Expert Analysis

• What To Expect From The SEC's New SOX Group

  

  In a potential shift away from Public Company Accounting Oversight Board enforcement, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's formation of a new group to investigate and litigate potential violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act brings both risks and benefits for auditors, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• Why Justices Seem Skeptical Of Curbing SEC Disgorgement

  

  Sripetch v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission presents an opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify the disgorgement limits it set six years ago in Liu v. SEC, with recent oral arguments suggesting the court sees disgorgement as an equitable remedy akin to unjust enrichment, say attorneys at Hueston Hennigan.

• 3 Factors Shifting Criminal Defendants' Cooperation Decisions

  

  Several factors, including a recent decline in assistant U.S. attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice, new offense level changes to the sentencing guidelines and a swift uptick in presidential pardons, are prompting federal criminal defendants to rethink cooperation with the government, says Ben Schrader at Bass Berry.

• OFAC Signals Sanctions Diligence Can't Stop At 50% Rule

  

  Recent guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, along with several enforcement actions looking beyond the 50% formal ownership requirement, sends a clear message that sanctions due diligence must consider a variety of factors, including degree of control, practice of actual dealings and the involvement of proxies, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

• Hungary CPAC Funding Probe Could Implicate US Entities

  

  A Hungarian anti-corruption investigation into claims that the former prime minister used taxpayer funds to support the Conservative Political Action Conference could include potential cross-border political and financial dimensions that create multiple touchpoints for U.S. regulatory and enforcement interest, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• Series

  Officiating Football Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Though they may seem to have little in common, officiating football has sharpened many of the same skills that define effective lawyering in management-side labor and employment: preparation, judgment, composure, credibility and ability to make difficult decisions in real time, says Josh Nadreau at Fisher Phillips.

• Prediction Market Platform Probes Merit Strategic Responses

  

  As the battle over the regulation of prediction markets is being waged between states and the federal government, investigations into insider trading allegations are increasingly originating from inside the exchanges themselves, creating obvious risks for market participants — as well as opportunities, say attorneys at Kobre & Kim.

• Shifts At DOJ Alter Corporate Self-Disclosure Calculus

  

  Though the Justice Department's new criminal enforcement policy clarifies the benefits of corporate self-disclosure, recent changes to prosecutorial priorities and resources mean that companies should reassess whether cooperation incentives still outweigh the risks of nondisclosure, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Draft Pleadings

  

  Most law school graduates step into their first jobs without ever having drafted a complaint, answer, motion or other type of pleading, but that gap can be closed by understanding the strategy embedded in every filing, writing with clarity and purpose, and seeking feedback at every step, says Eric Yakaitis at Haug Barron.

• Evaluating Congressional Investigation Risk In Deal Diligence

  

  Given the increasing frequency and sophistication of congressional investigations into corporate business practices, companies conducting transactional due diligence should add procedures to assess and mitigate the unique challenges and wide-ranging risks that can arise from Capitol Hill’s scrutiny, say attorneys at Covington.

• E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On ESI Control

  

  Several recent federal court decisions have perpetuated a split over what constitutes “control” of electronically stored information — with judges divided on whether the standard should turn on a party's legal right or practical ability to obtain the information, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Record Penalty Sets Stage For FinCEN Whistleblower Awards

  

  The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s record $80 million penalty against Canaccord, together with the agency's recently proposed rule on whistleblower awards, signals an increasingly aggressive enforcement posture and illustrates the significant financial stakes associated with reporting violations, says Marlene Koury at Constantine Cannon.

• How Banks Can React To Risks In FinCEN Whistleblower Rule

  

  Financial institutions should reassess and, if necessary, strengthen existing policies, procedures and other frameworks related to whistleblowers and internal reporting in light of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent proposal to formalize a whistleblower award program, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• 2 Discovery Rulings Break With Heppner On AI Privilege Issue

  

  While a New York federal court’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner suggests that some litigants’ communications with AI tools are discoverable, two other recent federal court decisions demonstrate that such interactions generally qualify for work-product protection under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, says Joshua Dunn at Brown Rudnick.

• Opinion

  BNP Paribas Case Could Upend Global Banking Norms

  

  If upheld on appeal, a New York federal jury's multimillion-dollar verdict against BNP Paribas would create an unpredictable liability landscape for global financial institutions in which fully lawful services in foreign countries can give rise to civil liability in U.S. courts, in a manner contrary to federal law, say attorneys at White & Case.