As the first months of the new administration have demonstrated, President Trump fully intends to deliver on the campaign promise to “restart workplace enforcement.” Employers should prepare now to confirm their employees are authorized to work and have robust compliance policies and procedures in place should ICE come knocking.
The internet is generally viewed as inherently interstate in nature, but courts have reached different conclusions as to whether use of the internet by itself satisfies the “interstate commerce” requirement in criminal statutes, or something more is needed.
Understanding the types of challenges shareholders are bringing against AI-affiliated companies is critical to effectively evaluating proposed disclosures and addressing potential areas of exposure.
The Trump administration’s shift in enforcement policy away from foreign corruption and towards the fight against Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) such as drug cartels, may reduce the immediate risk to global businesses of an FCPA prosecution based on alleged extortion payments. However, the same shift raises new threats to those businesses under statutes that prohibit engagement of any kind with terrorist organizations, do not recognize an extortion defense, and may give rise to civil as well as criminal liability.
What does the second Trump administration augur for the False Claims Act? The question remains how, not if, the Trump DOJ will change DOJ’s enforcement policies, whether they will maintain current enforcement policies, and what the impact will be, especially for the FCA.
In recent years, the DOJ has wielded the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) to exact steep penalties from corporate actors and individuals alike for the improper exchange of something of value to generate healthcare business funded by a federal program. When coupled with the False Claims Act, the AKS turns into a potent civil enforcement tool that carries many of the same draconian penalties as criminal enforcement, achieved via a less demanding path.
The Trump administration will likely impact the SEC whistleblower program in terms of a change in its enforcement priorities, as well as the amounts of financial bounties paid, but will not, in our opinion, threaten its existence given bi-partisan support or alter its core functions.
With tech giants’ influence on the White House on the rise, the likelihood of U.S. retaliation in response to enforcement of both longstanding EU antitrust rules and newer digital regulations has grown. At the same time, the EU’s own stated desire to cut red tape has raised existential questions about the future of the EU as a global regulatory superpower whose laws are emulated by nations and adhered to by companies around the world.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) stands at a critical juncture heading into 2025. Federal agencies are grappling with mounting backlogs, increasingly complex data landscapes, and rising cybersecurity threats. As a new administration takes office, the urgency to adopt innovative, effective solutions has never been greater.
While change is a constant in the privacy, security and technology arena, 2025 is poised to be a landmark year. New technologies will continue to radiate through the economy — and our lives — while the new Trump Administration is likely to emphasize innovation over protection, reward maximization over risk minimization, and incentivizing over enforcing.
