Expert Analysis

• Unearthing The Lesser-Known 'Buried Facts' Doctrine

  

  A New York federal judge’s recent suggestion that the “buried facts” doctrine may be applicable in the fraud trial of FTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried should serve as a reminder to attorneys in all kinds of cases involving corporate disclosures that this lesser-known rule could torpedo their defense, say Corban Rhodes and Li Yu at DiCello Levitt.

• Opinion

  Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

  

  The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.

• Taking A Walk Down Mandamus Lane After 2nd Circ. Ruling

  

  The Second Circuit’s recent decision to deny a writ of mandamus, filed by a law firm after a lower court barred it from representing a Salvadoran oil company, adds to the nuanced and sometimes conflicting mandamus case law that requires careful research before litigants seek appellate review, says Michael Soyfer at Quinn Emanuel.

• 5th Circ. Ruling Shows Need For Proffer Terms Negotiation

  

  The Fifth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Shah decision, holding that a defendant breached his proffer agreement, illustrates why defense attorneys should insist on negotiating the terms of such agreements with prosecutors to protect their clients at trial, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

• EPA Report A Reminder That Fuel Credits Are 'Buyer Beware'

  

  A recent report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General is a reminder that fraud risk in the renewable fuel identification number market remains, and that purchasers are ultimately responsible for ensuring the validity of credits they buy, say David McIndoe and Nick Hillman at Eversheds Sutherland.

• DeFi Enforcement Is Growing, Despite CFTC Dissonance

  

  The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s recently settled actions against operators of three decentralized finance protocols appear to be part of an enhanced enforcement push, though commissioners don’t agree on how to promote constructive regulation, say Michael Philipp and Sarah Riddell at Morgan Lewis.

• Practicing Under DOJ 'Safe Harbor' Policy For M&As

  

  The U.S. Justice Department's recently announced safe harbor policy for mergers and acquisitions offers greater specificity and predictability for acquiring companies that need time to self-report violations, but it's important to remember that the new window is not endless, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Considerations And Calculations For DOJ Clawback Program

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice’s clawback pilot program announced earlier this year presents numerous questions for businesses, and both hypothetical and recent real-world examples capture how companies’ cost-benefit analyses about whether to claw back compensation in exchange for penalty reductions may differ, say Yogesh Bahl and Jonathan Hecht at Resolution Economics.

• SEC's Life Sciences Actions Utilize Novel Tools And Theories

  

  Recent enforcement actions show that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is employing new forms of data analytics and noteworthy applications of insider trading laws in its scrutiny of fraud within the life sciences and health industries, say Edward Imperatore and Jina Choi at MoFo.

• How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

  

  Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• 5th Amendment Lessons From Trump Secret Docs Case

  

  Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago classified documents indictment reminds attorneys that responding early and relying on constitutional protections can help protect clients from obstruction charges while still allowing them to refrain from producing subpoenaed documents, says Marissa Kingman at Fox Rothschild.

• Opinion

  SEC Actions Against Musk Are Constitutionally Defective

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent subpoena enforcement action against Elon Musk may be constitutionally and statutorily deficient — and the commission staff who issued the subpoenas and the action may have been unconstitutionally appointed, say Alex Lipman at Lipman Law and Justin Weddle at Weddle Law.

• Opinion

  Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

  

  Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

• How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

  

  Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

• Potential Outcomes Of High Court Gun Sentencing Case

  

  In Brown v. U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the standard that triggers minimum sentencing enhancements for previously convicted people facing new gun charges, thus resolving a deepening circuit split and potentially alleviating some sentencing disparities, says attorney Sami Azhari.