asks To Stay Out On Bond Amid $22M Tax Fraud Appeal

By Asha Glover

A Missouri lawyer convicted of helping perpetrate a $22 million tax scheme is asking to stay out of prison while she appeals, telling a North Carolina federal court that she believes her appeal could be successful on grounds that her indictment was obtained unconstitutionally.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Actions Suggest Expansion Of Healthcare Enforcement

Recent actions by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggest that federal healthcare enforcement efforts are moving away from traditional program-based fraud and toward cases centered on product integrity, regulatory transparency and telehealth marketing, effectively widening the government's enforcement playbook, say attorneys at MoFo.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Watching Hallmark Movies Makes Me A Better Lawyer

I realize you may be judging me for watching, and actually enjoying, Hallmark Channel movies, but the escapism and storylines actually demonstrate qualities and actions that lead to an efficient, productive and positive legal practice, says Karen Ross at Tucker Ellis.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Pillsbury Asks To Toss Suit Over Nonclient Data Breach

By Matt Perez

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP sought dismissal of a consolidated data breach action in New York federal court Friday due to the plaintiffs' alleged lack of relationship with the firm and inability to identify any cognizable damages.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Burford Considers Arbitration After 2nd Circ. Tosses $16B Win

By Nadia Dreid

Burford Capital Ltd. says it is contemplating taking its $16 billion fight with Argentina into international arbitration after the Second Circuit wiped out a judgment the litigation funding firm had won against the nation in New York federal court, sending its stock prices tumbling.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Is It Kafka?' Judge Presses Pentagon On Press Restrictions

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge requested additional briefing Monday from the Trump administration before deciding whether to toss the U.S. Department of Defense's revised rules restricting journalists' access to the Pentagon but said some new allegations from reporters read like the revisions came from a Franz Kafka novel.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Laffey Bucci Atty Accused Of Stealing Over $1.3M

By James Boyle

Laffey Bucci D'Andrea Reich & Ryan has accused a former name partner in a Pennsylvania state court suit of misdirecting more than $1.3 million in referral and case fees through a secret agreement with another firm and misusing the plaintiffs firm's resources for personal expenses, including an affair with a client.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Exchanges Are First Line In CFTC Prediction Market Policing

By Aislinn Keely

As the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission insists it will be the primary cop for the growing expanse of prediction markets, experts said the agency is signaling that its first line of defense will be the internal enforcement programs of registrants like Kalshi.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCA Qui Tams Are Unconstitutional, Eli Lilly Tells Justices

By Mark Payne

The False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, drugmaker Eli Lilly has told the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a Seventh Circuit decision upholding a $183 million trial win for a whistleblower who claimed the drug company hid how much it charged for Medicaid-covered drugs. 

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Wary Of 'Odd' Arbitration Jurisdiction Theory

By Caroline Simson

A lawyer urging the U.S. Supreme Court to find that federal courts that have sent a dispute to arbitration do not automatically have jurisdiction to confirm or vacate a subsequent award faced heavy skepticism Monday from the justices, who called his argument during oral arguments "odd" and "peculiar."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court's docket this past week featured disputes involving globally recognized companies, high-dollar contract fights, revived claims from the state's high court and the resolution of a closely watched de-SPAC case.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Blumenthal Questions SEC Over Crypto Cases, Ryan Exit

By Katryna Perera

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is demanding answers from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins about the sudden resignation of the regulator's enforcement director and whether her departure was related to cryptocurrency cases, including one touching on the Trump family's ventures.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »