On Feb. 22, 2023, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country adopted a new policy that incentivizes corporate voluntary self-disclosure of misconduct. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Sept. 15, 2022 memorandum (“Monaco Memo”) instructed all DOJ sections to review their policies incentivizing corporate voluntary self-disclosure or, if no formal written policy existed, to draft and publish
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Analysis of DOJ’s FY 2022 FCA Statistics and the Mixed Signals Therein
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it recovered over $2.2 billion under the False Claims Act (FCA) in Fiscal Year 2022.[1] That is a steep drop from last year’s near-record $5.7 billion haul and the lowest annual recovery since 2008. That year-over-year decline, though, was exacerbated by a $3…
Department of Education Guidance Expands Possible Liability for Private Companies That Contract With Higher Education Institutions
UPDATE (March 1, 2023): On February 28, 2023, the Department updated the Dear Colleague Letter regarding third-party servicers to expressly state: “the guidance in this Dear Colleague Letter will not become effective until September 1, 2023.” The Department also extended the public comment period on this Dear Colleague Letter to Thursday, March 30, 2023. Finally,…
Cross-Border Enforcement and Trends — 2022 Year in Review
Key developments in U.S. cross-border enforcement were driven by the year’s most newsworthy developments, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the battery of sanctions that swiftly followed, to the collapse of the cryptocurrency market.
For details, download this inaugural review, which focuses on anti-money laundering, as this issue continued its rise up the enforcement and…
Supreme Court to Determine Whether False Claims Act Liability Is Precluded Where Defendants Proffer an Objectively Reasonable Interpretation of an Ambiguous Legal Requirement
On January 13, 2023, the Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari to petitioners in two False Claims Act cases to determine whether the False Claims Act’s knowledge requirement reaches defendants who can offer an “objectively reasonable” interpretation of an ambiguous legal or contractual requirement material to government payment. The Court’s decision will likely be…
SEC Issues Risk Alert on Reg BI Deficiencies Identified During Exams
On Jan. 30, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations released a Risk Alert identifying perceived weaknesses in broker-dealers’ compliance with the disclosure, care, conflicts of interest and compliance obligations of Regulation Best Interest.
Read on for highlights from the alert and how they reflect the SEC’s evolving expectations during examinations
FinCEN Alert Highlights Potential U.S. Real Estate Investments by Sanctioned Russian Elites
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network recently issued an alert cautioning all financial institutions about potential investments in the U.S. commercial real estate sector, by or on behalf of Russian elites and their proxies. FinCEN’s communication complements U.S. efforts, in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, to isolate sanctioned Russian persons from the international financial system.…
New Incentives Added to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement Policy
UPDATE: U.S. Attorneys’ Offices Adopt Policy Incentivizing Self-Disclosure of Corporate Misconduct (Feb. 27, 2023)
On January 17, 2023, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. delivered remarks to an audience at the Georgetown University Law Center, announcing changes to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement Policy (CEP). These changes to the CEP follow the September…
Federal Trade Commission Proposes Rule to Bar Almost All Non-Compete Agreements in Contracts With Workers
On Jan. 5, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a sweeping rule that would bar almost all non-compete clauses in contracts with workers and in other agreements. A notice-and-comment period provides an opportunity for stakeholders to comment on the proposed rule. If adopted, the rule, which would not take effect for several months, would upend longstanding…
33 State Attorneys General Urge Federal Trade Commission to Take Action on Corporate Surveillance
A bi-partisan coalition of 33[1] state Attorneys General sent a comment letter[2] to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) highlighting the risks to consumers from corporate surveillance and data collection. The November 17, 2022, letter was filed as part of the FTC’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security.[3]…