A New York judge, Arthur Engoron, recently ruled that former President Donald Trump and his business associates committed fraud, dating as far back as 2011, by misrepresenting the financial valuation of their business assets. The judge’s verdict was in favor of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ motion for partial summary judgment. The ruling further…
In a recent bulletin, IR-2023-59, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) put out a warning highlighting the risks associated with shady tax preparers. The IRS cautions that the use of unscrupulous preparers could significantly heighten the risk of audits for taxpayers. This publicly issued warning is the latest in their annual “Dirty Dozen” series of tax…
Last week, legal innovators from across the globe met in New York City for Future Lawyers Week, a one-day legal tech conference. The conference, customized to cater to both law firms and in-house legal teams, saw a broad range of topics being discussed. One of the key talking points from the event was how in-house…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has always been at the forefront when it comes to forming the landscape of corporate criminal enforcement. Recently, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Marshall Miller has provided valuable insight into the current and prospective directions and initiatives of the DOJ at the Global Investigations Review Annual Meeting in New…
The Zalkin Law Firm, a well-known San Diego firm representing sexual abuse survivors across the country, is currently facing a class-action lawsuit. The suit alleges that a data breach by an identified cyber criminal group led to the unauthorized exposure of highly sensitive information from case files. These compromised files reportedly total to a massive…
In what has recently become an animating legal dispute, Donald Trump’s lawyer, John Lauro, is stirring a storm with his vehement objections to a protective order proposed by prosecutors in the DC election interference case. Public coverage of this case outlines a heated legal document, which some argue is verging on political media fodder. All…
A crowd of 40,000 Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid on Sunday to protest the possible plans to grant amnesty to Catalans who face legal trouble for their roles in the separatist bid six years ago, reports Spanish news site EFE. The crowd held Spanish national flags and displayed signs, with some referring to…
Last year, the trial of four former U.S. Navy officials, embroiled in the extensive “Fat Leonard” bribery scandal, took an unexpected turn. As a federal jury in California was deliberating the case, the defense attorneys learned a disturbing detail: The lead special agent prosecuting the case allegedly gave false sworn statements in a similar case…
In a recent turn of events, there have been new legal changes concerning criminal background checks and noncompete agreements in California. These changes, which were approved by the Civil Rights Council, an arm of the Civil Rights Department, may have significant implications on all employers conducting background checks within the state. In addition to that,…
In a recent shift in stance towards psychedelics, Western U.S. states, notably Hawaii and California, are leading the way. They are progressing towards expanding legal, or at the very least, decriminalizing the access to these substances, offering a striking contrast to their previous more conservative images. While the trend of decriminalization and legalization of psychedelics…
In a noteworthy case that may have broader implications, a New York state court recently voided a $1.3 million loan agreement with a corporate borrower. The cause behind this court action: the loan agreement’s cited interest rate of 34% contravened New York’s criminal usury law statute. The firm affected by the ruling, Orrick – Distressed…
On September 22, 2023, Financial Institution Service Corp. (FISC) issued a notice detailing a considerable data breach. The breach reportedly was tied to a vulnerability in MOVEit, a file-transfer application that had been exploited by cybercriminals, impacting over 750,000 individuals. This was disclosed in FISC’s filing of a notice of data breach with the Attorney…
In a significant announcement, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has imposed fines totaling $6 million on two companies selling consumer background reports through subscriptions. These companies were found to be in violation of the FTC Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This information came from an article published on JD Supra, authored by…
Brooklyn federal prosecutors have declared their intention to appeal an unexpected judicial decision that recently absolved a former 21st Century Fox television executive and an Argentine sports marketing company of their convictions in the globally-followed FIFA corruption scandal. Their declaration was made official according to notices filed with the Second Circuit. The development is significant…
On September 14, the New York Attorney General (“AG”) and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner jointly announced the convictions of ALPCO Recycling, Inc., Alton Plumb, Jr., Finger Lakes Cleanup and Recycling Consultants, Inc., and Craig Foster. This announcement marks a significant step in criminal enforcement against the illegal processing and disposal of…
On September 18, the President of Peru, flanked by the Council of Ministers, made a critical announcement: a state of emergency would be imposed in three districts in Peru – San Juan de Lurigancho (Lima), San Martín de Porres (Lima), and Sullana (Piura). Triggered by an escalating pattern of citizen insecurity and organized crime within…
Large corporations and law firms take notice: In an effort to tackle wage and hour violations, Rhode Island has recently amended its Payment of Wages Act. Set to take effect from January 1, 2024, the act, now carrying R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-1, et seq. (“Wage Act”) provisions, could make a “knowing[] and willful[]” violation…
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a sector of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, recently released its Small Business Compliance Guide (the “Guide”) to help companies, their management and advisors with meeting their filing requirements as stipulated by the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). FinCEN’s Guide offers invaluable advice on handling the specifics of filing…
The legal profession often brings together individuals with diverging and clashing viewpoints, necessitating a high level of professional tolerance. The concept of lawyers sharing an elevator with their adversaries sheds light on this occupational challenge. There exists an enduring myth in law practice about the inherent amicability among practitioners, which is quickly dispelled when real-life…
A recent report by ProPublica highlights the attendance of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the Koch network’s annual winter donor summit in California in 2018. The investigative report reveals that Thomas not only participated in a private dinner at the event but also did not declare his flight to California in his annual…
A New Jersey man, recently convicted for the distribution of lethal substances which led to the untimely deaths of three young professionals in Manhattan – among them a first-year attorney from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP – has put forward a plea to federal court, seeking a 25-year prison term, stated to be…
Is New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez under the illusion that evading a bribery charge once safeguards you from subsequent charges? His actions suggest so, as he initiated a shockingly bold corruption campaign right after the DOJ dropped bribery allegations against him in 2018. Notably, this coincided with Menendez’s reappointment as head of the Senate Foreign…
In a shocking event that recently came to light, a Pittsburgh man is facing criminal charges for allegedly bypassing security at the Allegheny County Courthouse with a knife. Alongside the accusation of carrying a weapon in a secure location, the man is reported to have threatened to follow a judge to his car, with the…
US prosecutors have recently brought forth an indictment against Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), his wife, Nadine, and three businessmen. The senator is accused of leveraging his position to provide assistance to these businessmen in financial situations and pending criminal matters, as well as aiding the government of Egypt, reportedly in return for bribes. Senator Menendez…
In a consistently technologically advancing society, the prospect of maintaining privacy, particularly in the digital realm, is becoming increasingly complex. The potential for users’ information to be exploited is a growing concern, a topic piercingly explored in J.S. Held’s article on reclaiming privacy in the digital era. Today’s perpetrators of privacy invasion or crimes have…