Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan recently experienced a challenging day as he was bested in the House Speaker race by a candidate who once described himself as “David Duke without the baggage”. This setback was compounded by blunt criticism from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This is not the first time Jordan has been on…
In a recent development, an appeal from Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, who has been held for over six months on espionage allegations, has been dismissed by a Russian court. This decision implies Gershkovich will remain in pre-trial detention. As reported by Russian state-affiliated news outlet TASS, the court examined the appeal against the…
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued an order granting a rehearing for the abortion case United States of America v. State of Idaho. This action, in effect, postpones the enforcement of Section 18-622 of Idaho law, which criminalizes those who perform or attempt to perform an abortion unless carrying the…
The Conseil d’Etat, France’s highest administrative court, dismissed a class action lawsuit Wednesday against the French government for alleged racial profiling practices amongst French police in identity checks against people of African and Arab origins. You can read more here. The Council of State defended its dismissal, stating that the administrative court has no authority…
In a significant development, US Deputy Attorney General, Lisa Monaco, announced a new ‘Safe Harbor Policy’ at the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics’ Compliance & Ethics Institute in Chicago on October 4, 2023. Learn more here Monaco used the opportunity to inform attendees about the policy, which focuses on voluntary self-disclosures in the context…
On Tuesday, a Delhi official approved the prosecution of Booker prize-winning author, Arundhati Roy, on charges of sedition, confirming reports on the topic. Alongside Roy, three co-defendants have also been indicted: the late Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani, a previous lecturer at Delhi University, the late Kashmiri separatist leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, and Sheikh Showkat…
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has recently ordered that UK police enhance scrutiny on displays of support for Palestine amidst the escalating Hamas attack on Israel. Braverman sent a letter to the Chief Constables in England and Wales, reminding them that the UK government has designated Hamas as a terrorist group. Consequently, under UK law,…
As the use of digital assets becomes increasingly prevalent in the corporate world, there are complex legal issues arising that go beyond the usual considerations. One such matter gaining substantial attention lately is the deductibility of losses incurred through digital asset theft. It appears that whether a corporate entity can claim a tax deduction related…
In 2021, the U.S regulatory landscape saw the introductions of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), enacted as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act within the expansive National Defense Authorization Act. The CTA was primarily designed to combat illicit financial activities such as tax evasion and money laundering. This move will have corporations and foreign entities…
The month of September 2023 saw an increase in enforcement actions in the sphere of international trade, particularly concerning Iran. Notably, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced settlements with two prominent entities, 3M and Emigrant Bank, both accused of contravening the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR). In addition to corporate indictments, individuals…
In a recent and significant development, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced a Department of Justice-wide safe harbor policy for voluntary self-disclosures connected with mergers and acquisitions on October 4, 2023. As a result of her remarks during the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics’ 22nd Annual Compliance and Ethics Institute, it has become…
The German lawyer, Hanno Berger, widely recognized as the central figure behind the Cum-Ex tax scandal, recently lost his appeal against his conviction. The scheme that he masterminded robbed billions of euros from government coffers and drew in a number of Wall Street’s major banks. The appeal was brought before the Federal Court of Justice,…
Mitchell Wasek, an SMU Dedman School of Law student and son of Buc-ee’s co-founder Don Wasek, has been arrested under accusations of secretly filming house guests in the bathrooms of three different properties. The lawsuit alleges that the discreet recordings feature guests in unauthorized circumstances such as “using the toilet, showering, changing clothes and/or having…
New York Republican Representative George Santos, who is already battling criminal and ethics charges associated with his 2022 campaign, has recently declared that he will not resign and will continue to run for reelection. This statement comes following the filing of 10 new charges against Santos by federal prosecutors on Tuesday. Santos, who is 35…
In a recent stint of activities, notable Justice of the Supreme court, Clarence Thomas, pushes for an opinion stating that the First Amendment should protect him more, sparking debate within legal spheres. Following the digital information era, internet persona Mr. Beast finds himself embroiled at the center of a sophisticated AI impersonation scam. Cybercriminals, allegedly…
In January, the Department of Justice announced new revisions to its corporate enforcement policy related to voluntary self-disclosure, cooperation, and remediation. The goal of these revisions is to incentivize companies that discover misconduct within their ranks to engage proactively with law enforcement and reinforce their compliance programs. According to these policy revisions, prosecutors now have…
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has launched a criminal investigation into the Ontario government’s controversial plan to develop parts of the state’s protected ‘Greenbelt’. The announcement was made on Tuesday, and while the RCMP did not detail the specifics of the investigation, it was noted that their Sensitive and Internal Investigations (SII) division would…
In a recent article by ‘Above the Law’, discussions have emerged about Supreme Court justice wanting to revisit and potentially reinterpret the fundamental First Amendment law. The justice under this spotlight appears to have had their share amount of press attention, and it’s suggested this might be driving the desire for changes. Key in this…
In an unfortunate turn of events, Edmonds School District recently declared a significant data breach affecting over 91,000 individuals. On October 6, 2023, the school district reported a nefarious leakage to the Attorney General of Maine following the discovery that an unauthorized user had infiltrated the district’s computer system for approximately two weeks Console and…
A California-based attorney has been slapped with almost two dozen criminal charges, rooted in his alleged involvement in a Ponzi scheme concerning solar companies. Dubbed as the “largest criminal fraud scheme in the history of the Eastern District of California” by the U.S. Department of Justice, this case has sent shockwaves across the legal sector….
In a significant move to promote transparency, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new policy aimed at further encouraging self-disclosure of criminal misconduct discovered during Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and other transactions. The policy, introduced on October 4, 2023, by US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, is identified as the Mergers & Acquisitions…
Jeff Clark, a former official at the Trump Justice Department, recently appealed to the 11th Circuit of the order that transferred him back to Georgia court. Also known as “the Oil Spill”, Clark is indeed facing state RICO charges alongside Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, and 13 other individuals who deny the election results. He recently…
As the drive for digital transformation continues to shape industries across the globe, no sector has proven immune, including education. But transgressions in data security are drawing the eager eyes of regulators, particularly in New York. The state’s Attorney General, Letitia James, has recently announced two agreements concerning data breaches with entities that operate within…
Recent developments in the global legal arena demonstrate that individuals continue to face significant risks from prosecutions for economic crime, despite the media’s recent attention on reforms related to corporate criminal liability. Case in point: Four individuals associated with the collapse of UK café and bakery chain Patisserie Valerie recently appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court,…
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has made a noteworthy policy announcement targeting corporations that are participating in mergers and acquisitions. At the heart of this policy is a plan to reward corporations with robust due diligence and compliance programs. Promoting proactive legal action, the DOJ has created a “safe harbor” period. Under this policy,…