On F
riday, July 8, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Sean McKessey, Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, will be leaving his post by the end of the month. Jane Norberg, Deputy Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower will serve as Acting Chief until a replacement is found.
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Prison Sentence for Executives in Contaminated Egg Case Highlights Food Safety Risks
Las
t Thursday, July 7, 2016, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a three-month jail sentence against Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son Peter, the CEO and COO respectively of Quality Egg LLC. The CDC determined that Quality Egg was responsible for a salmonella outbreak that ultimately
Increased Fines on the Horizon for Immigration Law Violations
The Department of Justice has raised the bar on penalties for violations of federal immigration law. On June 30, 2016, DOJ issued an interim final rule that goes into effect on August 1, 2016. This rule, implemented as an inflation adjustment, increases the fines for employing unauthorized workers, for Form I-9 paperwork violations, and for
DOJ’s First Corporate Enforcement Action Under Pilot Program
In April 2016, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement Plan and Guidance, which includes a one-year pilot program to incentivize individuals and companies to voluntarily self-disclose Foreign Corrupt Practices Act-related (FCPA) misconduct, cooperate with DOJ investigations and remediate controls and compliance programs. Under the guidance, the DOJ may
Supreme Court Hands Down Opinion in Universal Health Services v. Escobar
Recently, the 
Supreme Court handed down its much-anticipated opinion in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar et al.—a case addressing the viability of the implied certification theory in FCA litigation. Justice Thomas, writing on behalf of a unanimous Court, found that the implied certification theory can in fact serve as
CFPB’s Vehicle Title Loan Report Signals Future Proposed Rule
The C
onsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently released a 23-page report claiming that single-payment vehicle title loans result in vehicle repossessions for nearly one in five borrowers. While this report has been questioned, it also claims that the average annual percentage rate for such loans is approximately 300 percent. These findings are based
The Anti-Corruption Summit – UK plans for further corporate criminal offences, and a host of other proposals
The UK’s Prime Minster David Cameron has just hosted the “Anti-Corruption Summit”, a first of its kind, bringing together world leaders, business, and civil society with the goal of seeking to agree on a package of steps to:
Buyer Beware: Noncompliant Electronic I-9 Software Risks Customer Company Fines
Electronic I-9 software can be very attractive to companies looking for efficiency and ensuring compliance. Not to mention the elimination of file drawers that once housed these voluminous paper I-9 files. However, buyers beware, not all electronic I-9 software meets the federal regulations’ requirements. And the problem for well-meaning companies: ICE will still hold the
Oral Arguments in PHH Case Signal Trouble for CFPB
The D.C. Circuit held oral arguments on April 12, 2016 in the case PHH Corp v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a case challenging the CFPB’s constitutionality as well as its interpretations of the Real Estate Procedures Settlement Act (RESPA), including its view that no statute of limitations applies to RESPA violations challenged by the
You Can Pay Your Lawyer: Supreme Court Recognizes Limits on Pretrial Asset Restraints
Before the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week in Luis v. United States, the government could freeze a criminal defendant’s assets before trial even if they bore no connection to the alleged crimes. With the ruling, if the restraint prevents the defendant from paying for counsel, it violates the Sixth Amendment.
Sila Luis faced