The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") exceeded the authority granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA") when it added the...more
The California legislature continues to press forward with the implementation of two of the state's sweeping climate disclosure laws after a proposal to delay the implementation dates by the governor failed to be considered...more
In February 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the results of its 2023 False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement efforts. Through those efforts, it obtained more than $2.6 billion in overall recoveries, and of that...more
Business groups in California challenge the constitutionality of new climate reporting laws. ...more
In Short -
The Situation: The California legislature passed landmark climate bills that surpass emissions disclosure requirements of any other existing state law. The bills are branded as the nation's first comprehensive...more
9/28/2023
/ California ,
CARB ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Doing Business ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability
The D.C. Circuit rebuked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on administrative law grounds but left untouched the test the Agency used to deny proposed bitcoin exchange traded products ("ETP")....more
9/7/2023
/ Arbitrary and Capricious ,
Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
Financial Markets ,
Listing Rules ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Vacated
In Short -
The Situation: The federal banking agencies approved a proposal that would implement a "gold-plated" U.S. version of the "Basel III endgame."...more
The False Claims Act's ("FCA") use of qui tam relators (private individuals bringing suit on behalf of the government) has long raised both procedural and substantive challenges....more
This advisory is the latest Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("Commission" or "CFTC") staff action conveying a Commission or staff view that CFTC registrants conducting business in nontraditional ways may need to register...more
The U.S. Supreme Court clarified the standard for a defendant's state of mind in False Claims Act ("FCA") cases, holding that a defendant acts "knowingly"—which the FCA defines also to include deliberate ignorance and...more
In Short -
The Situation: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") staff have issued—and the Commission is now enforcing—a new interpretation of "swap execution facility" that expands the Commodity Exchange Act's...more
In a momentous event for False Claims Act cases throughout the country, the Supreme Court has granted certiorari to decide the applicable scienter standard....more
In Short -
The Situation: The federal False Claims Act ("FCA") allows the United States to dismiss the action if the qui tam relator "has been notified by the Government of the filing of the motion and the court has...more