Subject to Inquiry

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THE LATEST ON GOVERNMENT INQUIRIES AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

Government Investigations and White Collar Litigation Group

Elissa Baur

Photo of Elissa Baur Elissa focuses her practice on white collar and antitrust criminal defense matters, including internal investigations, litigation, and regulatory enforcement actions. She has defended clients in numerous government investigations before the Department of Justice, United States Office of Special Counsel, Securities & Exchange Commission, Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), Office of the Comptroller of Currency, and Federal Reserve Board, among others.

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“Call Us Before We Call You”:  DOJ’s New Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program

Compliance
On September 17, 2024, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri stressed the intense focus placed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or the Department) on incentivizing companies to maintain healthy corporate compliance programs – and highlighted key aspects of the Department’s newest enforcement tool.  Speaking at the NYU School of Law’s Program on Corporate… Continue Reading

Deputy Attorney General Monaco Announces New DOJ Whistleblower Program

Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends
On March 7, 2024, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco gave remarks at the American Bar Association’s 39th National Institute on White Collar Crime in San Francisco, California. Monaco provided updates on the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ or the Department) corporate criminal enforcement efforts and announced a handful of new Department initiatives, including a… Continue Reading

Departments of Justice, Commerce and Treasury Issue Tri-Seal Compliance Note on Voluntary Self-Disclosure of Potential Violations

Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
On July 26, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a Tri-Seal Compliance Note (the Note) detailing updates to the three agencies’ voluntary self-disclosure policies applicable to violations of U.S. sanctions, export… Continue Reading

Ericsson Pleads Guilty, Agrees to Pay $206M in Fines, Following Alleged Violation of FCPA Deferred Prosecution Agreement

Anti-Bribery and Corruption
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Sweden-based multinational telecommunications company Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) will plead guilty to breaching the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and has agreed to pay over $206 million in related penalties following its alleged breach of a 2019 Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the Department.… Continue Reading

U.S. Department of Justice and Partners Increasing Enforcement of Sanctions and Export Controls

Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
It has been a little more than a year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the war continues to rage.  In an effort to deter the Russian government and weaken its military capabilities, the United States has imposed significant sanctions and export controls targeting Russia.  Recognizing that these sanctions and export control laws merit aggressive… Continue Reading

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices Adopt Policy Incentivizing Self-Disclosure of Corporate Misconduct

Compliance, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends
On Feb. 22, 2023, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country adopted a new policy that incentivizes corporate voluntary self-disclosure of misconduct.  Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Sept. 15, 2022 memorandum (“Monaco Memo”) instructed all DOJ sections to review their policies incentivizing corporate voluntary self-disclosure or, if no formal written policy existed, to draft and publish… Continue Reading

Cross-Border Enforcement and Trends — 2022 Year in Review

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
Key developments in U.S. cross-border enforcement were driven by the year’s most newsworthy developments, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the battery of sanctions that swiftly followed, to the collapse of the cryptocurrency market. For details, download this inaugural review, which focuses on anti-money laundering, as this issue continued its rise up the enforcement and… Continue Reading

Court Holds U.S. Wire Fraud Statute Reaches Foreign Defendant’s Conduct

Fraud, Deception and False Claims
The federal wire fraud statute has a far-reaching scope, allowing prosecutors to go after conduct as varied as investor fraud to college admissions scandals. In late June, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals arguably broadened that scope even further by affirming a wire fraud conviction for a defendant who devised the scheme from Israel.… Continue Reading

DOJ and SEC Kick Off the Second Quarter with Major FCPA Settlement with International Waste Management Company

Anti-Bribery and Corruption
On April 20, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) separately announced that Stericycle Inc. (Stericycle), an international waste management company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay more than $84 million to resolve parallel investigations by authorities in the United States and Brazil. The investigation is… Continue Reading

New Revelations in Ukraine Lead to Tightening Global Sanctions

Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends, Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
RELATED UPDATE: FinCEN Alert Highlights Potential U.S. Commercial Real Estate Investments by Sanctioned Russian Elites and Their Proxies (January 30, 2023) As the world watched in horror over the atrocities occurring in the war zones of Ukraine this week, global leaders re-doubled their efforts to bring increasing sanctions pressure to bear on Russian industry, the… Continue Reading

Western Companies Starting to Feel Impact of Russian Sanctions

Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends, Financial Institution Regulation, Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
RELATED UPDATES: FinCEN Alert Highlights Potential U.S. Commercial Real Estate Investments by Sanctioned Russian Elites and Their Proxies (January 30, 2023) New Revelations in Ukraine Lead to Tightening Global Sanctions (April 8, 2022) As we approach the thirty day mark since the United States, and other Western countries began imposing a series of rigorous sanctions… Continue Reading

DOJ Launches “Task Force KleptoCapture” in Response to Russian Invasion

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
RELATED UPDATES: U.S. Department of Justice and Partners Increasing Enforcement of Sanctions and Export Controls (March 6, 2023) New Revelations in Ukraine Lead to Tightening Global Sanctions (April 8, 2022) Western Companies Starting to Feel Impact of Russian Sanctions (March 24, 2022) FinCEN Encourages “Increased Vigilance” and Highlights Red Flags for Evasion of Russian Sanctions… Continue Reading

U.S. and Allies Significantly Expand Sanctions and Related Restrictions on Russia and Belarus

Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
RELATED UPDATES: New Revelations in Ukraine Lead to Tightening Global Sanctions (April 8, 2022) Western Companies Starting to Feel Impact of Russian Sanctions (March 24, 2022) FinCEN Encourages “Increased Vigilance” and Highlights Red Flags for Evasion of Russian Sanctions including Use of Virtual Currency (March 16, 2022) DOJ Launches “Task Force KleptoCapture” in Response to… Continue Reading

Additional Sanctions on Russia and the Importance of Business Contingency Planning

Sanctions, Trade Embargo, and Export Controls
RELATED UPDATES: New Revelations in Ukraine Lead to Tightening Global Sanctions (April 8, 2022) Western Companies Starting to Feel Impact of Russian Sanctions (March 24, 2022) FinCEN Encourages “Increased Vigilance” and Highlights Red Flags for Evasion of Russian Sanctions including Use of Virtual Currency (March 16, 2022) DOJ Launches “Task Force KleptoCapture” in Response to… Continue Reading

Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos Found Guilty of Making False Representations to Investors

Fraud, Deception and False Claims
Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The verdict follows a high-profile, fifteen-week trial in federal court in San Francisco.  Holmes was alleged to have defrauded investors, medical professionals, patients, and the public by exaggerating and making false statements about… Continue Reading

Return to the Yates Memo: Deputy Attorney General Announces Tougher Approach to White Collar Enforcement

Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends
RELATED UPDATE: New DOJ Guidance on Corporate Criminal Enforcement (9/16/2022) On October 28th, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or Department) is renewing its focus on white collar crime and enforcement, in remarks delivered during the American Bar Association’s 36th National Institute on White Collar Crime. Deputy Attorney… Continue Reading

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