White Collar Crime

Hare Court silk appointed to lead World Cup bribery probe

By Suzi Ring | May 13, 2011

The Football Association (FA) has appointed James Dingemans QC of 3 Hare Court to investigate allegations of misconduct by FIFA officials surrounding England's 2018 failed World Cup bid. Dingemans was appointed on Thursday (12 May) to review claims made by former FA chairman Lord Triesman to a Parliamentary select committee this week relating to allegations that four FIFA officials had sought "bribes" to back England's bid.

1 minute read

Hedge fund chief Rajaratnam found guilty on all counts in insider trading case

By Legal Week | May 12, 2011

Hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam has been found guilty of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy by a federal jury in Manhattan, writes The American Lawyer.The verdict against the founder of the Galleon Group was delivered yesterday (11 May) after six days of deliberations that followed a nine-week trial on insider trading charges

1 minute read

US firm seals hire of Serious Fraud Office GC for London office

By Friederike Heine | April 27, 2011

McGuireWoods has boosted its white collar crime practice in London with the hire of Serious Fraud Office (SFO) general counsel Vivian Robinson QC. Robinson will join the US firm's London office later this summer as a partner in the government, regulatory and criminal investigations practice, after serving a three-month notice period at the SFO.

1 minute read

War on Wimbledon – the much-derided Bribery Act is a resounding success

By Alex Novarese | April 21, 2011

You know you're on dodgy territory when journalists and lobbying groups start to claim a piece of legislation is badly drafted. Unless you're a trained lawyer - and one with a specialism in the area at that - it's pretty difficult to tell if statute is poorly written. Of course, as can been seen from this week's analysis, this didn't stop a storm of criticism hitting the Bribery Act, which must now surely rank as the most politically-charged piece of legislation to impact on corporates since the Human Rights Act of 1998. In part, the nature of these attacks was due to the content of the Act. Supporting bribery is a hard public position to adopt - which forced opponents of the Act to get into technical arguments regarding supposed deficiencies in drafting.

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Kickbacks – does the Bribery Act deserve to be mired in controversy?

By Legal Week | April 21, 2011

"Talk of golf days being banned and arrests at Wimbledon – that was all hype," says Barry Vitou, Pinsent Masons partner and co-author of thebriberyact.com, discussing the much-touted anti-corruption legislation that will finally come into effect later this summer. And the implementation of the Bribery Act has certainly been noticed; arguably not since the Human Rights Act 1998 has a piece of primary legislation with wide implications for companies attracted such sustained political controversy. In the wake of a fierce lobbying campaign from business groups claiming, in one case, that the Act would be like equivalent US legislation "on acid" – leading to extreme claims that even basic corporate hospitality would be banned under the legislation – the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced in January that the Act's implementation would be delayed from its target of April 2011.

1 minute read

US associate faces charges for using law firm data for insider trading

By Legal Week | April 7, 2011

A former M&A lawyer has been charged by US prosecutors for an alleged insider trading scheme which involved obtaining information from three leading corporate law firms, writes The Am Law Daily. Matthew Kluger, a former associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Cravath Swaine & Moore and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, has been charged by federal prosecutors in connection with an alleged scheme to trade on inside information. The scheme is alleged to have netted Kluger and a fellow defendant $32m (£19.7m) over more than a decade.

1 minute read

Senior DLA partner duo quit firm to join Dechert's London arm

By Legal Week | April 1, 2011

DLA Piper is set to see its global co-head of litigation and regulation Neil Gerrard and its EMEA head of corporate crime and investigations Jonathan Pickworth leave the firm. Gerrard and Pickworth both handed in their notice yesterday (31 March) to join Dechert's City arm, with the firm also understood to be in talks with additional DLA partners.

1 minute read

Govt announces July implementation date for new UK anti-bribery laws

By Suzi Ring | March 30, 2011

Businesses have just three months to ensure they comply with the Bribery Act, after Justice Secretary Ken Clarke today (30 March) announced that the UK's updated anti-corruption laws will come into force on 1 July. The new guidelines issued earlier today confirm that a business can be held liable if a senior person within the organisation commits a bribery offence. Organisations may also be liable for failing to prevent bribery conducted on their behalf, but only if the person committing the crime performs services connected with the business - this means companies are unlikely to face action because of the actions of suppliers.

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Louise Delahunty: Caught in the laundering cross fire

By Legal Week | March 28, 2007

Banks, lawyers and accountants are experiencing a feeling of deja vu. Another raft of European legislation descends, new domestic implementing law is published and the UK is once again at the forefront of increased anti-money laundering regulation.

1 minute read

National Law Journal

Michael Avenatti Asks Appeals Court for Retrial Over Judge's Instructions to Holdout Juror

By Avalon Zoppo | December 15, 2022

Michael Avenatti was sentenced earlier this year to four years in prison after a jury found him guilty of stealing nearly $300,000 from his former client Stormy Daniels' book advance.

3 minute read

Corporate Counsel

US Judge Disinclined to Overturn Former Uber Security Chief's Conviction in Data Breach Case

By Maria Dinzeo | December 14, 2022

"We're flexing our rhetorical muscles for the appeal," Joe Sullivan's defense attorney John Cline told a federal judge who said he's not likely to overturn a jury's verdict convicting the former Uber security chief of concealing a data breach in 2016.

4 minute read

National Law Journal

Jan. 6 Committee Counsel Returns to McGuireWoods

By Justin Henry | December 14, 2022

Casey Lucier said her involvement with a staff that filed dozens of subpoenas and deposed thousands of witnesses adds to her "traditional lawyer" capabilities.

4 minute read

The American Lawyer

Reed Smith's Use of Private Investigators in Washington Commanders' Scandal Raises Ethics Concerns

By Dan Roe | December 14, 2022

The congressional investigation into sexual misconduct and bullying at the NFL team reveals the firm as the latest in Big Law to hire third parties whose conduct would be considered unethical. But experts said current rules don't block the behavior.

6 minute read

Litigation Daily

Litigators of the Week: Trump Org Prosecutors Secure Across-the-Board Guilty Verdict in Tax Fraud Trial

By Ross Todd | December 9, 2022

Susan Hoffinger, Joshua Steinglass and their colleagues at the Manhattan district attorney's office secured a guilty verdict on all 17 counts in the tax fraud trial against two of former President Donald Trump's business entities.

6 minute read

Connecticut Law Tribune

Attorney Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion: Court Docs Lay Out How He Did It

By Emily Cousins | December 8, 2022

Prosecutors said the lawyer wrote checks from his law firm's operating account, payable to his paralegal.

2 minute read

Law.com

Using Anti-Bribery and Corruption Regimes for ESG Concerns

By Stephanie Yonekura, Ann Kim and Derek Centola | December 8, 2022

Compliance leaders recognize that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is a growing concern for U.S. companies, but face challenges in determining how to embed compliance structures into their programs. One solution is to look to already existing anti-bribery and corruption (AB&C) compliance measures.

9 minute read

The Recorder

Elizabeth Holmes Co-Conspirator Sunny Balwani Sentenced to Nearly 13 Years in Prison

By Alaina Lancaster | December 7, 2022

"Holmes is part of this case, but she's not part of this sentence," said U.S. District Judge Edward Davila.

6 minute read

New York Law Journal

Setbacks Prosecuting Trump Allies Highlight Challenges in Foreign Influence Cases

By Robert J. Anello and Richard F. Albert | December 7, 2022

In its recent stepped-up enforcement efforts against foreign influence in American politics, the DOJ has faced some high-profile setbacks when it has sought to use the broad reach of 18 U.S.C. §951 to pursue conduct outside the context of traditional espionage.

12 minute read

The Recorder

Nominee for San Francisco's Top Federal Prosecutor Reveals $1.4M Pay, Lengthy Client List

By Cheryl Miller | December 5, 2022

Ismail Ramsey's recent clients have included dozens of individuals and institutions facing scandals, scrutiny or criminal charges.

2 minute read