Imagine walking into work one morning, knowing that speaking up about what you saw yesterday could cost you your job – or it could save lives. This is a choice many employees face, and why whistleblower protections aren’t...more
It is well-settled that fraud-based claims asserted in federal court need to satisfy not only Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)’s plausibility pleading standard but also the heightened pleading requirements of Federal...more
Statutes of limitations limit the time within which a defendant can be held liable for any type of alleged wrongdoing. Plaintiffs who do not pursue their rights within the limitations period will find the courthouse doors...more
On September 17, 2024, the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) issued a final rule adopting changes to federal regulations governing research misconduct involving federally funded research (Final Rule). The regulations have...more
Compliance officers need to think about fraud and misconduct risks all the time, which means you need to talk to others in your organization about exactly how those risks might happen – but what’s the right way for you to do...more
Introduction: Understanding Fidelity Investigations - Fidelity / Crime / Financial Institution Bonds, in a general sense, cover an insured from the willful theft of property, money, and securities by one of their employees...more
As reported in the Report on Research Compliance, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently held a workshop on the performance of federal research misconduct investigations....more
Binance to Pay Historic $4 Billion Fine - Binance Holdings Limited, the operator of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, agreed to pay $4.3 billion to resolve allegations that it violated the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)...more
In July of this year, we wrote about a fraud action involving the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program (“EB-5 Program” or “Program”) (here). Under the EB-5 Program, investors are eligible for permanent residency status in the U.S....more
If you find yourself thinking, “there are so many whistleblower stories in the news these days,” you’re not wrong. From historic awards being distributed from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the EU...more
Sometimes I think we need fewer terms to describe the same or similar things. In the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) world, much is made—rightfully so—of greenwashing, which occurs when an organization makes false...more
ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot created by OpenAI, has taken the legal world by storm since it first launched in November 2022. The chatbot gained notoriety for its cutting-edge ability to answer questions...more
Standing- Dickson v. Direct Energy, LP, 6th Cir. Case No. 22-3394. In this putative class action, the appellant appealed the district court’s decision to dismiss his Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) claim for...more
The United States continues its investigation into the now bankrupt FTX and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. Mr. Bankman-Fried was extradited from his luxurious Bahamas penthouse to the Southern District of New York. Now that...more
There is a common misconception that claims for intentional conduct are not covered under your insurance policy. In fact, insurance policies commonly provide coverage for intentional misconduct. For example, directors and...more
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) recently announced the settlement of its first enforcement action involving foreign corruption. In December 2020, the CFTC issued a Consent Order, finding that Houston-based...more
In late 2019, Gustav Eyler, the Director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Consumer Protection Branch (“CPB”), cited fraudulent data in clinical research trials for new drugs and medical devices as a topic of “major...more
On July 9, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would review the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to seek restitution in federal court for consumers who have been harmed by fraud and other misconduct in the...more
Guarantors of loans occupy a vulnerable position under California law. While direct borrowers often benefit from California’s robust statutory anti-deficiency framework, those protections are often unavailable for...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employer is caught by WHD investigator instructing its employees to lie during interviews, and provides falsified records, containing whited-out and edited time records, in order to conform to the Federal...more
On May 4, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the fraud conviction of a registered investment adviser and held that proof of intent to harm is not an element of a criminal conviction under section...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a memorandum ("The Yates memo") on September 9, 2015 by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, reaffirming the Government's commitment to prosecuting individuals. Say...more
A CD or not a CD, That is the Question… That the Auditors Should Have Answered - A headline-grabbing SEC enforcement action last week against BDO USA and several of its national partners may lead audit firms to insist on...more
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard about “Deflategate:” The Patriots’ use of allegedly under-inflated footballs during their 45-7 win over the Colts in last-year’s AFC Championship. In a 40-page opinion issued...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is creating a new compliance counsel position in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section to scrutinize the compliance programs of companies under investigation for possible Foreign Corrupt...more