On Dec. 9, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear argument in Kousisis v. United States, a case that will again review the reach of the federal mail and wire fraud statutes. At issue this time is the so-called “fraudulent inducement” theory of property fraud — namely, whether deception to induce a commercial exchange can constitute mail or wire fraud, even if the infliction of economic harm on the alleged victim was not the object of the scheme.
To gauge the level of risk and uncover potential gaps, compliance and privacy leaders should collaborate to consider how often they are monitoring third parties, what intelligence they are gathering with and about their partners and vendors, and whether their risk management practices have been diminished due to cost and resource constraints.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has underscored the critical importance of Marketing Rule compliance through a series of recent enforcement actions and risk alerts. This article delves into the challenges that investment advisers must navigate when marketing their services. It also explores how legal counsel and compliance consultants can effectively support their clients in adhering to both the explicit requirements and nuanced aspects of the Marketing Rule.
By incentivizing individuals to report misconduct through its Whistleblower Pilot Program, the DOJ has expanded its arsenal and the means by which it can identify misconduct. So wrongdoers beware — although this is not the Old West, everybody loves a good bounty.
The fight against financial crime is becoming increasingly complex. The increasing prominence of AI also means that firms may leave themselves exposed to unexpected risks if they do not carefully consider the quality of the data that fuels the AI system.
DOJ's Cyber Fraud Initiative has been a wake-up call for companies to prioritize cybersecurity and adhere to stringent standards. By leveraging the FCA, DOJ has used a powerful enforcement tool to target a wide range of cybersecurity failures and misrepresentations. The increasing focus on cybersecurity by enforcement agencies means that robust cybersecurity practices are becoming a standard expectation, not just a best practice.
We now have an opportunity to see whether the volume of campaign contribution bribery cases in the Second Circuit increases, and whether the government brings any cases that appear to infringe on the First Amendment interests of campaign contributors and candidates.
The guidance mirrors the recent, broader impulse among U.S. prosecutors and regulatory agencies to extend application of U.S. law to foreign persons and entities, even when those persons and entities have only threadbare connections to the U.S.
Both the DOJ and the SEC have made it clear that they will look at company BYOD policies when assessing how to resolve matters under their purview. To avoid pitfalls — and sanctions — counsel must take proactive steps to ensure proper preservation and collection of personal mobile data and verify that clients comply.
The DOJ is likely to face many practical challenges and novel issues as it begins coding its own algorithm for AI-related enforcement. This article briefly examines three areas of AI-related enforcement where such practical challenges and novel issues may arise.
