The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s new data security rule went into effect April 8, 2025. The rule creates what are effectively export controls and requires companies to take measures to prevent U.S. sensitive personal and government-related data from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries. The rule targets transactions (including data brokerage, vendor agreements,
On March 5, 2025, SuperValu, Inc. (SuperValu), a grocery store chain that operates in-store pharmacies, was cleared of liability by a Central District of Illinois federal jury—finally quashing whistleblower claims that the company improperly over-billed the government and violated the False Claims Act (FCA). This jury verdict came after a long 14-year battle, which included
Shortly after her confirmation, and just after her swearing-in by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued fourteen memoranda that seek to reform the Department of Justice by rescinding prior guidance, issuing new guidance, and establishing new priorities for the nation’s chief law enforcement and prosecuting agency. We examine below the actions
In a significant development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted 14 North Korean nationals on December 11, 2024 for their involvement in a sophisticated scheme to defraud U.S. companies and violate international sanctions. This case underscores the persistent threat posed by North Korean cyber actors who pose as residents of the U.S. and exploit global
On December 9, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Kousisis v. United States[1], a case that asks the Supreme Court to significantly narrow the scope of what behavior constitutes a federal criminal fraud.
In an address this week to the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Criminal Division, highlighted several updates relevant to corporate compliance programs, including the DOJ’s new whistleblower programs and incentives.
More than two years after announcing the first round of settlements in the ongoing “off-channel communications” probe, the SEC recently announced another round of settlements with 26 financial firms, totaling $390 million in fines. These most recent settlements are notable for two reasons: (1) they include the SEC’s second settlement with an entity operating solely as
On August 22, 2024, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Complaint-In-Intervention (the “Complaint”) against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC). The 99-page DOJ Complaint alleges the defendants knowingly failed to meet contractual cybersecurity requirements in connection with various Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. The suit
In December 2023, President Biden signed the new Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), closing a gap in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by criminalizing the “demand side” of foreign bribery. While the FCPA prohibits offering or paying bribes to foreign government officials, the FEPA made it illegal for foreign officials to solicit or accept bribes from
A recent Ninth Circuit opinion instills the importance of raising an often overlooked defense in federal fraud cases: that the defendant’s misrepresentation did not affect the “nature of the bargain.” In United States v. Milheiser, the panel recently vacated six defendants’ convictions for mail fraud, holding that merely lying to influence a transaction does not
