Last night, in a move with wide-ranging implications for American companies doing business abroad, President Trump issued an executive order (Order) temporarily halting enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The Order directs Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi to review guidelines and policies governing FCPA investigations and enforcement actions in the next 180 days,
Subject to Inquiry
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State Attorneys General Poised to Crack Down On Price Gouging Amid Market Pressure
This past Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a warning to businesses against price gouging for eggs and poultry. The current bird flu outbreak began in March 2024 but has become a topic of increasing concern for consumers and businesses in the new year after more than 13 million hens—necessary to the success…
Trump Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
On February 1, 2025, the Trump Administration imposed long-expected tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China through the issuance of three executive orders (“EOs”). While some recent reporting suggested that implementation of these tariffs may be delayed to March 1, 2025, the White House confirmed on January 31, 2025 that these tariffs…
Trump Administration Tariff Regime: Uncertainty and Expectations
As he enters his second week in office, President Donald Trump is forecasting a desire to implement a muscular trade policy leaning heavily on the imposition of tariffs—potentially on a global basis—as a means of extracting favorable trade deals and other economic and political concessions from trading partners across the globe. As of this writing,…
U. S. Supreme Court Vacates National Injunction Staying the CTA in One Case, But a Separate Nationwide Stay Against Enforcement Stands
Here we go again – another CTA update hot off the press.
- In our last update, we reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed with the U.S. Supreme Court an emergency application to stay the injunction preventing FinCEN from enforcing the CTA, asking the Court to either stay the Texas district court’s
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Second Circuit Joins Other Circuits with AKS One Purpose Test

On December 27, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decided United States ex rel. Camburn v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and joined a growing list of federal circuit courts that have adopted what the Second Circuit called the “at least one purpose rule”. This rule provides that defendants have violated the…
DOJ Seeks Supreme Court Review of CTA Injunction
Another flurry of court activity has further muddied the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) waters, leaving additional uncertainty about its enforceability.
You may recall that on December 26, 2024, the Fifth Circuit vacated its own order granting the Government’s motion to stay the district court’s preliminary injunction, leaving FinCEN unable to enforce the CTA and lifting…
Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Obligations: On Hold Until At Least Late March 2025
A flurry of activity in the Fifth Circuit this holiday season left clients asking the same questions about the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA): “Do we report Beneficial Ownership Information?” “If so, when is the deadline?” “Will this Act survive judicial review?”
You may recall that on December 26, 2024, the Fifth Circuit vacated the “part…
Here We Go Again – Fifth Circuit Lifts the CTA Order Lifting the Injunction
Just what you wanted – another holiday edition of Subject to Inquiry tracking the legal wrangling around the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). If you’ve just joined our program:
- On December 3, the District Court in the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction that enjoined the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from enforcing the
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Reporting Companies Have Less Than Three Weeks to File Beneficial Ownership Info With FinCEN
On Dec. 23, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted the government’s emergency motion for a stay of a District Court’s nationwide preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The appellate court’s unpublished order in Texas Top Cop Shop v. Garland reinstates the act, which has a year-end deadline…